Oscar Nomination Predictions

The Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow morning, so for my own amusement here is my take on what will happen.

Best Picture

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

The most suspense tomorrow morning is whether Batman gets a best picture nod. I think it will--these five are the PGA nominees and the DGA nominees. If Batman falters, it could be Doubt or Revolutionary Road.

Best Director

Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk

Not much imagination here--these are the five DGA nominees. The director nominations almost never match up five-for-five with picture, but I'm not drawn to any other directors here. Sam Mendes? Clint?

Best Actor

Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Four are solid, and I'll go with Clint, an Oscar favorite, with the fifth, ahead of Richard Jenkins (who I would love to see nominated).

Best Actress

Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

I smell a Jolie snub here, even though many have dropped Thomas in their estimations.

Best Supporting Actor

Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

I'm going with Shannon over the kid from Slumdog Millionaire, Dev Patel, but that may be wishful thinking.

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Winslet is really a lead performer, but who am I to buck the trend?

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Screenplay

Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Best Animated Feature

Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Waltz With Bashir

Best Art Direction

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Costume Design

Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Editing

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Cinematography

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Editing

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Best Sound Mixing

The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Best Score

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Best Visual Effects

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

Best Makeup

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Wrestler

Best Song

Down to Earth (WALL-E)
Gran Torino (Gran Torino)
I Thought I Lost You (Bolt)
Once in a Lifetime (Cadillac Records)
The Wrestler (The Wrestler)

Best Foreign Film

France, The Class
Germany, The Baader-Meinhof Complex
Israel, Waltz With Bashir
Sweden, Everlasting Moments
Turkey, 3 Monkeys