So what are your picks for The Oscars? A tough one in the Best Picture Category, not between ten but between two. There are only three or four worthy contenders and two with the most buzz currently have earned a total of $723.5 million—that’s The Hurt Locker, total U.S. box office take of $12.7 million, and Avatar, currently at $710.8 million domestically. Total polar opposites in terms of tickets sold. But how do you think the 6000 members of the Academy voted? And do you think there’s an opportunity with so many nominations in the Best Picture category for films like The Blind Side or Inglourious Basterds to slide in between split votes? We’ll see on Sunday, one television event I sorely look forward to because it’s all about the people who went chasing their dreams; the Oscar Ceremony being the one chance of the year they get to tell the World their journey was worth its weight in gold. Oh yeah, and it’s also an occasion for predictions. The following are my picks, with Christoph Waltz a definite lock in the Supporting Actor category.
BEST PICTURE / Film EDITING / DIRECTING: The Hurt Locker (Chris Innis, Bob Murawski for Editing; Katherine Bigelow for Directing)
Supporting ACTOR: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Supporting ACTRESS: Mo’Nique, Precious
Leading ACTRESS
My Pick: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious OR Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Winner: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Leading ACTOR: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Animated FEATURE
My Pick: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Winner: Up
CINEMATOGRAPHY / Foreign Language FILM: The White Ribbon
Costume DESIGN: The Young Victoria
Documentary FEATURE: The Cove
Documentary SHORT: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
MAKEUP: Star Trek
Original SCORE: Up
Original SONG: The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)
Short Film ANIMATED: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Short Film LIVE ACTION: Kavi
Sound EDITING / Sound MIXING / Visual EFFECTS / Art DIRECTION: Avatar
Screenplay ADAPTED: Up in The Air
Screenplay ORIGINAL: Inglourious Basterds
Let me just add that sales didn’t get No Country for Old Men (2007) the gold, nor did it work for Crash (2005), Shindler’s List (1993), Million Dollar Baby (2004), American Beauty (1999), or Chicago (2002). Regardless of whether they deserved it or not, they all had some sort of roots in American or Global history; something I think judicious movie industry voters, movie makers who also like to watch movies, want to believe are certain truths about humanity. Which is to say, hey, that’s us on the screen and we’re watching a movie about the way we used to be, want to be, could be, or don’t ever want to be; breathing, sweating, failing and succeeding, always somewhat based in reality. A strong indication maybe of why an animated film has never won Best Picture. And I think Avatar is the equivalent of that, an animated film, and a film Academy voters can’t quite grasp on to like they might envelop Forest Gump (1994), or even The Gladiator (2000). Which is why The Blind Side might have a chance. Either way, with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin hosting it should be somewhat fun to watch. If anything, just to see what happens.
AMC Theaters is still screening the ten Best Picture films in Atlanta on Saturday, March 6th. See my blog post on Oscar Watch - 24 Hour Marathon Oscar Screenings for more details. Exclusively at Phipps Plaza, Fork and Screen Buckhead, and Colonial 18. Most of the films are also still in theaters. Check local listings for details.