Oscar Predictions, etc.
The Oscars will be awarded Sunday night in what many people are saying is the most maligned Oscar lineup that we’ve seen in several years. I completely disagree. I think there a several movies that we can get behind this year, and the fact that there are not really any clear front-runners in most categories is proof positive.
Juno is the highest grossing indie film of all time, giving hope to the little guys, while the Coen Brothers have come through in 2007 with their best film so far in No Country For Old Men. Atonement has already won at the Golden Globes, while Michael Clayton is on the top of every critic’s list. There Will Be Blood has left audiences in a stupor due to an incredible acting job by Daniel Day-Lewis and a rather shocking ending.
For the first time in recent years, I was able to see all of the Oscar nominated films before the ceremonies, thanks in part to earlier release dates and few “limited releases”. This being the case, I have been able to form opinions more easily about who should and will win when The Academy’s decisions are announced.
So, here are my predictions and hopefuls for this weekend’s 80th Annual Academy Awards:
Actress in a Supporting Role
- Cate Blanchet - I’m Not There
- Ruby Dee - American Gangster
- Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
- Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
- Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
Here’s the thing… The Academy loves really old people and really young people, and I think that could work in favor of Ruby Dee (83) and Saoirse Ronan (13), but I think that Cate Blanchet will win, because she played Bob Dylan… If I had a vote, it would be for Saoirse Ronan, who I loved in Atonement.
Actor in a Supporting Role
- Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
- Javier Bardim - No Country for Old Men
- Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson’s War
- Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
- Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton
Javier Bardim is the talk of the town lately and I think he is about a 90% shoe-in. The only obstacle he faces is that he won at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, and for some reason, Oscar voters like to vote differently for no good reason. If I had a vote, it would go to Javier Bardim…
Actress in a Leading Role
- Cate Blanchet - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
- Julie Christie - Away from Her
- Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
- Laura Linney - The Savages
- Ellen Page - Juno
Can Cate Blanchet win two awards in the same night? No. This is the hardest category for me to predict, but I think that Laura Linney has a good chance for her work in The Savages but none of these actresses would surprise me with a win… My Vote? Ellen Page x 1,000. I love, love, loved her in Juno!
Actor in a Leading Role
- George Clooney - Michael Clayton
- Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
- Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
- Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
If ever the Oscars had a no-doubter, it would be Daniel Day-Lewis in what I honestly believe is the most supreme acting job I have ever seen. He should win, and will win for There Will Be Blood and anything else would be an absolute crock. The Academy loves George Clooney, and Johnny Depp sang, so anything could happen, but I don’t think so. Also, Tommy Lee Jones stands a chance because he was in an anti-war, anti-military movie and that could certainly help him.
Directing
- Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
- Jason Reitman - Juno
- Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
- Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood
The Coen Brothers will win for No Country for Old Men, and they should. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all if Jason Reitman won for Juno (If you haven’t guessed, I LOVED that film), but I will be rather upset if Tony Gilroy wins for Michael Clayton.
Best Picture
- Atonement
- Juno
- Michael Clayton
- No Country For Old Men
- There Will Be Blood
Once again my favorite is… JUNO, JUNO, JUNO!! Does it have a chance? Yes, actually, but I think that No Country For Old Men will win, and that’s OK. Atonement was really good, but I don’t think its appeal will be as great in the Oscars as it was in the Golden Globes. There Will Be Blood was good as well, but honestly it wasn’t the film itself as much as it was the incredible acting and the score. As you can see, Michael Clayton could pretty much sweep through the Oscars with nominees in every major category except Supporting Actress. It wouldn’t surprise me if it did, but I firmly believe that it is not that deserving. It was good, but certainly not great, and it puzzles me that it has received so many nominations.
Well only a couple of more days and we’ll find out. Happy Oscar Weekend to you all.