With just two days to go before the Oscar nominations are finally announced, I’m resisting the urge to change any of my predictions, which went to press in EW before the Producers Guild or Directors Guild nominees were revealed. Can The Dark Knight bump The Reader out of the screenplay running? Will someone like Richard Jenkins or Melissa Leo fight his or her way into the acting races? Will the Academy overrule campaigns and put Kate Winslet for The Reader or Dev Patel for Slumdog Millionaire in the lead-acting category? I’m standing by my predictions, listed again below. Last year I lucked out with 34 out of 40 correct. Let’s see which of you can score the most this year. Post your predictions and I’ll give a shout-out to the OscarWatcher who gets the most right.
Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Director
David Fincher
Christopher Nolan
Ron Howard
Gus Van Sant
Danny Boyle
Actor
Clint Eastwood
Frank Langella
Sean Penn
Brad Pitt
Mickey Rourke
Actress
Anne Hathaway
Sally Hawkins
Angelina Jolie
Meryl Streep
Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin
Robert Downey, Jr.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Heath Ledger
Dev Patel
Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz
Viola Davis
Taraji P. Henson
Marisa Tomei
Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Original Screenplay
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Wall-E
Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
addCredit(“Kevin Winter/Getty Images”)
I hope you’re right about all of those Mr. Karger. Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling that The Reader is going to take The Dark Knight’s spot in Best Picture. Which is unfair. Let’s face it. The Reader is Oscar bait, and not very good Oscar bait at that.
Best Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director:
David Fincher- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard- Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan- The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant- Milk
Danny Boyle- Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella- Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn- Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke- The Wrestler
Best Actress:
Anne Hathaway- Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins- Happy Go Lucky
Angelina Jolie- Changeling
Meryl Streep- Doubt
Kate Winslet- Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actor:
Robert Downey Jr.- Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman- Doubt
Heath Ledger- The Dark Knight
Dev Patel- Slumdog Millionaire
Michael Shannon- Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams- Doubt
Penelope Cruz- Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis- Doubt
Marisa Tomei- The Wrestler
Kate Winslet- The Reader
I ran out of room, so here is the rest of my predictions:
Best Original Screenplay:
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
The Visitor
Wall-E
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Revolutionary Road
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
I could see ‘Austrailia’ (even with mixed reviews, and some outstanding) getting a ‘Best Picture’ nod…the upset nomination?
Gran Torino should be nominated for best picture over Milk.
Sounds about right.
I would venture that Button gets the most noms alongside TDK but without any acting noms. Replace Pitt with Richard Jenkins and also Henson with Amy Adams, methinks.
I agree with most of your nomination guesses, except I think, Best Picture will look like this.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall.E. (i know, i know, but it shoulnd’t matter, a best picture is a best picture no matter what form.)
The same as your predictions except for best picture replace Frost/Nixon with WALL-E. If it is a contest of people’s five best films of 2008 WALL-E will probably make it in.
Dave, my predictions are the same as yours but replace Happy-Go-Lucky with The Wrestler for orig screenplay, and replace Reader with Dark Knight for adap screenplay. SO tempted to throw in Leo (Melissa not DiCaprio, clearly) over Jolie but I’m sticking with Jolie too… So those’re my thoughts, read more at http://www.dickiepicks.com if anyonne would like.
I only disagree with Taraji P. Henson in BSA. I don’t believe Ben Button has the strength to get her that nomination. I also disagree that Clint Eastwood will make it in. Sure, he’s almost like Judi Dench, don’t bet against him, but I think that Leo DiCaprio may make it, but more likely Richard Jenkins. Also, I’d like to see Kate Winslet only nominated for The Reader. She’s great in Revolutionary Road, but I’d like to see her nomination for The Reader in BA.
No way “Australia” would get the fifth spot. I don’t think it has that many fans. I could see “The Reader”, “Revolutionary Road” or “Doubt” upsetting though.
I like your predictions, except I think Dev Patel will get a Best Supporting Actor nod. Although I agree with u that it’s a lead role.
I really hope Wall-E sneaks into Best Picture. I just don’t see any of the others having the long-term, lasting impact that film will have.
No chance for Austraila . If there is an upset nom it will be The Dark Knight or Vicky Christina Barcelona.
Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Director
David Fincher
Christopher Nolan
Mike Leigh
Gus Van Sant
Danny Boyle
Actor
Clint Eastwood
Frank Langella
Sean Penn
Brad Pitt
Mickey Rourke
Actress
Anne Hathaway
Sally Hawkins
Angelina Jolie
Meryl Streep
Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin
Robert Downey, Jr.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Heath Ledger
Dev Patel
Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz
Viola Davis
Taraji P. Henson
Marisa Tomei
Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Original Screenplay
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Wall-E
Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire