Nothing ends the February blues faster than the Academy Awards. The Oscars, now in their 82nd year, air on the first weekend of Spring Break, Sunday, March 7 on ABC, and I for one could not be more thrilled. As much as I anticipate oohing and ahhing over Oscar gowns and laughing with hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, what I look forward to the most is waiting in suspense to hear if my favorite movies walk away with that shiny gold trophy. This year’s Oscars have generated a lot of publicity already, from the show¬down between ex-spouses Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron to the expansion of the Best Picture category, and this year the contending films are actually good.
Actor (leading)
Should Win: George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Will Win: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
Back in December, when Oscar buzz was still in its early stages, Clooney seemed like the obvious choice for the Best Actor award for his charming and uncharacteristic por¬trayal of a man who fires people for a living. Eerily fitting for the current eco¬nomic climate, Clooney’s performance displayed a depth and vulnerability that is usually absent from his typical pretty-boy persona. Unfortunately for him, Jeff Bridge’s turn as country mu¬sician Bad Blake in the recent release “Crazy Heart” is now widely regarded to be the obvious choice. Too bad, be¬cause I suspect this atypical display of Clooney’s talent will go back into hid¬ing after his defeat this year.
Actor (supporting)
Should Win: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Will Win: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
There is no room for debate about the Best Supporting Actor award this year: anyone who’s seen “Inglourious Basterds” will certainly tell you that Christoph Waltz’s performance as Colonel Hans Landa, aka “The Jew Hunter,” was equal parts terrifying and freaking awesome. Anyone who hasn’t seen “Inglourious Basterds” needs to sit down and watch it right now. With his Hollywood debut, Waltz is set to be the biggest name to come out of Austria since Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Actress (leading)
Should Win: Gabourey Sidibe “Precious”
Will Win: Sandra Bullock “The Blind Side”
Many critics seem to think that Sandra Bullock’s performance in this sports melodrama will finally earn her the critical appreciation they believe she deserves. I disagree. Bullock hasn’t starred in a good movie since 1994’s “Speed.” She is certainly a charming and charismatic romantic comedy lead, but is she Oscar worthy? In my opin¬ion, blond hair and a fake southern accent is not a substitute for the talent shown by Bullock’s competitors in the Best Actress category, including new¬comer Gabourey Sidibe, whose role in “Precious” was her first professional act¬ing job.
Actress (supporting)
Should Win: Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Will Win: Mo’Nique, “Precious”
There has been no ambiguity as to who will win this year’s Best Supporting Actress award. Mo’Nique has previously been solely a comedic actress and stand-up comedian, but her role as an abusive mother to a pregnant teen in “Precious” has left no doubt about her dramatic power as well. Virtually every Best Supporting Actress award this season has gone to Mo’Nique. Although contend¬ers Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick were both charming in “Up in the Air,” Mo’Nique is the clear-cut winner.
Adapted Screenplay
Should Win: Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
Will Win: Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
Like its star George Clooney, Jason Reitman’s film “Up in the Air” was the early favorite for best picture, but more recent releases (namely “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker) have knocked it out of the running. Reitman’s consolation prize will have to be the Best Adapted Screenplay award.
Original Screenplay
Should Win: Quentin Tarantino “Inglourious Basterds”
Will Win: Quentin Tarantino “Inglourious Basterds”
Tarantino for the win! Quentin Tarantino has legions of fans and mass critical acclaim, yet he has only received one Academy Award and two nominations (Original Screenplay and Director, both for 1994’s “Pulp Fiction”). As much as I love “Inglourious Basterds,” I don’t think it has the innovation of “Pulp Fiction” or the sophistication of my personal Tarantino favorite “Kill Bill.” And as “Avatar” and “Hurt Locker” are heavily favored to win the big prizes, Tarantino’s gritty World War II thriller will probably be relegated to the Best Original Screenplay award.
Best Animated Feature
Should Win: “Up”
Will Win: “Up”
As an avid fan of both Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton, part of me wishes that “Coraline” would win the Best Animated Feature award, but I doubt that’ll happen. The clear win¬ner here is the Disney-Pixar hit “Up,” which could win based on sheer cute¬ness. “Up” is also nominated for the Best Picture category, which it won’t win, but the nod is a sign that the Academy clearly thinks it is a strong contender. And rightfully so, as “Up” was the perfect mixture of sweet, clever, and moral, delivering a heartwarming story that kids and adults (and college kids like me) all fell in love with. I’ve also heard that Fantastic Mr. Fox was excellent and deserving of the award, but quirky Wes Andersen will have a hard time challenging Disney’s stran¬glehold on the Best Animated Feature prize.
Director
Should Win: James Cameron “Avatar”
Will Win: Kathryn Bigelow “The Hurt Locker”
Much of the pre-Oscar buzz has centered on an epic “Battle of the Exes,” as Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron, two of the strongest con¬tenders for both Best Picture and Best Director, divorced in 1991. Personally, I think that Cameron deserves the Best Director Oscar for his incredibly inno¬vative directorial vision in the megahit “Avatar,” but both the Directors Guild Awards and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) gave that honor to Bigelow. If precedent is any indication, the Academy will fol¬low suit.
Best Picture
Should Win: “The Hurt Locker”
Will Win: “Avatar”
James Cameron shouldn’t be too depressed about losing Best Director to his ex-wife, because odds are his brain¬child “Avatar” will win the biggest prize of all, Best Picture, over “The Hurt Locker.” I think these awards should be reversed. Cameron’s sci-fi extrava¬ganza stemmed from his unique di¬rectorial vision and was a masterpiece of CGI technology, but as a whole lacked a quality script and plot. “The Hurt Locker,” on the other hand, is a much more conventional Best Picture contender, a dramatic political thriller that’s been universally praised. If Bigelow’s film wins, as I think it should, it will be the lowest grossing film to ever win the Best Picture award, while Cameron’s film is well on its way to becoming the highest grossing pic¬ture of all time. In any other year, “The Hurt Locker” would have been the quintessential Best Picture winner, but this year will belong to “Avatar.”
One particularly noticeable as¬pect of this year’s Oscars is the ex¬pansion of the Best Picture category from five films to 10. This decision is thought to stem from the criticism the Academy received for not extending a nomination to last year’s “The Dark Knight,” a film that was adored by critics and audiences alike. Although my roommate was dismayed to learn that her obsession, “Star Trek,” didn’t make the cut even with the category’s expansion, many films that ordinarily would have been neglected, like the sci-fi movie “District 9,” the sports melodrama “The Blind Side,” or the animated film “Up” have been of¬ficially recognized by the Academy. However, the expansion of the Best Picture category is really more of a symbolic gesture than a reevaluation of what makes a good film. The mov¬ies that are currently front-runners for the prize (“Avatar,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Up in the Air,” and “Precious”) probably would’ve constituted the original five anyway.
Leave a Reply