Studio tallies are difficult, thanks to shared films and conglom shifts. Warner Bros. can puff out its chest and easily boast that it has a hand in 18 noms. Viacom should be happy, given the number of noms to Paramount, Par Vantage and DreamWorks.
Fox Searchlight also did well. And Universal and Disney also were proudly represented.
But in a world where Par, DreamWorks and WB all have a stake in "Flags of Our Fathers," it's nearly impossible to tally up boasting rights. Does "Dreamgirls" count as a Paramount film, a DreamWorks film or both?
This year, lines are further blurred. For example, Brad Grey, topper at Paramount, is one of the producers of WB's "The Departed," but the producers who will be nommed have yet to be determined.
And there is always the global question. The rest of the year, Hollywood majors openly acknowledge the film biz is international and overseas money is crucial. But when it comes to claiming Oscar credit, the studios suddenly become xenophobic and isolationist and are reluctant to credit overseas partners: Domestic distribution, that's all that counts!
One could tally films by domestic distrib, but if a rival studio has shared in the financing, it often leads to a dispute. People in Hollywood take these things seriously.
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