Oscar & Other Drugs
Three months into the 2010/11 Oscar race and I haven’t said a peep. Although, this is in keeping with my general lack of writing and posting about all other cinematically-related ventures (let no one say I’m not consistent). But, since we are well into the season, and the majority of the crop has been seen, and the critics and the guilds and the other haphazard voting bodies are about to unleash their top tens, and personal (although personal is not even close to the right word) ballots, and other not so compelling but still discussed and fretted over thoughts and lists, I thought I might as well get my predictions out there before it becomes too easy a game.
Truth be told this is the most interesting time of the season for me; it’s the perfect balance between knowledge and mystery. The films are no longer distant questions, they’re now tangible objects that can actually be discussed beyond speculation. At the same time, the mundanity and frequency of the same films and people being lauded over and over hasn’t arrived. The race could actually lead anywhere and this is where, for me, the majority of the fun in Oscar Watching lies. So, for all those loonies who obsess over every detail of what those personally involved in the picking spend so little over, I give you my very first 2010 Academy Award nomination predictions (and for added idiocy my winner predictions bolded).
Picture
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Christopher Nolan, Inception
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
David Fincher, The Social Network
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, True Grit
Actor
James Franco, 127 Hours
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Robert Duvall, Get Low
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Actress
Lesley Manville, Another Year
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Bill Murray, Get Low
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Supporting Actress
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Miranda Richardson, Made In Dagenham
Dianne Wiest, Rabbit Hole
Adapted Screenplay
Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
David Lindsay-Abaire, Rabbit Hole
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Michael Arndt, Toy Story 3
Ben Affleck & Peter Craig & Aaron Stockard, The Town
Original Screenplay
Mike Leigh, Another Year
Sylvain Chomet & Jacques Tati, The Illusionist
Christopher Nolan, Inception
Stuart Blumberg & Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
David Speidler, The King’s Speech
Animated Film
How To Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
Art Direction
Robert Stromberg, Alice In Wonderland
Geoffrey Kirkland, Get Low
Guy Dyas, Inception
Eve Stewart, The King’s Speech
Jess Gonchor, True Grit
Cinematography
Matthew Libatique, Black Swan
Wally Pfister, Inception
Robert Richardson, Shutter Island
Roger Deakins, True Grit
Russell Boyd, The Way Back
Costume Design
Gabriella Pescucci, Agora
Colleen Atwood, Alice In Wonderland
Julie Weiss, Get Low
Jenny Beavan, The King’s Speech
Mary Zophres, True Grit
Documentary
Gasland
Inside Job
The Tillman Story
Waiting For Superman
Waste Land
Film Editing
Jon Harris, 127 Hours
Lee Smith, Inception
Tariq Anwar, The King’s Speech
Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall, The Social Network
Dylan Tichenor, The Town
Foreign Language
Honey (Turkey)
Incendies (Canada)
Life, Above All (South Africa)
Of Gods And Men (France)
Son Of Babylon (Iraq)
Make-Up
Alice In Wonderland
Let Me In
The Wolfman
Original Score
John Powell, How To Train Your Dragon
Hans Zimmer, Inception
Michael Giacchino, Let Me In
Rachel Portman, Never Let Me Go
Randy Newman, Toy Story 3
Original Song
“If I Rise”, 127 Hours
“Sticks & Stones”, How To Train Your Dragon
“I See The Light”, Tangled
“We Belong Together”, Toy Story 3
“Shine”, Waiting For Superman
Sound Editing
127 Hours
The Fighter
How To Train Your Dragon
Inception
Toy Story 3
Sound Mixing
127 Hours
How To Train Your Dragon
Inception
True Grit
Toy Story 3
Visual Effects
Alice In Wonderland
Inception
TRON Legacy
Filed under: Awards, Best Picture, Lists, Oscar | 2 Comments
I agree with most of your choices I have to say, but I’m not sure Toy Story will get away with the bit prize. Hollywood is just not ready for that yet (I mean giving the best picture Oscar to an animation film)… though I would really love that to happen.
sadly they might just give it to “The King’s Speech”, in the same way they gave it to Shakespeare in Love a few years ago.
Also I’d love to see in that list either of the two main characters in Blue Valentine. I saw it recently and thought is was very very good!!
Finally I wouldn’t be surprised if Harry Potter was in the list of cinematography. I have to say the film did look very very good.
See my reviews here
http://moviegeekblog.wordpress.com/
Certainly, “Toy Story” is a longshot. And depending on how things shape up it’s far more likely that “Social Network” or “King’s Speech” or something along those lines will take it. But at this stage it’s a lot more fun to move away from the consensus and just make crazy predictions. And “Toy Story” certainly has its supporters, passionate ones. But don’t take the prediction seriously. In fact, I find it hard to imagine, in our current Oscar climate, a film taking best picture and only winning best song and animated film, like I have predicted.
“Blue Valentine” nominations would be much deserved, however I think the Weinsteins have killed its chances by releasing it so late. Rarely does this strategy work for small, tougher films. And I think the lead acting races are too competitive at this point for either to squeeze in.
As for Potter; seeing as “Half-Blood Prince” was nominated just last year and seeing as “Hallows” isn’t nearly as well liked, the chances of a repeat nomination twice in a row seem unlikely. But, of course, this is all just foolhardy speculation.
Thanks for commenting!