Due to my school schedule, I'm not sure if I'll be able to actually watch this year's awards. However, I'll still make my predictions.
Best Picture – Drama
Nominees:
Babel
Bobby
The Departed
Little Children
The Queen
Prediction: The Departed
Alternate: Babel
Reason: I think this award will be between The Departed and Babel. Of the two, I believe The Departed is the better film.
Best Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan
The Devil Wears Prada
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine
Thank You For Smoking
Prediction: Dreamgirls
Alternates: Little Miss Sunshine, Borat
Reason: I think Dreamgirls probably how this in the back based on hype alone. However, I have been also hearing good things about Little Miss Sunshine. In a perfect world, Borat would win.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
Leonardo DiCaprio – Blood Diamond
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Departed
Peter O'Toole – Venus
Will Smith – The Pursuit Of Happyness
Forest Whitaker – The Last King Of Scotland
Prediction: Leonardo DiCaprio (for The Departed)
Alternate: Forest Whitaker
Reason: Leo has a two out of five chance of winning this award, so it's a safe bet that he'll take it (I think it would be for his role in The Departed). I also think Forest Whitaker has a chance.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Nominees:
Penélope Cruz – Volver
Judi Dench – Notes On A Scandal
Maggie Gyllenhaal – sherrybaby
Helen Mirren – The Queen
Kate Winslet – Little Children
Prediction: Helen Mirren
Alternate: Penelope Cruz
Reason: I think Helen Mirren is a shoe-in for the Best Actress award. I picked Penelope Cruz as the alternate, since it's her performance in Volver that I heard the most about.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Nominees:
Sacha Cohen – Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan
Johnny Depp – Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Aaron Eckhart – Thank You For Smoking
Chiwetel Ejiofor – Kinky Boots
Will Ferrell – Stranger Than Fiction
Prediction: Sacha Cohen
Alternate: Will Ferrell
Reason: If the movie doesn't win, Sacha Baron Cohen should win for his performance in Borat. However, Will Ferrell was also good in Stranger Than Fiction.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
Annette Bening – Running With Scissors
Toni Collette – Little Miss Sunshine
Beyoncé Knowles – Dreamgirls
Meryl Streep – The Devil Wears Prada
Renée Zellweger – Miss Potter
Prediction: Meryl Streep
Alternate: Beyonce Knowles
Reason: Meryl Streep is ALMOST a shoe-in to win this. I picked Beyonce as the alternate more for her popularity than her performance.
Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees:
Ben Affleck – Hollywoodland
Eddie Murphy – Dreamgirls
Jack Nicholson – The Departed
Brad Pitt – Babel
Mark Wahlberg – The Departed
Prediction: Eddie Murphy
Alternate: Brad Pitt
Reason: Eddie Murphy's performance in Dreamgirls was totally different than what he is known for, and he should be recognized for that. On the other hand, you can say that same thing about Brad Pitt in Babel.
Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees:
Adriana Barraza – Babel
Cate Blanchett – Notes On A Scandal
Emily Blunt – The Devil Wears Prada
Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi – Babel
Prediction: Jennifer Hudson
Alternate: Rinko Kikuchi
Reason: Jennifer Hudson stole the show in Dreamgirls, however you also can't ignore Rinko Kikuchi in Babel.
Best Director – Motion Picture
Nominees:
Clint Eastwood – Flags Of Our Fathers
Clint Eastwood – Letters From Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears – The Queen
Alejandro Iñárritu – Babel
Martin Scorsese – The Departed
Prediction: Martin Scorsese
Alternate: Clint Eastwood
Reason: Clint Eastwood has a two out of five chance, but I believe we shall see the start of the path that leads to Scorsese FINALLY getting an Oscar
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Nominees:
Babel – Written by Guillermo Arriaga
The Departed – Written by William Monahan
Little Children – Written by Todd Field, Tom Perrotta
Notes On A Scandal – Written by Patrick Marber
The Queen – Written by Peter Morgan
Prediction: The Departed
Alternate: Babel
Reasion: Pretty much the same reason as Best Picture.
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Nominees:
The Painted Veil (Desplat)- Composed by Alexandre Desplat
The Fountain (Mansell) – Composed by Clint Mansell
Babel (Santaolalla) – Composed by Gustavo Santaolalla
Nomad (Siliotto) – Composed by Carlo Siliotto
The Da Vinci Code (Zimmer) – Composed by Hans Zimmer
Prediction: Babel
Alternate: The Da Vinci Code
Reason: This is a pure guess. Still it's an educated one.
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Nominees:
“A Father's Way” – The Pursuit Of Happyness
“Listen” – Dreamgirls
“Never Gonna Break My Faith” – Bobby
“The Song Of The Heart” – Happy Feet
“Try Not To Remember” – Home Of The Brave
Prediction: Listen
Alternate: Never Gonna Break My Faith
Reason: Another guess. I haven't even heard a single one of these songs.
Best Animated Feature Film
Nominees:
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House
Prediction: Cars
Alternate: Monster House
Reason: I only seen Cars and Pixar is the best animated company around right now. However, I did also hear good things about Monster House.
Best Foreign Languge Film
Nominees:
Apocalypto (United States)
Letters From Iwo Jima (Japan, United States)
The Lives Of Others (Germany)
Pan's Labyrinth (Mexico)
Volver (Spain)
Prediction: Letters From Iwo Jima
Alternate: Apocalypto
Reason: I saw TWO of these films (Apocalypto and Pan's Labyrinth). While I think Apocalypto has a good chance of winning, I have been hearing a lot of buzz about Letters From Iwo Jima. As such, I predict for that film to win.
And those are the predictions.
