The 2006 Academy Awards are just around the corner and just like many people, I'm going to give my predictions on who will win the golden statuettes. My predictions for the 2006 Grammys didn't turn out so well but I'm hoping I'll do better this time around. However, there is one thing that may work against me...
I have not seen most of the performances or films nominated. I probably won't get the opportunity to see these films until after the Oscars are already handed out. Nonetheless, I'm going to make my best educated guesses. Here we go...
Best Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote
Terrence Howard in Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line
David Strathairn in Good Night, and Good Luck.
My Thoughts: This is an interesting bunch of nominees. Three of them are nominated for playing real people, two of them are playing gay characters, and only one is playing a character specifically created for the big screen. However, as much as I think Academy voters really liked all these performances, I see this as a two-man race between Hoffman and Ledger. I think that Hoffman will take it. The Academy likes a performance that involves a real transformation and Hoffman's performance as Truman Capote seems to be just that...at least more than some of the other performances anyway. If Hoffman doesn't get it, Ledger probably will.
Will Win: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Best Supporting Actor
George Clooney in Syriana
Matt Dillon in Crash
Paul Giamatti in Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt in A History of Violence
My Thoughts: This is such a packed category. I've only seen one of the nominated performances (Matt Dillon in Crash), but all these actors have done great work in other films. Conventional wisdom would say that the race is between Clooney, Dillon, and Giamatti. Clooney and Giamatti have split some big awards (Golden Globes and SAG awards) while Matt Dillon was probably the only individual actor in Crash spotlighted by critics. The Academy likes to "right" wrongs with belated wins and I think this is the reason why Giamatti may beat out everyone else. However, I wouldn't count out William Hurt. Judi Dench won a Supporting Actress role for Shakespeare In Love even though she wasn't in it for that long and the same could happen for Hurt.
Article comments
1 - coglethorpe
I like your picks. I guess I'll have to see "Walk the Line" because I can only think of "Legally Blonde 2" when I see Witherspoon's face. I'd think the same with Lee, because of "The Hulk," but "Crouching Tiger" was more than enough to overcome one folly.