Oscar 2011 Best Picture Nominees

Oscar 2011 Best Picture nominees. Time for your Oscar movie dash, and since the Academy doubled the number of Best Picture nominees from five to 10 last year, you may have more movies to see before the Oscars are handed out Feb. 27. Here's a guide to help you navigate your way through the cinematic award wannabes.

We also have a guide for you to make the Oscar literary-movie connection so you can make that stop at the bookstore worthwhile.

Skip ahead to the films nominated for Best Picture:

* "Black Swan”
* "The Fighter"
* "Inception"
* "The Kids Are All Right"
* "The King's Speech"
* "127 Hours"
* "The Social Network"
* "Toy Story 3”
* "True Grit"
* "Winter's Bone"

Black Swan

Director Darren Aronofsky tracks Natalie Portman's descent into the mental and emotional abyss of ballet and "Swan Lake"

Awards won: Golden Globe for actress, drama; Screen Actors Guild for actress

The Fighter

Director David O. Russell leads Mark Wahlberg in the biographical film about fighter Mickey Ward.  

Awards won: Golden Globes for supporting actor and supporting actress; Screen Actors Guild for supporting actor and supporting actress

Inception

Dream thieves for hire enter the land of Nod to plant an idea – "inception."

Awards won: Writers Guild of America 

Other Oscar nominations: Eight total, including screenplay

The King's Speech

Colin Firth portrays King George VI in this biopic about overcoming his stutter while bonding with his speech therapist, played by Geoffrey Rush.  

Awards won: Golden Globe for actor; Screen Actors Guild for actor

True Grit

Directors Joel and Ethan Coen's take on the Western tale of a U.S. marshal and a young woman avenging the death of her father.

Oscar nominations:Director, actor, supporting actress

The Kids Are All Right

Lesbian mothers face their kids connecting with their biological dad.

Awards won: Golden Globes for picture, comedy or musical; and actress, comedy or musical.

Other Oscar nominations:Actress, supporting actor, screenplay.

127 Hours

The true story of adventurer Aron Ralston, who cut off his own right arm to save his life.

Awards won: No majors

Other Oscar nominations: Six total, including actor, adapted screenplay and editing.

Talking point, snubbed for: Director, who won in 2009 for "Slumdog Millionaire"

The Social Network

Mark Zuckerberg breaks up with his girlfriend, and Facebook is born.

Awards won: Golden Globes for picture, director, screenplay, original score.

Other Oscar nominations: Eight total, including director, actor, adapted screenplay.

Talking point, snubbed for: Supporting actor

Toy Story 3

The final installment with Woody and Buzz, capturing stages of life in a movie part wistful and part prison break.

Awards won: Golden Globe 

Other Oscar nominations: Adapted screenplay, animated film, song, sound editing

Winter's Bone

A 17-year-old in the Ozarks sets out to find her drug-dealing father who put their home up for sale for bail and disappeared.

Awards won: No majors.

Other Oscar nominations: Actress, adapted screenplay, supporting actor.

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