Oscar Predictions

Tomorrow morning at 5:30am PST, the 2009 Academy Awards Nominations will be announced, and I'm here to throw together my best guess and see what happens. The really interesting thing this year will be what films sneak into the Best Picture race with the expansion to ten nominees for the first time this side of 1950.

There are a lot of possibilities with the two biggest names of the moment the populist favorites The Hangover and The Blind Side. I don't see either of them getting in and I personally believe that box-office returns are a bit overrated in terms of what the Academy will pick.

There are also some sci-fi summer flicks that are vying to get in with District 9 and Star Trek. After much deliberation today, I'm firmly rooted in the belief that the former has political/social importance on its side. Anyway, enough of me, here we go with the predictions.


Best Picture

"An Education"
"Avatar"
"District 9"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Invictus"
"Precious"
"A Serious Man"
"Up"
"Up in the Air"

Best Actor

George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"

Best Actress

Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"
(spoiler) Emily Blunt, "The Last Victoria"

Best Supporting Actor

Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"
Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Matt Damon, "Invictus"

Best Supporting Actress

Mo'Nique, "Precious"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Marion Cotillard, "Nine"
Julianne Moore, "A Single Man"

Best Director

Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Lee Daniels, "Precious"