And the Winner is...

I'm a fan of the Academy Awards, really for no other reason than I follow movies. I don't know that I necessarily agree with 'The Academy' on what or who is nominated at times, but I certainly agree that good film-making needs to be recognized. I suppose if I followed more closely the music industry the Grammy's would be worth watching (maybe). Unlike a song or an album, the adjudication of a film just seems to fit better.


I have mixed feeling about this year. For some reason I feeling like 2008 was a disappointment in some ways in comparison to the last two years. I don't believe there is a movie (at least that I've seen) that approachs the caliber of either of the best picture winner The Departed or No Country for Old Men-- and yet that kind of exciting because it's all up in the air.


Here are my predictions for some of the catagories:



Best Picture
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should win: probably Benjamin Button, but I'm fine with a Slumdog victory.


Best Director
Will Win: David Fincher (Benjamin Button)
Should Win: David Fincher (Benjamin Button)-- I won't be surprised by Slumdog's Danny Boyle here either.



Best Actor
Will Win: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Should Win: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)-- Mickey Rourke's character in The Wrestler was more real than any other charcter I've seen in years.


Best Actress
Will Win: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Should Win: Meryl Streep (Doubt)-- She can't win enough in my opinion. Winslet probably should have been nominated for Revolutionary Road as well so...



Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Heath Ledger (Batman Returns)
Should Win: Heath Ledger (Batman Returns)-- 90% Preformance, 10% Sympathy, still very deserving.



Best Supporting Actress
Will Win: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Should Win: Amy Adams (Doubt)-- What a year she has had. She'll get hers eventually.



Best Art Direction
Will Win: Benjamin Button
Should Win: Benjamin Button



Best Cinematography
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should Win: Benjamin Button



Best Animated Feature
Will Win: WALL-E
Should Win: WALL-E




So there you have it.