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Oscar Picks by Someone who has No Business Making Oscar Picks Strikes BackMar 04 '05 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Expert opinions from someone who probably knows less than you! For a few years now, I’ve been posting my Oscar predictions here at Epinions and wanted to continue that tradition this year (See my 2001, 2003, and 2004 picks). What makes my predictions somewhat different is that I make no claim of having any idea of what I’m talking about. I believe this candor is refreshing and therefore makes my contribution appreciated. If this is not the case, please don’t tell me. I like living in denial. Best Picture The Aviator Finding Neverland Million Dollar Baby Ray Sideways I have to say I haven’t seen any of these movies. But there are only two that I even really want to see (Million Dollar Baby and Sideways). As far as what will win, I think only The Aviator is epic enough of a movie for the Best Picture Oscar. Bet on it: The Aviator What I want: Million Dollar Baby Keep Dreaming: Finding Neverland Best Director Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby Taylor Hackford, Ray Mike Leigh, Vera Drake Alexander Payne, Sideways Martin Scorsese, The Aviator Apparently this is between Eastwood and Scorsese. I honestly don’t care. I don’t know why but I really don’t care about any of these people. Sorry to disappoint. Bet on it: Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby What I want: why not … Alexander Payne, Sideways Keep Dreaming: Mike Leigh, Vera Drake Best Actor Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby Jamie Foxx, Ray First thing: where is Paul Giamatti’s name? He deserved to be here last year and deserves to be here now. Despite that, I love Don Cheadle and am glad to see he’s nominated. And I have a problem with Jamie Foxx for the solely because of the phrase “Academy Award winning star of Booty Call”. Bet on it: Jamie Foxx What I want: Don Cheadle Keep Dreaming: Don Cheadle Best Actress Annette Bening, Being Julia Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Everybody says that it comes down to Annette Bening and Hilary Swank. But had anyone ever even heard of Bening’s film before the Golden Globes? I sure hadn’t. I heard Imelda Staunton was really good in Vera Drake and I wanted to see that movie so I’ll go with her for my pick. Bet on it: Hilary Swank What I want: Imelda Staunton Keep Dreaming: Imelda Staunton Best Supporting Actor Alan Alda, The Aviator Thomas Haden Church, Sideways Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby Jamie Foxx, Collateral Clive Owen, Closer Here’s the thing: last year Tim Robbins won, this year Morgan Freeman is a contender. I think somebody’s trying to make up for ignoring The Shawshank Redemption all those years ago. I can’t say I blame them. Bet on it: Morgan Freeman What I want: Morgan Freeman Keep Dreaming: Jamie Foxx Best Supporting Actress Cate Blanchett, The Aviator Laura Linney, Kinsey Virginia Madsen, Sideways Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda Natalie Portman, Closer The general opinion is that this category is wide open. I think it’s going to Natalie Portman because Hollywood loves the hooker/stripper with a heart of gold. Sigh. To get a best actress award you need to be a pretty actress who goes ugly, to get a best supporting actress award you need to be a pretty actress who goes slutty. Bet on it: Natalie Portman What I want: Laura Linney Keep Dreaming: Sophie Okonedo Animated Feature The Incredibles Shark Tale Shrek 2 Can I just say how disappointed I’ll be if Shrek 2 wins? It was already bad when they beat Monsters Inc. a few years ago. Bet on it: The Incredibles What I want: The Incredibles Keep Dreaming: Shark Tale Best Documentary Born Into Brothels The Story of the Weeping Camel Super Size Me Tupac: Resurrection Twist of Faith You know I’m really happy that Fahrenheit 9/11 wasn’t nominated. I saw it and while I agree with a lot of what it was trying to say, frankly it wasn’t a very good film. The biggest problem I have with Michael Moore films, is that there is too much Michael Moore. I think that the most well known of these, Super Size Me, suffers from the same thing: too much of the documentarian in the documentary. Bet on it: Born Into Brothels What I want: Born Into Brothels Keep Dreaming: The Story of the Weeping Camel Best Foreign Language Film As It Is in Heaven (Sweden) The Chorus (France) Downfall (Germany) The Sea Inside (Spain) Yesterday (South Africa) I have mixed feelings about this category. There are a lot of good foreign films out there, many of which I’m sure are better than English ones, but of course we’d have a bias. So either ignore them or don’t: this consolation prize is stupid. Especially when each country is only allowed to nominate one film, something which really screwed over Spain this year. Bet on it: The Sea Inside What I want: The Sea Inside Keep Dreaming: Downfall Best Original Song ''Accidentally in Love'' from Shrek 2 ''Al Otro Lado del Rio'' from The Motorcycle Diaries ''Believe'' from The Polar Express ''Learn to be Lonely'' from The Phantom of the Opera ''Look to Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)'' from The Chorus Once again this category looks super pathetic. To choose the tacked-on song from Phantom would be an insult to the rest of the songs in the movie (yeah, I know the songs must be original but then you end up with choices like this). “Accidentally in Love” was pretty catchy so I guess having that win wouldn’t be horrible. Bet on it: “Learn to be Lonely” What I want: “Accidentally in Love” Keep Dreaming: a song worthy of previous titleholders There are some more categories but not only do I know nothing about them, I don’t have anything to say about them. Hopefully, this was an amusing diversion for you; I know it was successful in diverting me from what I should be doing. *****Addendum***** This entry was originally posted two weeks ago under 76th Academy Awards Postmortem because epinions had not posted the proper category. Now that they have, I am reposting here. So if this sounds familiar that's why.  |
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by Stephen_Murray
by carstairs38
