UPDATED MARCH 8: WINNING PICKS IN RED. WE GOT 18 OF 24 RIGHT.
The acting categories look like locks, so the real drama is gonna come down to The Hurt Locker vs. Avatar for best picture, director, cinematography, film editing, sound editing and sound mixing. MAGNET editor (and longtime amateur Oscar predictor) Eric T. Miller tells you who will win in each category Sunday night.
I didn’t like having 10 best-picture nominees when the Academy announced the idea last year, and I like it even less now, purely on the basis of The Blind Side being one of them. Of the other nine, I dug An Education, Avatar and Precious and really dug Inglourious Basterds, A Serious Man and Up In The Air, but the only one deserving a best-pic Oscar is the best film of last year, hands down: The Hurt Locker. You could make the case for any of the five best-director noms, but it is Kathryn Bigelow’s to lose—and not because she would be the first woman to win an Oscar for directing.
I’m a Matt Damon fan, but did Academy voters really think such an underwritten part in a mediocre movie earned him a nomination? Other than that, I’m fine with both of the male acting categories—except why is Christoph Waltz in supporting? Brad Pitt’s name was above Inglourious Basterds‘ title, but it was Waltz’s movie, period. (Anthony Hopkins was a lead in The Silence Of The Lambs and Waltz was supporting in Basterds? Like Hüsker Dü used to sing, makes no sense at all.)
Along with Waltz, Mo’Nique gave the performance of the year, and I’m OK with the other ladies in the supporting category. In leading, I was impressed by newcomers Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe, but once again, the great Meryl Streep amazed me. She deserves to win, but it’s looking like she’ll get shut out again. Like last year. And 2007, 2003, 2000, 1999, 1996, 1991, 1989, 1988, 1986, 1984, 1982 and 1979. (Streep hasn’t won a damn Oscar since Ronald Reagan’s first term. It’s time for some change we can believe in.)
I think the toughest major category to call is original screenplay, with it coming down to a two-way battle between The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds.
But who cares what I think? Here’s what I know:
Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air
Best Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd, The Hurt Locker
Best Animated Film: Up
Best Foreign Language Film: The White Ribbon
Best Documentary: The Cove
Best Film Editing: Bob Murawski, Chris Innis, The Hurt Locker
Best Score: Michael Giacchino, Up
Best Song: Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett, “The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart
Best Art Direction: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair, Avatar
Best Sound Editing: Christopher Boyes, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Avatar
Best Sound Mixing: Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Tony Johnson, Avatar
Best Costume Design: Sandy Powell, The Young Victoria
Best Makeup: Barney Burman, Mindy Hall, Joel Harlow, Star Trek
Best Visual Effects: Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew Jones, Avatar
Best Documentary Short: Music By Prudence
Best Animated Short: A Matter Of Loaf And Death
Best Live Action Short: The New Tenants
