Final Oscar Predictions

This is the final stretch before the Oscar nominations are announced on Thursday morning. I’m trying to be the most realistic I’ve ever been in the hopes of finally getting 5/5 on the Best Picture list and a generally better score than I usually get. I’m still hoping that “The Dark Knight” will falter in its path to Oscar glory only because it just wasn’t everything everyone says it was. I’m not saying it wasn’t good – it just wasn’t that good. I’m predicting 11 nominations apiece for top contenders “Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” followed by “The Dark Knight” with 10 and “Wall-E” and “Milk” with 6 each. These are my final predictions, and I’d like to make 3 wonderful no guts, no glory predictions, any of which would put a smile on my face:

WALTZ WITH BASHIR for Best Director
EDDIE MARSAN for Best Supporting Actor
FREIDA PINTO for Best supporting Actress

I’m not sure how reliable Internet access will be on Thursday what with the time difference and unstable Internet here, so my considerably briefer-than-usual reactions will be posted when I can. And now, my predictions:

Best Picture
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Best Actor in a Leading Role
CLINT EASTWOOD, GRAN TORINO
RICHARD JENKINS, THE VISITOR
FRANK LANGELLA, FROST/NIXON
SEAN PENN, MILK
MICKEY ROURKE, THE WRESTLER

Best Actress in a Leading Role
ANNE HATHAWAY, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
SALLY HAWKINS, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
MELISSA LEO, FROZEN RIVER
MERYL STREEP, DOUBT
KATE WINSLET, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
JOSH BROLIN, MILK
ROBERT DOWNEY JR, TROPIC THUNDER
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN, DOUBT
HEATH LEDGER, THE DARK KNIGHT
DEV PATEL, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
AMY ADAMS, DOUBT
PENELOPE CRUZ, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
VIOLA DAVIS, DOUBT
ROSEMARIE DEWITT, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
KATE WINSLET, THE READER

Best Director
DANNY BOYLE, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
DAVID FINCHER, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
RON HOWARD, FROST/NIXON
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, THE DARK KNIGHT
GUS VAN SANT, MILK

Best Original Screenplay
IN BRUGES
MILK
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
WALL-E

Best Adapted Screenplay
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DOUBT
FROST/NIXON
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Best Cinematography
AUSTRALIA
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Best Art Direction
AUSTRALIA
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


Best Costume Design
AUSTRALIA
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DUCHESS
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Best Film Editing
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
IRON MAN
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Best Sound
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
IRON MAN
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E

Best Sound Editing
THE DARK KNIGHT
IRON MAN
WALL-E
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (if 5 nominees)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (if 5 nominees)

Best Visual Effects
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
IRON MAN

Best Makeup
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK

Best Song
“Gran Torino” from GRAN TORINO
“Jai Ho” from SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
“O Saya” from SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
“Down to Earth” from WALL-E
“The Wrestler” from THE WRESTLER

Best Original Score
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E

Best Documentary
BLESSED IS THE MATCH
I.O.U.S.A.
MAN ON WIRE
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
TROUBLE THE WATER

Best Foreign Film
THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX
THE CLASS
EVERLASTING MOMENTS
REVANCHE
WALL-E

Best Animated Film
KUNG FU PANDA
WALL-E
WALTZ WITH BASHIR
BOLT (if 5 nominees)
MADAGASCAR 2 (if 5 nominees)