Yes, the Academy Awards will be televised this year thanks to the end of the Writer’s Guild of America strike. The late push of anticipation and Hollywood star power actually give the ceremony a fresh spin this year.
Not all filmmakers are included in this cavalcade of cinematic celebration. Knocked Up, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, I Am Legend, The Great Debaters, The Namesake, Spider-Man 3 and Zodiac didn’t get any nominations.
In any case, it’ll be nice to see talented filmmakers and actors getting their due and pretending not to get mad when they don’t win. Categories and my picks in bold.
Best Picture
- Atonement
- Juno
- Michael Clayton
- No Country for Old Men
- There Will Be Blood
The Coen brothers’ Country should win here. Michael Clayton was the only nominee from a major studio, the rest were independents. The Bourne Ultimatum should have been a nominee.
Best Director
- Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood
- Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - No Country For Old Men
- Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
- Jason Reitman - Juno
- Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Coen brothers won the Directors Guild of America (DGA) award, which usually means they’re sure winners. Anderson has the second best chance. Schnabel also has a chance because he won the Golden Globe. First time nominees Gilroy and Reitman have great careers ahead of them.
Best Actress
- Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
- Julie Christie - Away from Her
- Marion Cotillard - La vie en Rose
- Laura Linney - Savages
- Ellen Page - Juno
Christie’s the front runner here even though she has already won an Oscar for Darling (1966). Cotillard has a chance thanks to her Golden Globe win. Page also has a chance, but new actresses usually have more success in the supporting category than lead.
Best Actor
- George Clooney - Michael Clayton
- Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
- Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
- Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
- Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Probably the easiest category to pick. Day-Lewis will likely join the double Oscar club with Christie, though the competitors on the list are very popular.
Best Supporting Actor
- Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
- Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
- Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
- Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
- Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton
Article comments
1 - icthyophile
Best adapted-TWBB? Really? Over NCFOM? How often do people win more than one Oscar for the same category in their careers? I know it's not too common...but does TWBB have enough to really beat No country?
2 - El Bicho
You seem to hedge your picks by naming more than one potential winner.
Why on earth would Knocked Up get an Oscar nomination? It's a mediocre comedy.
"the rest were independents." Not really.
Juno = Fox Searchlight Pictures, a division of Fox
NCfOM & TWBB = Paramount Vantage, a division of Fox, & Miramax a division of Disney
"Would’ve been great to see the late Adrienne Shelly get a nomination for Waitress."
Why? Its cliched characters were basically a rehash of an "Alice" episode and the story was terrible.
I don't see any reason their winning for Fargo would disqualify the Coens from Best Adapted Screenplay. Plus they already won the WGA award.
Good luck with your picks.
3 - laureeB
Good picks (um, he only did one each and they're in bold) and analysis. It's good to see the little studios (even if they are divisions, they started independently - I guess people's definitions differ) get most of the nominations. Would be interested to see your thoughts in other categories, but that would make it extra long.
4 - El Bicho
Yeah, but he hedged, like with Director where he lists two others who have chances. They all have chances.
"even if they are divisions, they started independently"
Except for Miramax, that's not right because the other two divisions were started by the studios.
5 - Jordan Richardson
Talking about who has a chance to win and hedging ones bets are two different things, though. I'm not really sure what your point is, as the author only selected ONE film/director/etc. for his own personal selection. It kind of seems like argument for argument's sake, now.
6 - Tall Writer
Hello all,
Appreciate the comments/feedback/support. Let's keep the discussion lively. It's a celebration of film with excitement and analysis of what could happen Sunday night.
I value everyone's opinions. Let's keep the semantics to a minimum. Thanks.
7 - Nick T
I agree with Jordan. Not sure what El's point is either.