The nominations are out and there aren’t too many surprises. Oscar time is always fun for me. I make the event into a little competition and I do my best to pass the test to the next grade. Some years are harder than ever as those of you that follow my work will attest. Here’s a rundown of the top categories followed by a simple list of the rest. I’ll probably do a could more lists of who will win. Also, if you need a one-page printable ballot for all the nominations then click here to download one.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
I am pleased with the way this category has taken shape. The two on the list that I needed to see to keep it right for me is Robert Downey Jr. and of course Heath Ledger. Will the voters do the right thing and give it to Downey or will they make a political move and give it to Ledger? I’ll answer my own question. Ledger.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicki Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
This is an exciting category and very hard to predict. I feel the winds blowing a certain way here but who cares. The choice I would like to see win is Tomei. She does such a great job in this performance, and it is such a gutsy role that I would give it to her. She won’t win.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor

Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn, Milk

Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
First I am surprised that Clint Eastwood did not make it into the category for Gran Torino. One thing is clear and that’s if Rourke does not win then there’s going to be some bloodshed and I don’t know who will come out on top. Sean Penn should win. I believe that Penn is going to win over Rourke because there are so many more gay people than there are wrestlers in Hollywood.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie, Changeling

Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Meryl Streep, Doubt

Kate Winslet, The Reader
I am bored by these choices. Nothing here is very clear. Why did Streep get another nomination? She’s not dying yet. The only non-lame choice on the list is Jolie. Indirectly this is a nod to Clint for leaving Gran Torino out. Jolie will win.

BEST DIRECTOR

Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

David Finscher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Gus Van Sant, Milk

Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon

Stephen Daldry, The Reader
This is a tough category to play if you have any hope for the high budget studios. There is only one real winner that I can see and that’s Slumdog Millionaire.

Finally let’s do Screenplay.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Milk, Dustin Lance Black
Wall-E, original story by Pete Docter & Andrew Stanton; screenplay by Jim Reardon & Andrew Stanton
Frozen River, Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky, Mike Leigh
In Bruges, Martin McDonagh
I am disappointed that Sybecdoche, NY was not nominated. The others all deserve to be here.

BEST SCREENPLAY ADAPTED FROM ANOTHER MEDIUM

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Screenplay by Eric Roth; Screen Story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord

Doubt, John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon, Peter Morgan
The Reader, David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire, Simon Beaufoy

Nice list but I don’t even have to read it. I know that Slumdog Millionaire is going to take this one home.

Now as I promised, here is the rest of the list. Let me know what you do with it.

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Bolt 

Kung Fu Panda 

Wall-E 



BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany) 

The Class (France)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
Departures (Japan)
Revanche (Austria)

BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 

Frost/Nixon 

Milk 

The Reader 

Slumdog Millionaire

ART DIRECTION
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

CINEMATOGRAPHY
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

COSTUME DESIGN
AUSTRALIA
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DUCHESS
MILK
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

DIRECTING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
THE GARDEN
MAN ON WIRE
TROUBLE THE WATER

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
THE CONSCIENCE OF NHEM EN
THE FINAL INCH
SMILE PINKI
THE WITNESS – FROM THE BALCONY OF ROOM 306

FILM EDITING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX
THE CLASS
DEPARTURES
REVANCHE
WALTZ WITH BASHIR

MAKEUP
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY

MUSIC (SCORE)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DEFIANCE
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E

MUSIC (SONG)
“Down to Earth” WALL-E
“Jai Ho” SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
“O Saya” SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

BEST PICTURE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
LA MAISON EN PETITS CUBES
LAVATORY – LOVESTORY
OKTAPODI
PRESTO
THIS WAY UP

SHORT FILM *LIVE ACTION“
AUF DER STRECKE (ON THE LINE)
MANON ON THE ASPHALT
NEW BOY
THE PIG
SPIELZEUGLAND (TOYLAND)

SOUND EDITING
THE DARK KNIGHT
IRON MAN
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E
WANTED

SOUND MIXING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E
WANTED

VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
IRON MAN

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DOUBT
FROST/NIXON
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
FROZEN RIVER
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
IN BRUGES
MILK
WALL-E

TUNE IN TO THE ACADEMY AWARDS
ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2009.

Also if you need a printable ballot designed into one single page
then click here to download.

My Score = 80%

I brazenly made my predictions the other day without hesitation. Well, I’m not too big a man to admit I was very wrong on my predictions of Best Picture nominees. I did get 4/5 right but that is only 80% out of 100% which is hardly a B. The surprise on my list is The Reader. I think a lot of my colleagues may have gotten this one wrong also. It will interesting to see which of the movies gets the most talk, The Reader or The Dark Knight. I certainly enjoy making predictions each year. Thanks for joining me on this journey of Best Picture this year. I want to make it clear that I agree with the decisions of the Academy by excluding Dark Knight in this category and I’m proud that they did put The Reader in its place.

The Nominees for Best Picture are:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button	Frost/Nixon	Milk	Slumdog Millionaire	The Reader

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​81st Academy Awards Show: February 22, 2009 @ 8:00pm Sunday

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Mmmmm. Smell that? That bitter sweet smell is Oscar. He cannot be stopped, he’s on the way. The film-like air that surrounds us once again is certainly that of our dear friend and enemy to some, Oscar. This year, for all movies released in the year 2008, might prove be a little smellier than in the last few years. I’m not sure whether Oscar will be as dark and brooding as last year’s 80th award winners. Winners such as There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men. The one thing I know that seems darker this year is the host, Hugh Jackman. Jackman has never had a gig like this and I can’t see it being good for his career.

Now just about anyone can tell you who the winners have been. Isn’t that what the internet is for? Today is January 19th. On January 22 the Motion Picture Academy will announce the list of nominations. This is my prediction for the list of Best Picture nominees:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Milk
• Frost/Nixon
• The Dark Knight

Here’s some research information below. Even though the information can be found online, it is difficult to find a list of the Best Picture winners from 1927-2007.

81st Academy Awards Show:

February 22, 2009 @ 8:00pm Sunday

The following is a list of Best Picture winners:

The winner of 2007 Best Picture from the Academy Awards. This marked the 4th consecutive year the Oscars would put a film from modern times in the winning position. This film was from Walt Disney Co.’s Miramax and Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Vantage. This was also the Coen Brothers’ 12th film, the violent thriller-drama and contemporary western chase movie No Country for Old Men (with eight nominations, including four wins for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor), an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel about a hunter (Josh Brolin) who stole cash from a bad drug deal and then was relentlessly pursued. It was the Coen’s first film based entirely on a novel.

The Coen brothers always turn out a quality film even when sections of their films are hit and miss. For the most part the Coens have taken stories and moved in any direction that they wanted. This is the first film that has followed a novel where they were bound by the story. Every bit of this movie works and the mark of both Joel and Ethan are not lost. Even though the violence level is high, it is always to propel the story. Josh Brolin is excellent but the real talent here is the adaptation of the story in the screenplay and the direction. ****/****.