Oscar Predictions--Final

Now that the DGA has made a deal, the scuttlebutt is that the WGA will soon follow, which means we will have a garish, bloated, three-and-a-half hour pageant of ugly dresses and inane acceptance speeches. And to that I say--yeah! Nominations are announced on Tuesday, here's one man's woeful attempts to read the crystal ball.

BEST PICTURE

Into the Wild
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

The suspense here is for the fifth spot, which will go to Juno, Atonement, or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I'm betting on Juno since it would be the only light-hearted fare and has done good box office.

BEST DIRECTOR

Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Sean Penn, Into the Wild
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

These are the DGA nominees, I'm not showing much imagination. But I don't see anyone else obvious. Maybe Tim Burton, maybe Sidney Lumet, but I'm not counting on it.

BEST ACTOR

George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Emile Hirsch, Into the Wild
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

Hirsch would be the youngest nominee in this category in 70 years, and I'm not positive about him. Ryan Gosling or Denzel Washington could get the fifth spot.

BEST ACTRESS
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Angeline Jolie, A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley, Atonement
Ellen Page, Juno

I have no confidence in Knightley here, since Atonement's stock has sunk and her character is not really the lead, but I don't feel confident in anyone taking her place, although I wouldn't be shocked if Jodie Foster gets in from The Brave One.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

This is the acting category I'm most confident in.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Catherine Keener, Into the Wild
Saorsie Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

I regret that I can no longer be confident in Kelly MacDonald in No Country, but I would be pleasantly surprised. The big question here is whether they go with the kid (Ronan) or the old lady (Ruby Dee)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Eastern Promises
Juno
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Atonement
Charlie Wilson's War
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Persepolis
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Austria--The Counterfeiters
Brazil--The Year My Parents Went on Vacation
Israel--Beaufort
Italy--Unknown Woman
Poland--Katyn

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Body of War
Nanking
No End in Sight
White Light/Black Rain
Taxi to the Dark Side

I'm figuring it will be all Iraq War or World War II films. Body of War was co-directed by Phil Donahue (!)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac

BEST EDITING
The Bourne Ultimatum
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood

BEST ART DIRECTION

Atonement
The Golden Compass
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood

BEST COSTUMES

Atonement
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
La Vie en Rose
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood

BEST MUSIC SCORE

Atonement
The Kite Runner
Lust, Caution
Ratatouille
There Will Be Blood

BEST MAKEUP

La Vie en Rose
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Sweeney Todd

BEST SOUND MIXING

The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
300
There Will Be Blood
Transformers

SOUND EDITING
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
300
There Will Be Blood
Transformers

The sound categories are almost impossible, so I just went lazy and repeated the list.

BEST SONG

"Come So Far" Hairspray
"Despirida" Love in the Time of Cholera
"Falling Slowly" Once
"Guaranteed" Into the Wild
"That's How You Know" Enchanted

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
300
Transformers