But for a stray compliment from host Jon Stewart during the opening monologue, the Oscars did not go well for this year’s Canadian-related nominees, who went home empty-handed Sunday night, shut out despite an impressive list of nominations that included nods for best actor, adapted screenplay and two — in the general direction of the north — for best actress.

Nodding to Julie Christie, Stewart opened the 80th annual awards with kind words for the British star and Away From Her, calling Sarah Polley’s directorial debut ‘a moving story about a woman who forgets her own husband,’ before quipping, ‘Hillary Clinton called it the feel-good movie of the year.’

But the nods ended there. The actress win instead went to Marion Cotillard for her role as Edith Piaf in the French film La vie en rose, ending Oscar buzz that had surrounded Christie’s role as a woman struggling with Alzheimer’s disease since the picture’s debut in 2006.

Halifax’s Ellen Page was nominated in the same category for Juno, though the role as a pregnant teen brought her an Independent Spirit Award on Saturday night. The picture, by Montreal-born Jason Reitman, also earned a best screenplay win for first-timer Diablo Cody.

Polley saw her nomination for best adapted screenplay go to Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men, which was the big winner Sunday night, also taking best picture, best directors for the Coen brothers and best supporting actor for Javier Bardem.

Viggo Mortenson of Eastern Promises, meanwhile, was edged out of a best actor win by Daniel Day-Lewis, who scored his second Oscar for his lead in There Will Be Blood.

Best animated short went to the half-hour U.K./Poland stop-motion Peter & the Wolf, winning out over two Canadian nominees, I Met the Walrus and Madame Tutli-Putli.