Oscar Picks

Last updated: 4:09pm

Best Picture:
“Avatar” (Fox) Saw it. It is good, but the academy might not go with fantasy.
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit) Currently my second choice, although this is probably the more likely winner
“The Blind Side” (WB)
“District 9” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Co.)
“Precious” (Lionsgate)
“A Serious Man” (Focus)
“Up (Disney)
“Up in the Air” (Paramount)

Best Actor:
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” This should be a lock. Long career, likable (who doesn't like The Dude?), and although I haven't seen the movie I would think he is good in it
Colin Firth in “A Single Man” If Jeff doesn't get it, Mr. Darcy is probably the one who would
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Best Actress:
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”I think everyone likes her, as a person, which can't be said of Julia, and they gave her one. She's had to be in Julia's shadow all these years, and allegedly The Blind Side is a movie Julia passed on. So that could be in Sandra's favor. I haven't seen the movie, so I don't know if she is any good in it, but since when did that stop Oscar (hello Mira Sorvino!)
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious" I think she is a possibility. Sometimes Oscar likes a blind side (ha!), and sometimes they don't like to award it to someone on their first film (think the director from Chicago). They want you to have suffered, and slept with casting directors like they had to.
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Best Supporting Actor:
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” They'll want to award this nazi-hating movie with something, and he was good in it.
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger” Not a lot of people have seen this movie, but maybe he'll be a favorite because of his likable persona?
Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”

Best Supporting Actress:
Mo’Nique in “Precious" The question is- will she shave her legs for Oscar?
I have no idea who is 2nd choice, and I would say for sure it doesn't matter
Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”

Best Director:
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow She has the DGA, so that usually seals the deal
“Avatar” James Cameron I don't think he is likable, but he would be 2nd choice
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Best Adapted Screenplay:
“Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner Maybe this is where Up in the Air will be awarded something
“In the Loop”- Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche I don't think it has a chance, but I really liked this movie so I hope it would win
“District 9” -Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education” - Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“Precious” - Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher

Best Original Screenplay:
“The Hurt Locker" Written by Mark Boal Seems like a given
“Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino Again, the Academy likes anti-nazi movies (well, who doesn't?) so this is a possibility. Although there is another movie from the 70's with this title, so not sure how this is original
“The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Best Animated Film:
Whoa! No Pixar movie???
“Up” (Walt Disney) It's nominated in the regular Best Pic category, 'nuff said 
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox)
“Coraline” (Focus Features) 
“The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney)
“The Secret of Kells” (GKIDS)

Best Foreign Film:
 “Un Prophète” France Is this the Prophet movie everyone is peeing their pants over? If so, I say it wins
 “The White Ribbon" Germany Since this is also nominated in cinematography, this probably has a good chance. I know someone who saw it, and they said WTF? So that also probably means it could win.
“Ajami” Israel
“El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
“The Milk of Sorrow” Peru

Best Documentary Feature:
“Which Way Home”I have no idea what this is about, just sounds sad
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers" Well, the academy might care about politics so this is 2nd
“Burma VJ”
“The Cove”
“Food, Inc.”


Best Original Score:
This is a tough one. A score really makes a movie, so sometimes this score goes with a sweep (or Best Pic contender) and sometimes it's out of the blue (Frida)
“Avatar” James Horner Just because it seems like it would have a big score
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat Just because I don't know
“The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
“Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
“Up” Michael Giacchino

Best Original Song:
This often goes to some crap Phil Collins kind of song but I'll say T Bone gets some love, and the movie was about music...
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
“Take It All” from “Nine” (The Weinstein Company), Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston This would get 2nd because who knows what those Weinsteins are up to 
"Almost There"from “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” (Sony Pictures Classics), Music by Reinhardt Wagner, Lyric by Frank Thomas

Best Cinematography:
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Mauro Fiore I think this would win unless the academy really hates Cameron, or I don't know what cinematography is
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Barry Ackroyd It was sand, but I guess it could win in a sweep
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (Warner Bros.), Bruno Delbonnel
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Robert Richardson
“The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures Classics), Christian Berger

Best Costume Design:
 "The Young Victoria" Sandy Powell They love a good period piece
"Nine" Colleen Atwood Possible Possible 2nd choice
"Bright Star" Janet Patterson
"Coco Before Chanel" Chatherine Leterrier
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" Monique Prudhomme


Best Art Direction:
“Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg, Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair Seems like the winner
“Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood, Set Decoration: Katie Spencer Since it's in the category, I guess it has a chance...so I'll say this as a 2nd
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro, Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
“Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre, Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
“The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette, Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Best Makeup:
 "Star Trek" I don't know what Il Divo is, and The Young Victoria makeup would be a big powerpuff of white powder, so I'll say Star Trek
"The Young Victoria"
"Il Divo"


Best Sound Mixing:
"Avatar" This is when it would be good to have seen the movie
"Inglourious Basterds" I'm going to say this is a possibility or Star Trek. Can't decide!
"Star Trek"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Transformers"

Best Film Editing:
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox), Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron I guess?
“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing), Julian Clarke This has a good chance here, and it was nominated for Best Pic
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment), Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company), Sally Menke
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate), Joe Klotz

Sound Editing:
"Avatar" Just thinking it has a lot of sound to edit...
"The Hurt Locker" Possible, especially if it gets a sweep
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Star Trek"
"Up"

Documentary Short Subject:
Having no clue on anything, I guess
"The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" It seems Americana and current. Although everyone in the academy drives a Mercedes, so not completely confident that give two poops about GM.
"Music by Prudence" I choose this as 2nd, since Prudence sounds like an old person, and the academy is made up of old people. How's that for thinkin'?
 "The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner" No way! Washington governor Booth Gardner not only had a documentary made about him, but it's up for an Oscar? Get out!
"China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan, Province"
"Rabbit à la Berlin"

Live - Action Short Film:
This is where I guess based on name
"The New Tenants" No idea
"Kavi" Isn't there natural food named this? Or is that Kashi? I dunno, maybe it will remind them of natural crackers
"The Door"
"Instead of Abracadabra"
"Miracle Fish"


Visual Effects:
"Avatar" Seems like a for sure thing, again- unless they really don't like Cameron
"District 9"
"Star Trek"


Animated Short Film:
"French Roast" Sure, why not. Sounds like coffee.
"Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty" Granny with some hijinx? Sign me up!
"The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)"
"Logorama"
"A Matter of Loaf and Death"