Pop Tarts' Oscar Previews

Tomorrow night is the annual airing of the Academy Awards! Another three to four hours lost to a completely inane spectacle of famous people doing little of anything! In that same amount of time you could watch two of the films nominated this year and get way more satisfaction. That said, the awards do validate the people who displayed their wonderous art form on the screen for the past year and this year's class of nominees is one of the strongest in recent memory. Of course it's all driven by the movies and I actually saw a decent amount of the nominees this year! So here's my predicitons of who should win and who will win, feel free to drop yours in the comments!

Best Writing Adapted Screenplay:
Christopher Hampton Atonement
Sarah Polley Away from Her
Ronald Harwood The Diving Bell and Butterfly
Joel and Ethan Cohen No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson There Will Be Blood
My Pick: Joel and Ethan Cohen No Country for Old Men; I'm really finding it difficult to decide between No Country and There Will Be Blood in a lot of categories so I'm going with their strengths, at least in my mind, and I happen to thins the screenplay for No Country is slightly better. There's more moving parts to write for and the separates it in my mind.
And the Oscar goes to...: Joel and Ethan Cohen No Country for Old Men; yeah I think it's gonna win too.
The Beatles - "Paperback Writer"

Best Writing Original Screenplay:
Diablo Cody Juno
Nancy Oliver Lars and the Real Girl
Tony Gilroy Michael Clayton
Brad Bird Ratatouille
Tamara Jenkins The Savages
My Pick: Diablo Cody Juno; I loved Lars and the Real Girl but I'm gonna have to with the darling of the indie world Juno. Yeah I loved it as much as all of you (except Tim) did.
And the Oscar goes to...: Tony Gilroy Michael Clayton; it's a serious film, and the Academy likes serious films.

Best Music Song:
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova "Falling Slowly" from Once
Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack, Tevin Thomas "Raise It Up" from August Rush
Alan Menkin "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted
Alan Menkin "So Close" from Enchanted
Alan Menkin "That's How You Know" from Enchanted
My Pick: Glen Hansard and Market Irglova - "Falling Slowly"; why the Academy had to nominate three songs from a shitty Disney film I will never understand but this tune is tops this year without a doubt, even if they had included tunes form Juno.
And the Oscar goes to...: Alan Menkin - "So Close"; they didn't nominate three of 'em for no reason.

Best Music Score:
Dario Marianelli Atonement
Alberto Iglesias The Kite Runner
James Newton Howard Michael Clayton
Michael Giacchino Ratatouille
Marco Beltrami 3:10 to Yuma
My Pick: Jonny Greenwood There Will Be Blood; it is an absolute travesty that he's not nominated for what is the most pertinent film score in years. I understand that it's not entirely original, but let's face it it's original enough and better then anything else out there. Shame on you Academy!
And the Oscar goes to...: Who cares, it's not Johnny Greenwood. Okay I'll pick, let's see...eenie, meenie, minnie, James Newton Howard because he's been nominated seven times without winning once. Sound good? Okay, good.
Jonny Greenwood - "There Will Be Blood"

Best Documentary Feature:
No End In Sight
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Sicko
Taxi to the Darkside
War/Dance
My Pick: I didn't see all the films but I'm gonna have to go with Michael Moore's Sicko. Seems like the safe bet.
And the Oscar goes to...: Sicko? The only non-war related film in the field? Hmmm I dunno, but I think the name behind it helps a lot.
Panda Bear - "Take Pills"

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
George Clooney Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones The Valley of Elijah
Vigo Mortensen Eastern Promises
My Pick: Daniel Day-Lewis; This is one of my weaker categories haven only seen one of the films nominated here, but I'm pretty damn sure I saw the best acting performance in the last 20-years and maybe even longer then that from Daniel Day-Lewis. "I've forsaken my boyyyyyy!!!"
And the Oscar goes to...: Daniel Day-Lewis; I'm pretty sure it's been engraved for months!
Jonny Greenwood - "Prospectors Arrive"

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Casey Affleck The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson Michael Clayton
My Pick: Javier Bardem; seriously, is this even going to be a competition?
And the Oscar goes to...: Javier Bardem; Beware of Philip Seymour Hoffman though. The man is sneaky and villinous, just not nearly as vicious as Bardem.
Talking Heads - "Psycho Killer"

Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Cate Blanchett Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie Away From Her
Marion Cotillard La Vie En Rose
Laura Linney The Savages
Ellen Page Juno
My Pick: Ellen Page Juno; Personally I thought she was fantastic throughout the movie, but I know some people (Tim) didn't like the movie that much. Still in a normally weak year (at least I think it's weak) I think the young starlett has a fighting shot at the award.
And the Oscar goes to...: Cate Blanchett; I have a feeling the Academy is going to go the historic route giving this to Cate and...
Ellen Page & Michael Cera - "Anyone Else But You"

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Cate Blanchett I'm Not There
Ruby Dee American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan Atonement
Amy Ryan Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton Michael Clayton
My Pick: Cate Blanchett; certainly deserves the award here.
And the Oscar goes to...: Cate Blanchett; History is made as Cate sweeps the Actress categories!
Jeff Tweedy - "Simple Twist of Fate"

Best Animated Feature Film:
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's Up
My Pick: Ratatouille; this might be one of the best animated films of all-time, and definitely the best this year.
And the Oscar goes to...: Ratatouille; My guess is that this finished in sixth on the Best Picture ballot and just missed out on that one, but it should certainly get the statue for Animation. Any other year Persepolis would definitely stand a strong chance.
Bright Eyes - "Cartoon Blues"

Best Directing:
Julian Schnabel The Diving Bell and Butterfly
Jason Reitman Juno
Tony Gilroy Michael Clayton
Joel and Ethan Cohen No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson There Will Be Blood
My Pick: Paul Thomas Anderson There Will Be Blood; my brother thinks Julian Schnabel as a solid chance at the upset, Rachael thinks the Cohen's will win everything, I'd rather see Paul Thomas Anderson win for because his movie is awesome.
And the Oscar goes to...: Joel and Ethan Cohen No Country for Old Men; their prior nominations give them the slight advantage here. I think.
The Wombats - "Kill the Director"

Best Picture:
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
My Pick: There Will Be Blood; I am so torn between this and No Country for Old Men that I really don't know what to choose. I am giving There Will Be Blood my imaginary vote though and I'm sticking by it.
And the Oscar goes to...: There Will Be Blood; closest vote in Oscar history? It could be, but I think this is ever so slightly ahead of No Country. Both are very deserving of the award though.
Rilo Kiley - "Close Call"