Mt. Oscar

Queen Elizabeth II, who is portrayed as a child in “The King’s Speech,” screened the movie last week. Her reaction to the film about her father King George VI’s debilitating stutter? She was “moved” by the telling of the royal family’s story.   (Clipper Mail / Associated Press)

Australian actress Jacki Weaver is already reaping dividends from her supporting actress Oscar nomination for “Animal Kingdom.” She recently landed an American agent to represent her here.  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

SAG statuettes, producer and director guild wins, most Oscar nominations (12) and a nice little boost in box office ticket sales. Could “The King’s Speech” be sitting any prettier?  (Valerie Macon / AFP / Getty Images)

He may not be favored to win, but surely a newborn son and an Oscar nomination within a week has to have Javier Bardem riding high.   (Dominique Faget / AFP / Getty Images)

Scott Rudin, with “The Social Network” and “True Grit,” becomes the first producer to have two films in the best picture race since 1974, when Francis Ford Coppola and Fred Roos did it with “The Godfather 2” and “The Conversation.”   (Jemal Countess / Getty Images)

If Alan Menken wins his fifth original song Oscar this year for “Tangled’s” “I See the Light,” he’ll bypass some of the greats, including Sammy Cahn and Johnny Mercer. Meanwhile, Randy Newman picks up his 20th nod, this one for the original song “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3.”   (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Speaking of “Saturday Night Live,” getting the real Mark Zuckerberg to join Jesse Eisenberg for his hosting gig, was a smooth marketing coup for “The Social Network” — probably too little, too late though.   (DSK / AFP / Getty Images)

The Producers Guild of America omitted Ryan Kavanaugh as a producer from “The Fighter.” If the film gets nominated for an Oscar, will the academy break ranks with the PGA and include him, or will the financier be left hoping for another shot with “Season of the Witch”?  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)

Natalie Portman is considered among the lead actress front-runners for her role in “Black Swan.” She’s also now pregnant and engaged to ballet star Benjamin Millepied, whom she met while working on the film. Talk about a life-changing role.   (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

The marketing team behind “127 Hours,” at which some audience members have been seen to faint, are embracing the film’s graphic elements, including sending out badge-of-honor T-shirts that proudly proclaim, “I kept my eyes open for 127 Hours.”  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Colin Firth brings a human vulnerability to King George VI in “The King’s Speech” and is considered a front-runner for the lead actor Oscar. Could Ralph Fiennes, Paul Bettany or Robert Downey Jr. have done as well? They were each considered for the part at one point.  (Laurie Sparham / Associated Press)

Nicole Kidman began work on “Rabbit Hole,” a film about the loss of a young child, when her own daughter was a baby, so she knew things might get ugly emotionally. She warned husband Keith Urban, “I’m going into a place that’s altered. I’ll come out OK at the end.” An Oscar would sure help lighten the mood.   (JoJo Whilden / Associated Press)

Her National Board of Review win for best actress in Mike Leigh‘s “Another Year” gave longshot contender Lesley Manville a well-deserved boost.   (Simon Mein / Associated Press)

There’s an apparent age divide developing over “Black Swan” — many older film critics disliked it, while younger ones almost universally embraced the horror-ballet combination. What’s the average age of academy voters these days?  (Niko Tavernise / Associated Press)

Will the tumbling per-screen average of “127 Hours” affect its awards chances? It’s falling well behind the box office of “Slumdog Millionaire,” the last film director Danny Boyle teamed up on with Fox Searchlight.  (Evan Agostini / Associated Press)

Despite some early negative reviews for “I Love You Phillip Morris,” stars Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor can take heart in the fact that the leads of another gay love story — “Brokeback Mountain’s” Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger — were each nominated for an Oscar.  (Patti Perret / Associated Press)

The Producers Guild of America’s decision to honor Scott Rudin with its David O. Selznick Award spells strong support by that guild for Rudin’s films in contention this year, “The Social Network” and “True Grit.”  (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)

Director Christopher Nolan has given two Oscar acceptance speeches but has yet to be nominated as best director. His speeches? One for his winning “Memento” screenplay, the other in accepting Heath Ledger‘s supporting actor trophy for “The Dark Night” after the actor’s death.  (Nina Prommer / EPA)

Its slow pace and middling reviews will likely keep record-breaking blockbuster “ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1” out of the Oscar race. At least until next year, after the franchise’s ultimate chapter is revealed over the summer.  (Jaap Buitendijk / Associated Press)

There were just 15 eligible animated films this year, so only three will get Oscar nods. “Toy Story 3” and “How to Train Your Dragon” appear to be locks, forcing a mad dash for the final spot. Will it be an artsy pick such as “The Illusionist” or a big studio release like “Despicable Me” or “Tangled”?  (Illumination Entertainment / Associated Press)

Alan Menken, the living person with the most Oscars, got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last week right in front of Disney’s El Capitan Theatre. Could be a sign he’s on the way up for his “Tangled” score.   (Gabriel Bouys / AFP / Getty Images)

Imagine how much Tom Hooper, director of early front-runner “The King’s Speech,” must have enjoyed working with Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Queen Elizabeth in the film: As a teen, he kept a picture of the actress on his wall.  (Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)

What does James Franco credit with helping him land the lead in “127 Hours”? His stint on a soap opera. For his audition, he had to memorize a page-long monologue. “I just had done ‘General Hospital,’ where I had to memorize 70 pages a day, so this little speech was no problem.”  (Alexandra Wyman / Getty Images)

Best promotional item to date? The T-shirt from “Animal Kingdom” with the cheery but ruthless family matriarch (played by Jacki Weaver) admonishing, “You’ve done some bad things, sweetie.”  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Producer Scott Rudin may have two horses in the best picture race: David Fincher‘s “The Social Network” and the Coen brothers’ “True Grit.” Which one will get the most Scott Rudin love? How about let’s see which film ends up with more Facebook friends?   (Merrick Morton / Associated Press)

“Fair Game,” the story of the George W. Bush administration’s outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame (played by Naomi Watts), isn’t quite a period piece, but what with the recent elections, it might feel like old news to Oscar voters.   (Ken Regan / Associated Press)