82th Academy Awards: A Preview

Well, dear readers (Bless You), we've come to the end of a mad campaign season. For some of us, we've come to the end of our March Madness. In a few hours, some people will have Academy Awards, and some will just have a few good drinks. Now, I've decided to run down all the categories and put it in three sections:

Who Entertainment Weekly says will win
Who I think WILL win
Who I think SHOULD win

BEST PICTURE
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker
Up

The push is too strong for The Hurt Locker, even with recent controversies popping up. Avatar and Inglorious Basterds are the only real competition, but out of all the nominated films, only UP touched me on all levels.

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges

I believe out of the five nominees, only Colin Firth in A Single Man poses any threat of an upset to someone who's cleaned up every other award, who is the only returning nominee NOT to have won, and who has a family history in Hollywood. Again, too much of a pull.

BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Carey Mulligan

I disliked Bullock's wild Southern accent in The Blind Side, a film I thought was trying too hard to be inspirational. On a personal level I'd love to see any of them win, but Mulligan carried An Education with grace and a mix of intelligence and naivete. Unfortunately, Meryl Streep A.) is Bullock's only real competition and B.) will go without...again...since 1983.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christoph Waltz
Christoph Waltz
Christoph Waltz

How cool is it when you can be menacing and charming in FOUR languages? I confess he was the best part of Inglorious Basterds, and I feel awful for Christopher Plummer. Anyone sense a Lifetime Achievement Oscar?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mo'Nique
Mo'Nique
Mo'Nique

Gimme Gimme Mo'. I was underwhelmed to say the least at Up In the Air and Nine, but the stand-up comedienne managed a frightening, fierce, and ultimately heartbreaking performance.

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Lee Daniels (Precious)

Yes, Bigelow will strike TWO blows for women: the first woman to win Best Director AND the delight of beating her ex-husband James Cameron. However, my choice is for the beautiful story and performances Daniels brought out in Precious. He too would make history, as the first African-American to win. There you go. Best Director will be a history maker.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker)
Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds)

There's a shocker: I, who have NEVER been a Tarantino fan think the award should go to him for his revenge fantasy. Well, I confess to being slightly underwhelmed by The Hurt Locker and only UP would have ranked higher. Still, I thought Inglorious Basterds, for its problems, was the best WRITTEN of the five nominees. However, if (500) Days of Summer were here...

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner (Up In The Air)
Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious)
Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell (District 9)

I can see why Up In The Air could win: it's topical and this may be its only chance to win anything. However, adapting the novel Push into something that could be watched is a miracle onto itself. Ultimately, I was blown away by District 9 and this may ALSO be its only chance to win anything. This is not a lock.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
UP
UP
UP

Universal consensus: since it WON'T win Best Picture, here's its consolation prize.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
El Secreto De Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) (Argentina)
The White Ribbon (Austria)
A Prophet (France)

Well, it's hard to say since I haven't seen ANY. However, I've heard people going ga-ga over A Prophet and The White Ribbon. We shall see.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Cove
Food, Inc.
Burma VJ

I've only seen Food, Inc., and on a personal level I'm not fond of "documentaries" that are more advocacy films than straight documentaries. Be that as it may, I'm going for Burma VJ only because anything that will help topple the military dictatorship in "Myammar" gets my vote.

BEST FILM EDITING
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker

It's a question of Best Picture. As stunning as Avatar has been, the film with the biggest Best Picture pull gets the Best Film Editing Oscar. Avatar will get many technical awards, but I think this one will slip through the Na'vi's fingers.

BEST ART DIRECTION
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnissus
Sherlock Holmes

Here, I disagree with EW. I still think the Art Directors will revolt at the idea that the CGI Avatar will be rewarded in a category that requires sets. There are TWO Victorian-era films here, but I suspect the vote may be split and help the Doctor.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Hurt Locker
Avatar
Inglorious Basterds

Here, the Best Picture pull works for The Hurt Locker. However, since Avatar was ALL ABOUT the visuals, I think Avatar will win, though Inglorious Basterds knew how to capture a remarkable look. Just look at the Nation's Pride premiere scene.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
UP (Michael Giacchino)
UP (Michael Giacchino)
UP (Michael Giacchino)

Of the nominees, only Sherlock Holmes' score was as memorable as UP's. However, Giacchino captures both the beauty of flight and the heartbreak of loss without it being overwhelming to the story or film.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)
The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)
The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)

Not only is it right to reward T. Bone Burnett, but seeing as The Princess & The Frog would split the vote with itself AND Ma Belle Evangeline is NOT nominated plus how Take It All isn't a memorable song from Nine, it's process of elimination.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Young Victoria
The Young Victoria
The Young Victoria

Oh, how the Academy loves royalty. All those lavish costumes.

BEST MAKEUP
Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek

A.) This is the only category out of four nominations in which Star Trek has any chance, and B.) The Green Girl, people. The Green Girl.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar
Avatar
Avatar

Did you SEE the film? It's ALL Visual Effects. Avatar will DOMINATE technical categories.

BEST SOUND EDITING
Avatar
Avatar
Avatar

Did you HEAR the film? It's ALL Sound Editing. Avatar will DOMINATE technical categories.

BEST SOUND MIXING
Avatar
Avatar
Avatar

Did you HEAR the film? It's ALL Sound Mixing. Avatar will DOMINATE technical categories.

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM
The New Tenants
The New Tenants
The New Tenants

Yeah, as if ANY of us have seen any of the nominees. Just a good guess, but I figure since I'm in sinc w/EW.

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
A Matter of Loaf & Death
Logorama
Logorama

Not having seen any (big surprise for El Paso) I'm going to go against the trend to give it to four-time winner Nick Park (even though I LOVE Wallace & Gromit--who doesn't).

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Music By Prudence
China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province

I was the only one that thought Smile Pinki, about a girl from India who has an operation to repair a cleft lip (through the work of The Smile Train, an organization I'm proud to support) would win. Entertainment Weekly was wrong on that count and I think they are wrong this year. I think the Academy will gravitate towards tragedy. Then again, Smile Pinki was an OPTIMISTIC story, and Music By Prudence appears to be optimistic too. We should cry out to have these films available, and less Transformers.

Well, for my part, I will be happy to see this year's Oscars officially close. Whoever gets The Big Prize will not find themselves ranking alongside Casablanca, The Godfather or All Quiet on the Western Front, but they won't be along the likes of No Country For Old Men or Titanic.