Why is it that nobody watches the Academy Awards anymore? Even my MOST film-obsessed friends have responded to the suggestion with a disdainful look or roll of the eyes. Granted, it’s not the most reliable source of film judgment, but it’s fun to watch! (Not all the red carpet stuff. That’s boring.) But for years now, I’ve had a tradition of watching the Academy Awards. It’s always interesting to see which clips they pick for each nominee, watch the host crack bad jokes, and root for films you want to win. Am I the only one who still enjoys this? Bah.
Tonight, I am watching the Academy Awards alone. I will cheer, I will laugh, I will glare, I will even throw things at the TV if necessary. And it will be glorious.
That being said, I haven’t even seen half the films that have been nominated. But I’m going to make predictions all the same! (There’s nothing like uninformed attempts at future-reading.)
ACTOR
Leonardo Di Caprio in “Blood Diamond”
Ryan Gosling in “Half Nelson”
Peter O’Toole in “Venus”
Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness”
Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland”
Likely: Forest Whitaker
Wishful Thinking: Peter O’Toole
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine”
Jackie Earle Haley in “Little Children”
Djimon Hounsou in “Blood Diamond”
Eddie Murphy in “Dreamgirls”
Mark Wahlberg in “The Departed”
Likely: Eddie Murphy
Wishful Thinking: Alan Arkin
ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz in “Volver”
Judi Dench in “Notes on a Scandal”
Helen Mirren in “The Queen”
Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada”
Kate Winslet in “Little Children”
Likely: Helen Mirren
Wishful Thinking: Judi Dench (I always root for Judi Dench. Always. She is fabulous.)
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Adriana Barraza in “Babel”
Cate Blanchett in “Notes on a Scandal”
Abigail Breslin in “Little Miss Sunshine”
Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls”
Rinko Kikuchi in “Babel”
Likely: Jennifer Hudson
Wishful Thinking: Abigail Bresun
ANIMATED FILM
“Cars”
“Happy Feet”
“Monster House”
Likely: “Cars”
Wishful Thinking: “Happy Feet”
ART DIRECTION
“Dreamgirls”
“The Good Shepherd”
“Pan’s Labyrinth”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”
“The Prestige”
Likely: “Dreamgirls”
Wishful Thinking: “Pan’s Labyrinth” (I’m rooting for this film for all 6 categories it was nominated in. It deserves to win everything it possibly can. If you haven’t seen it already, go out and do so immediately. It is spectacular.)
CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Black Dahlia”
“Children of Men”
“The Illusionist”
“Pan’s Labyrinth”
“The Prestige”
Likely: “Children of Men”
Wishful Thinking: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
DOCUMENTARY
“Deliver Us from Evil”
“An Inconvenient Truth”
“Iraq in Fragments”
“Jesus Camp”
“My Country, My Country”
Likely: “An Inconvenient Truth”
Wishful Thinking: “An Inconvenient Truth” (The only one I’ve seen, and while I do have some complaints with it, it’s pretty well-done and effective.)
FOREIGN FILM
“After the Wedding” Denmark
“Days of Glory (Indigenes)” Algeria
“The Lives of Others” Germany
“Pan’s Labyrinth” Mexico
“Water” Canada
Likely: “The Lives of Others”
Wishful Thinking: “Pan’s Labyrinth” (pleeeaaase…)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
“Apocalypto”
“Click”
“Pan’s Labyrinth”
Likely: “Apocalypto”
Wishful Thinking: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
ORIGINAL SCORE
“Babel”
“The Good German”
“Notes on a Scandal”
“Pan’s Labyrinth”
“The Queen”
Likely: “The Queen”
Wishful Thinking: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Borat”
“Children of Men”
“The Departed”
“Little Children”
“Notes on a Scandal”
Likely: “The Departed”
Wishful Thinking: “Children of Men”
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Babel”
“Letters from Iwo Jima”
“Little Miss Sunshine”
“Pan’s Labyrinth”
“The Queen”
Likely: “Babel”
Wishful Thinking: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
DIRECTOR
“Babel” Alejandro González Iñárritu
“The Departed” Martin Scorsese
“Letters from Iwo Jima” Clint Eastwood
“The Queen” Stephen Frears
“United 93” Paul Greengrass
Likely: Martin Scorsese
Wishful Thinking: Alejandro González Iñárritu
BEST PICTURE
Babel
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
Likely: “The Departed”
Wishful Thinking: “Little Miss Sunshine”
…
…
Reactions to final results will be posted later :)
