Frozen River gets Oscar nods

Congratulations to Frozen River, the Native-themed movie with Mohawk co-stars and settings, for getting two Oscar nominations:

2009 Oscar scorecardBEST ACTRESS

Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges"
Andrew Stanton, and Jim Reardon; original story by Stanton and Pete Docter, "WALL-E"Comment:  Is this the most nominations for a Native-themed film since Dances with Wolves? Could be.

Melissa Leo was considered a longshot for a nomination, and Courtney Hunt wasn't considered a shot at all. It's a good haul for indie movies such as The Reader, The Visitor, and Frozen River. Not such a good haul for The Dark Knight, which was expected to get more nominations.

Of course, neither of the nominees is Native. We're still waiting for the mainstream to recognized genuinely Native movies.

Nor is Frozen River superior to other films by and about Natives. I'd say movies such as 2007's Imprint and Four Sheets to the Wind were at least as deserving.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  Misty Upham, Melissa Leo, and Courtney Hunt.