The Weinstein CompanyThey may be Hollywood's biggest and brightest, but the new class of Oscar nominees isn't necessarily the most effusive.
Take Brad Pitt, who, while quick to express his gratitude for both his Best Actor nomination and the leading 13 nods nabbed by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, kept his thanks short and sweet.
"This is a great honor for the movie, and I'm especially happy for David Fincher, for without him there would be no Ben Button," Pitt said.
Pitt's offscreen sidekick Angelina Jolie also gave props to her director and claimed that the experience itself was prize enough.
"Working with Clint Eastwood was a reward in itself that will last me a lifetime," said the Changeling Best Actress nominee, who also gave a shout-out to Animated Feature contender Kung Fu Panda, which her "entire family loves so much."
"To receive a nomination from the Academy on top of that is a privilege beyond any expectation. It has been an exceptional year for acting, and I am honored to be in the company of these talented actors whose performances all deserve this recognition."
Speaking of that competition...
Kate Winslet, who despite some expectations of a twofer scored just a single nomination for Best Actress in The Reader, took care to explain that despite her recent reign as awards season's golden girl, she did not take her kudos for granted.
"I'm extremely happy to have been nominated," she said. "And very fortunate...I'm genuinely thrilled not just for myself but for the wonderful Stephen Daldry and David Hare. These nominations are a testament to their unwavering commitment to this film."
She also paid tribute to the film's late producers, who will surely receive their moment in the spotlight once more come Oscar night.
"Surely Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack are smiling down on us today!"
Anne Hathaway, largely tipped to be Winslet's greatest competition for the golden statue, also offered up some gratitude for her honor, saying her nomination was something of a family affair.
"It is such a thrill to be recognized in this category with these remarkably talented women. I was with my parents and my dog when I got the news and we were all overjoyed—although I'm not sure my dog knew what was going on. This is a great day to be an actress!"
Somebody who diverted from the boilerplate thank-yous was Best Supporting Actor nominee Josh Brolin.
"It feels surreal," Brolin, up this year for his role in Milk, said. "I just got a call from [onetime costar] Javier Bardem in Spain, and he was flipping out and screaming.
"The reality is I got up at 5:55 here in Utah and looked at the clock and figured the nominations were announced and it didn't happen. I said to myself, 'That's OK, I can deal with it.' Then I realized there's a one-hour time difference."
Happy endings all around, then.
"When I think about my life a few years ago, being happy just to feed my kids, never in a million years would I have imagined I would be up at 5 in the morning getting phone calls saying I was nominated for an Academy Award."
Brolin's brother nominee Robert Downey Jr., up for his scene-stealing turn in Tropic Thunder, praised director and costar Ben Stiller for taking a chance both on him and the material.
"I think what's really cool about it is it was a risky idea that Ben brought to me and it's a comedy and all that stuff," he said. "So I'm kind of glad it broke the sometimes precedent of not taking comedies seriously in that way."
Also sharing her nomination moment with a pal was The Wrestler's Marisa Tomei, up this year for Supporting Actress.
"The best thing is that it was my best friend from New York who called and told me. She was so happy, she was crying...The beauty of the whole thing is that it wasn't my publicist who called."
One nominee who needed no wake-up call was Doubt's Viola Davis, who will vie against Tomei in the Supporting Actress category come Feb. 22.
"I didn't sleep all night," she said. "I screamed in my husband's ear and drank some champagne. When you're acknowledged like this, you feel confident that you've reached people and you're on the right path."
Gus Van Sant, whose Milk earned eight nominations, including nods for Best Director and Best Motion Picture, was in no rush to hear his good news.
"I was sleeping because that's my technique, and I just got it on my phone when I turned it on. It's just as good as the first time. Well, almost as good…It's really great for the movie and for the progress of [titular hero] Harvey's efforts as a gay politician."
Fellow filmmaker David Fincher, up for Best Director for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, shared the honor with "the city of New Orleans who gave birth to Benjamin."
"Benjamin Button was truly a labor of love and I am humbled by the nomination," he said.
Ron Howard, another Best Director nominee for Frost/Nixon, said that the nomination was icing on the cake and credited his star actors Frank Langella and Michael Sheen.
"Every take was interesting. Every take was powerhouse. It was just...for a director that loves to work with actors—I fancy myself as an actor's director—it was an absolute field day."
Equally, if not more, overwhelmed with his film's 10 nominations was Slumdog Millionaire Best Director nominee Danny Boyle.
"I'm ecstatic! Thank you to the Academy from the cast and crew here in Mumbai where the film was made and where it's being premiered tonight. It feels like you've given us a billion nominations!"
Boyle's Slumdog cohort, Adapted Screenplay nominee Simon Beaufoy, just seemed grateful the film ever made it into theatrical release, let alone became this awards season's darling.
"I just have to keep remembering that the film nearly went straight to DVD. There was a week or two when it might never have appeared on a big screen in the United States, and the fact that it did, and Americans have taken it to their hearts, is just fantastic."
Also sharing in the surprise was Lead Actor contender Richard Jenkins, up for the relatively unseen indie The Visitor.
"This nomination is such an unexpected honor and I am grateful to the Academy for the recognition," he said. "I've been awed by the work of my fellow nominees this year and am truly humbled to be in their company.
"Having been an actor for many years now, I am moved by the fact that something like this can happen at this point in my career, particularly for a film that has meant so much to me."
Then there was Melissa Leo, nominated for Lead Actress in Frozen River, who provided possibly the most practical reaction to news of her nomination.
"It's delightfully surprising. I had no expectations," she said. "What does all of this mean? Four letters: W-O-R-K."
(Originally published on Jan. 22, 2009 at 9:15 a.m. PT)