2010 Oscar Predictions

The Oscars will be handed out this Sunday. Here are my predictions for Oscar night 2010:

Best Picture:

· “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers

· “The Blind Side” Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers

· “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers

· “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers

· “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers

· “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer

· “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers

· “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers

· “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer

· “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Should win: "The Hurt Locker"

Will win: "The Hurt Locker

A few months ago "Avatar" seemed to be the front-runner. But slowly "The Hurt Locker" has been sweeping many of the awards leading up to the Oscars. I would love to see "District 9" pull off an upset of epic proportions, but "The Hurt Locker" will win and it is also a worthy winner.

Best Actor:

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”

George Clooney in “Up in the Air”

Colin Firth in “A Single Man”

Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”

Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Should win: Jeff Bridges

Will win: Jeff Bridges

All are worthy nominees, but this is the year of Bridges. It's not just an award for "Crazy Heart," but for his body of work, which I think is still underrated.

Supporting Actor:

Matt Damon in “Invictus”'

Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”

Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”

Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”

Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Should win: Christoph Waltz

Will win: Christoph Waltz

This award is his to lose.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”

Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”

Carey Mulligan in “An Education”

Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Should win: Meryl Streep

Will win: Sandra Bullock

Bullock has won all the awards leading up to this, so it seems like this is her year. However, I think Streep should win for her charming portrayal of Julia Child. Streep has re-invented herself in the last few years in the comedy genre after spending so many years in heavy dramas. Other actresses should hope to have such a second act in their careers.

Supporting Actress:

Penélope Cruz in “Nine”

Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”

Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”

Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”

Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Should win: Mo'Nique

Will win: Mo'Nique

The Oscars have this habit of rewarding supporting actors that play villains. 'Nuff said.

Animated Feature:

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up

Should win: Up

Will win: Up

The Pixar people have yet to make a bad movie. Up touched a chord with audiences and critics alike. It will win and it should win for it's beautiful look and beautiful storytelling.

Best Director:

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

Should win: Kathryn Bigelow

Will win: Kathryn Bigelow

All credit in the world to James Cameron for "Avatar." He has changed how movies are made once again and given us a splendid movie. However, Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" managed to do the impossible: make a film set in Iraq that wasn't political. For that, the fact that it affected me more than any film last year, and that no woman has ever won this award, it's hers.

Best Original Screenplay

'The Hurt Locker'

'Inglourious Basterds'
'The Messenger'
'A Serious Man'
'Up'

Should win: "Up"

Will win: "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Adapted Screenplay:

'District 9'
''An Education'
'In the Loop'
'Precious'
'Up in the Air'

Should win: "District 9"

Will win: "Up in the Air"

Best Foreign Language Film:

"Ajami," Israel

"El Secreto de Sus Ojos," Argentina

"The Milk of Sorrow," Peru

"Un Prophete," France

"The White Ribbon," Germany

Will win: "The White Ribbon"

Art Direction:

"Avatar"

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"

"Nine"

"Sherlock Holmes"

"The Young Victoria"

Will win: "Avatar"

Cinematography:

"Avatar"

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

"The Hurt Locker"

"Inglourious Basterds"

"The White Ribbon"

Will win: "Avatar"

Costume Design:

· “Bright Star” Janet Patterson

· “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier

· “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme

· “Nine” Colleen Atwood

· “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Will win: “Coco before Chanel”

Documentary Feature:

· “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller

· “The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens

· “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein

· “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith

· “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Will win: "The Cove"

Documentary (short subject)

· “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill

· “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher

· “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert

· “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett

· “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Will win: “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”

Film Editing:

· “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron

· “District 9” Julian Clarke

· “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

· “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke

· “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Will win: "The Hurt Locker"

Makeup:

· “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano

· “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

· “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Will win: "Star Trek"

Music (original score):

· “Avatar” James Horner

· “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat

· “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders

· “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer

· “Up” Michael Giacchino

Will win: "Up"

Music (original song)

· “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

· “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

· “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas

· “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston

· “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Will win: "The Weary Kind"

Best Animated Short:

· “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert

· “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell

· “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia

· “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin

· “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Will win: "A Matter of Load and Death"

Live Action Short:

· “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn

· “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström

· “Kavi” Gregg Helvey

· “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey

· “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Will win: “Instead of Abracadabra”

Sound editing:

· “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

· “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson

· “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman

· “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin

· “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myer

Will win: "Avatar"

Sound mixing:

· “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson

· “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

· “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano

· “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin

· “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Will win: "Star Trek"

Visual Effects:

· “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones

· “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken

· “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Will win: "Avatar"