Every year the Academy Award nominations confirm the success of box office and/or critical hits while giving deserving films some deserved attention. Here are my guesses for this year’s nominations, which will be announced in the early morning hours on Tuesday, January 23.
Best Picture
- Babel
- The Departed
- Letters From Iwo Jima
- The Queen
- United 93
- Wildcard: Dreamgirls
Letters From Iwo Jima might also qualify as a Best Foreign Language Film nominee, which might be the situation if another film, like The Departed, becomes the front runner. United 93 provides a very patriotic choice while The Queen and Babel represent the growing clout of international films.
Best Director
- Clint Eastwood – Letters From Iwo Jima
- Stephen Frears – The Queen
- Paul Greengrass – United 93
- Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – Babel
- Martin Scorsese – The Departed
- Wildcard: Bill Condon – Dreamgirls
Nominations in this category usually match the Best Picture nominees, but there always seems to be at least one surprise in the past few years.
Best Actor
- Leonardo DiCaprio – The Departed
- Ryan Gosling – Half Nelson
- Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happyness
- Peter ‘O Toole – Venus
- Forest Whitaker – The Last King of Scotland
- Wildcard: Sacha Baron Cohen – Borat
O'Toole received an honorary Oscar last year, but sentimentality might rule and deny Whitaker a well deserved win.
Best Actress
- Penelope Cruz – Volver
- Judi Dench – Notes on a Scandal
- Helen Mirren – The Queen
- Meryl Streep – The Devil Wears Prada
- Kate Winslet – Little Children
- Wildcard: Maggie Gyllenhaal – Sherrybaby
British actors are usually nominated and this category is no exception. It could be anyone's win though making it the hardest category to choose a winner.
Best Supporting Actor
- Alan Arkin – Little Miss Sunshine
- Djimon Hounsou – Blood Diamond
- Eddie Murphy – Dreamgirls
- Jack Nicholson – The Departed
- Michael Sheen – The Queen
- Wildcard: Ben Affleck – Hollywoodland
Murphy has most of the momentum here. Hounsou finally gets some recognition for many great roles, including In America.
Best Supporting Actress
- Adriana Barraza – Babel
- Cate Blanchett – Notes on a Scandal
- Abigail Breslin – Little Miss Sunshine
- Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls
- Rinko Kikuchi – Babel
- Wildcard: Catherine O Hara – For Your Consideration
Newcomer Breslin will have a lot of the spotlight, but the other newcomer Hudson has the hype right now.
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Article comments
1 - Eamon Whalen
children of men was the best movie of the year bar none