Oscar nominations 2012: the Academy's picks for best films

The Oscar nominations are announced, with a few surprises.

3. Actress in a Leading Role

Merrick Morton/HONS/Sony, Columbia Pictures/AP
Actress Rooney Mara is nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.'

Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"

Viola Davis, "The Help"

Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"

Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"

Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

Upsets: All except Mara were as expected, but many had wondered if Mara's chances were fading after she missed out on many of the major acting awards – and actress Tilda Swinton was considered to have the best chance at the fifth nomination for her film "We Need to Talk About Kevin." Instead, Mara slipped in for a nomination.

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Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

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If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

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We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

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