by Kam Williams
Unless the Academy tosses a
couple of curve balls, this ought to be the easiest year in memory to predict
the outcome of The Oscars. Afterall,
Dreamgirls not even
landing nominations for Best Picture. Best Director or Best Script Adaptation
has paved the way for perennial also-ran Martin Scorcese and The Departed as
virtual shoo-ins in those three categories. Similarly, Helen Mirren was lucky
that Jennifer Hudson was nominated as a Supporting Actress, while
Forest Whitaker was equally fortunate that
Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for Blood Diamond
instead of The Departed. In fact, the only acting category up for grabs is the
Best Supporting Actor, where early favorite
Eddie Murphy's
lead over Alan Arkin evaporated because the voting hadn’t officially closed by
the time that Norbit opened. With so little
mystery in store among the major awards, what little tension there is on Oscar
night will revolve around the lesser categories and which film will take home
the most gilded statuettes. Given the intense competition, none is likely to win
more than The Departed, which will garner at least three, probably four, in this
prognosticator's humble opinion. Regardless, here are not only my picks to win,
but my designation of the most deserving nominees, and which pictures and
performances were overlooked entirely by Oscar.
Best Picture
Will Win: The Departed
Deserves to Win: The Queen
Snubbed: Dreamgirls, Thank You for Smoking, The Good Shepherd
Best Director
Will Win: Martin Scorcese (The Departed)
Deserves to Win: Stephen Frears (The Queen)
Snubbed: Bill Condon (Dreamgirls)
Best Actor
Will Win:
Forest Whitaker
(The Last King of Scotland)
Deserves to Win: Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
Snubbed: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed)
Best Actress
Will Win: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Deserves to Win: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Snubbed:
Jennifer Hudson
(Dreamgirls)
Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)
Deserves to Win: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
Snubbed: Michael Sheen (The Queen), Jack Nicholson (The Departed)
Best Supporting Actress
Will Win: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Deserves to Win: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Snubbed: Diane Lane (Hollywoodland)
Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: Little Miss Sunshine
Deserves to Win: The Queen
Snubbed: The Good Shepherd
Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: The Departed
Deserves to Win: Notes on a Scandal
Snubbed: Dreamgirls
Best Foreign Film
Will Win: Pan's
Labyrinth
Deserves to Win: Water
Snubbed: District B-13, Lower City, 13 (Tzameti)
Best Documentary
Will Win: An Inconvenient Truth
Deserves to Win: Iraq in Fragments
Snubbed: Our Daily Bread
Best Animated Feature
Will Win: Cars
Deserves to Win: Cars
Snubbed: None
Related Links
Oscar Predictions 2010 - The Envelope Please: Who Will Win, Who Deserves to Win, Who Was Snubbed
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/oscar_predictions_2010.html
Academy Award Recap List of Actual Winners
http://www.aalbc.com/reviews/academy_award_recap_2006.htm
Dreamgirls Lands Most
Nominations But Snubbed for Best Picture
http://aalbc.com/reviews/dreamgirls_snubbed_for_best_picture.htm
Oscar Trophy Image (Above) and History:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4202545.stm
The 77th annual Academy Awards are taking place on 27 February with the
stars of the movie-making world once again holding their breath to discover
who will be showered with the honours this year.
But from humble beginnings, how did the modern day extravaganza become the
behemoth it is today?
Related Links