OSCAR SPECIAL! - Alex's Oscar Opinions and Predictions

The Academy Awards

Sunday Feb 22, 2009 on ABC

And they're off! Yes, the Oscar noms have officially been announced. So let's get to it. Here I will list the noms for the main categories for the Academy Awards and who I predict will win the Oscar...

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Amy Adams for DOUBT
• Penelope Cruz in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
• Viola Davis for DOUBT*
• Taraji P. Henson for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
• Marisa Tomei in THE WRESTLER

Viola Davis' small but shining performance will stand above her contenders' in this category. She plays a tortured mother of a child being abused physically by his father (her husband) and suspected sexual abuse from a priest at his school.  

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Josh Brolin for MILK
• Robert Downey Jr. for TROPIC THUNDER
• Phillip Seymore Hoffman for DOUBT
• Heath Ledger for THE DARK KNIGHT*
• Michael Shannon for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD*
  

Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker is simply one of the most memorable performances in film history. Only one other actor has won an Oscar after his death, but I think the Academy will steer in this direction once more. Michael Shannon does have a fighting chance for his electrifying role in "Revolutionary Road", a film that I had a hard time buying into, but was also made memorable by Shannon's performance as a disturbed, yet brutally honest, witness to the crash landing lives of DiCaprio's and Winslet's characters. This is a tough call. 

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

• Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
• Angelina Jolie for THE CHANGELING
• Melissa Leo for FROZEN RIVER
• Meryl Streep for DOUBT*
• Kate Winslet for THE READER*

It's down to Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet for this one. Kate Winslet does hold the momentum of a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for her role in "The Reader", however, she is up against the First Lady of Hollywood, and Streep's performance in "Doubt" is nothing short of gold. This is another tough call. 

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

• Richard Jenkins for THE VISITOR
• Frank Langella for FROST/NIXON
• Sean Penn for MILK*
• Brad Pitt for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
• Mickey Rourke for THE WRESTLER

Although Mickey Rourke does stand strong in this category, Penn's performance for "Milk" really shows how an ordinary, yet determined man can truly succeed. It's also interesting to see Penn, known for very masculine roles, to see him come out of the box for something different. 

DIRECTING

• David Fincher for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
• Ron Howard for FROST/NIXON
• Gus Van Sant for MILK
• Steven Daldry for THE READER
• Danny Boyle for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE*

The Academy board of members would be insane not to give this to Danny Boyle. Like the story in the film, "Slumdog Millionaire" came from nowhere and now deserves nothing but highest recognition. I can't wait to hear his acceptance speech, because, well, the Oscar is his. 

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

• BOLT
• KUNG FU PANDA
• WALL-E*

The creative team at Pixar will definitely take home the Oscar for Wall-E. The story is simple, captivating, and simply a feast for the eyes. It takes animation seriously while having fun at the same time. It's an animated film for everyone. Go Wall-E!

BEST PICTURE

• THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
• FROST/NIXON
• MILK
• THE READER
• SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE*

I would call "Milk" the runner up for "Slumdog Millionaire". I strongly agree that the Bollywood-turned-Hollywood film will take home the Oscar for Best Picture of 2008. The story is flawless, the characters are very real, and the balance of suspense, drama, romance, and comedy should not be missed.  

So there are my predictions for the main categories. I know there are several others that will be considered, but I also know that the previously mentioned categories are the ones people will be most curious about. Do you have any feedback? Anyone disagree with my predictions? Leave me a comment or two!

Play the video to see the Academy Awards Nominee List as announced by Forest Whitaker

RANDOM TRIVIA: This year, three of the four winning lead-acting performances at the Golden Globes (Kate Winsletin Revolutionary Road, Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky, and Colin Farrell for In Bruges) weren't nominated for the Oscar. That marks the first time that's happened since 1954, when Spencer Tracy (The Actress), David Niven (The Moon is Blue), and Ethel Merman (Call Me Madam) failed to score Oscar nods after winning the Globe.