Oscar Predictions: Best Film Editing

Last year’s nominees: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire

This year’s ACE Eddie nominees: (Drama) Avatar, District 9, The Hurt Locker, Star Trek, Up (Comedy) 500 Days of Summer, The Hangover, It’s Complicated, Julie & Julia, A Serious Man

Other contenders: Inglourious Basterds, Precious, Invictus, Nine

The rundown: The ACE snub for “Inglourious Basterds” is strange, but I can’t imagine it not making the cut. The other three Best Picture nominees should definitely be here, so that begs the question – which film gets the fifth slot? If it can’t be “500 Days of Summer” and “District 9,” which one will it be? I’m going on my hunch that they’ll skew dramatic and nominate the latter film. This category has provided some surprises before, however, especially in 2005 when “Cinderella Man,” “The Constant Gardener,” and “Walk the Line” got nominated here over Best Picture nominees “Brokeback Mountain,” “Capote,” and “Good Night, and Good Luck.” With ten Best Picture nominees, that seems all the more unlikely, but who knows?

Forecasted winner: The Hurt Locker