As I scramble to catch the last couple of films that will complete my Oscar Watch List, I am prematurely making my picks for the statuettes tomorrow night. I will save judgement on the Foreign Language and Documentary Short categories, neither of which I have had the opportunity to get into since I live in a town where you can see 4 screens of Rambo, but you're lucky to get to see an independent or foreign film only months after it comes out on DVD at the local film club. That being said, I have also not had the chance to see 3 of the Documentary Features, but am confident in my decision in that category nonetheless. Otherwise, by tomorrow night's Academy Awards ceremony I will have seen every single movie nominated in every other category.
So, onto my picks:
Screenplay, Original
Should Win: Milk
Will Win: Milk
Missing: The Wrestler
Screenplay, Adapted
Should Win: Doubt or The Reader
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Visual Effects
Should Win: Iron Man
Will Win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Missing: Speed Racer
Sound Mixing
Should Win: WALL-E
Will Win: The Dark Knight
Sound Editing
Should Win: The Dark Knight
Will Win: The Dark Knight
Short Film, Live Action
Should Win: Grisen (The Pig)
Will Win: Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Short Film, Animated
Should Win: Presto
Will Win: Presto
Original Song
Should Win: "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire
Will Win: "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire
Missing: "The Wrestler" by Bruce Springsteen from The Wrestler
Original Score
Should Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Makeup
Should Win: Hellboy II
Will Win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Film Editing
Should Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Documentary Feature
Should Win: Man on Wire
Will Win: Man on Wire
Costume Design
Should Win: The Duchess
Will Win: The Duchess
Cinematography
Should Win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Missing: Brideshead Revisited
Art Direction
Should Win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Will Win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Animated Feature
Should Win: WALL-E
Will Win: WALL-E
Directing
Should Win: David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Will Win: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire
Missing: Darren Aronofsky for The Wrestler
Actress, Supporting
Should Win: Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Will Win: Viola Davis in Doubt
Actor, Supporting
Should Win: Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
Will Win: Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
Actor, Leading
Should Win: Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Will Win: Sean Penn in Milk
Missing: Leonardo Dicaprio in Revolutionary Road
Actress, Leading
Should Win: Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married or Meryl Streep in Doubt
Will Win: Kate Winslet in The Reader
Missing: Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road
Best Picture
Should Win: Milk
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Missing: The Wrestler, Doubt, and The Dark Knight