Now we see how well I did in my picks. Let's start with Picture. First, the actual nominees:
BABEL, THE DEPARTED, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, THE QUEEN
Then my first picks in this category:
Babel, Departed, Dreamgirls, Iwo Jima, Queen
Then my revised picks:
Babel, Departed, Dreamgirls, Sunshine, Queen
Then Hollywood Say's picks: Babel, Departed, Dreamgirls, Iwo Jima, Queen
Hey, what the hell happened to Dreamgirls? I managed in both my picks to be both right and wrong at the same time. Doesn't matter, I can only claim 4 out of 5, and only the revised choice at that. I wonder how many Oscar voters who picked Chicago have since died? Or is it that the newer members added over the years don't like musicals? Or perhaps one other dirty secret; that maybe Dreamgirls isn't a better musical then Chicago, despite fitting the traditional format better, plus having better singers?
Now, Best Actor. First, the nominees:
Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND, Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON, Peter O'Toole - VENUS, Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND
Then my picks: DiCaprio for Departed, O'Toole, Smith, Watanabe, Whitaker.
Then Hollywood Say's picks: DiCaprio (Departed), Whitaker, Smith, O'Toole, Gosling
Kudos for Hollywood Say for having faith that some members would actually pick up the Half Nelson DVD and watch it. And gee, no wonder Leo wasn't nominated for Best Actor for The Departed, Warner Bros only submitted him for Blood Diamond here. Does this mean I have to watch Blood Diamond now? DAMNIT!!!! I already saw Dances With Wolves, Cry Freedom and The Last Samurai, what makes this different?!?!? Oh, the extreme lack of chemistry between Leo and Jennifer Connelly, as seen in the trailer. I FEEL MUCH BETTER NOW!!!!
Best Actress, we both got right. So easy. I guess the same people who touched the Half Nelson DVD, wouldn't touch the Sherrybaby DVD with a 10 meter cattle prod. Sorry, Maggie G.
Now on to Best Director. First, the nominees:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - BABEL, Martin Scorsese - THE DEPARTED, Clint Eastwood - LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, Stephen Frears - THE QUEEN, Paul Greengrass - UNITED 93
Then my picks: Condon, Eastwood for Iwo Jima, Frears, Inarritu, Scorsese.
Then Hollywood Say's picks: Scorsese, Condon, Eastwood, Inarritu, Greengrass (I'm going with my gut here, not to mention the one who deserves it the most. Academy also has a history of nominating directors from films that they themselves won't nominate, as a way of throwing a bone. I'm guessing that will be the case here.)
Nice call with Greengrass, but I told you Frears was going to ride the wave of Old People comfort food with The Queen. That being said, where's Bill Condon? Is Dreamgirls really considered that weak?
Next, Best Sup. Actor. First the nominees:
Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN, Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND, Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS, Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED
Next, my picks and Hollywood Say's, which were one and the same: Arkin, Haley, Murphy, Nicholson and Sheen
While I guess some SAG members felt the same way I did about Jack; that when he started to rat noises, was when his Boston gangster Mephistopheles perf started to go down in quality a little. SAG chose not to nominate him, but I thought the Academy would think otherwise. Oops.
Anyway, did I mention I still don't want to see Blood Diamond? You couldn't force this down my throat during Christmas, and you think now you will, eh Time Warner. You can't make me! Yeah, take that, you multi-billion dollar conglomerate you! I'm not in your pocket! Just because I get my cable from you. Including HBO and Skinemax, I mean Cinemax. And I get my internet too . . . And I liked The Departed a lot, as well as Flags of our Fathers. Also I liked Little Children, which is from a division of Time Warner. Also, For Your Consideration, which is from Warner Bros.' art house division. . . . Oh boy . . . Oh, I liked Superman Returns and V For Vendetta , and I liked the comics they originated from which, uh, which came from DC Comics, which are also owned by . . . Oh forget it. I'm just a tool for Time Warner. Just change my name to THX-1138 and get me to work. No wait, that was from Warner Bros. too. DAMMITT!!!
Now for Best Supporting Actress: First the nominees:
Adriana Barraza - BABEL, Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL, Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS, Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL
Next, my picks: Barraza, Blanchett, Breslin, Hudson, Kikuchi.
Next, Hollywood Say's picks: Hudson, Blanchett, Kikuchi, Breslin, O'Hara
What do you know? I didn't screw this one up. I kept myself from talking myself out of not picking Barraza and Breslin. Hollywood Say, I understand the sentiment in terms of Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration); she or Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada) would have been preferable in the 5th slot. Like I said before, the toughest to cut down to 5.
Next, Original Screenplay. First, the nominees:
BABEL, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, PAN'S LABYRINTH, THE QUEEN
Next, my picks: Babel, Sunshine, The Queen, Stranger Than Fiction, United 93.
Next, Hollywood Say's picks: Babel, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen, Iwo Jima, Pan's Labyrinth.
Yup, I screwed the pooch on this one. Stranger Than Fiction; I thought being Charlie Kaufman lite would be a helpful thing. As for United 93, I thought the tossing of a nomination bone to Paul Greengrass would happen here, not for Director, as Hollywood Say predicted.
Next, Screenplay Adaptation. First, the nominees:
BORAT, CHILDREN OF MEN, THE DEPARTED, LITTLE CHILDREN, NOTES ON A SCANDAL
First, my picks: Children of Men, Departed, Dreamgirls, Flags of Our Fathers, Little Children.
Next, Hollywood Say's picks: Children of Men, Departed, Dreamgirls, Little Children, Notes on a Scandal
Screwed up again, but I partially don't mind if Patrick Marber gets a nod. Makes up ignoring his script for Closer.
That being said, of course I messed up with Flags of our Fathers, Warners supposedly never submitted it for the major nominations! To make Clint feel better after Flag's financial failure, they withdrew Flags from consideration for the major categories, and put all thier publicity eggs into Iwo Jima.
Also, Borat? BORAT?!?!?! A series of story ideas with little or no dialogue, loosely linked together, and that passes as a script? Thanks, Writers Guild. The worst nomination for a script since Beverly Hills Cop in 1985 (the funniest lines were improvised or ad libbed by Eddie Murphy). I liked Borat, but I'm not buying it as a script. Sorry.
I lost this again, but that's ok. The real losing, I mean real competition comes Sunday Feb 25.
Other notes:
A surprising number of noms for Pan's Labyrinth. Now I'm really interested in catching it.
The only actor to be nominated from The Departed is Marky Mark. Really?
Nice to see Jesus Camp wasn't ignored for a Best Documentary nomination. Now it's out on home video, so rush to rent it. It's facing heavy competiton in this category, so please don't let this get lost in the shuffle.
The only nomination Volver could manage was for Penelope Cruz? Did Pedro A. do something to tick off the Academy, aside from Bad Education (my favorite film of 2004)? And does this mean we can no longer make fun of Cruz's voice when she speaks English?
3 song nominations for Dreamgirls, but no love for Prince's song for Happy Feet?
If Al Gore wins for Best Documentary, and Happy Feet wins Best Animated Film, you'll hear more louder screams from conservative households since Clooney gave his acceptance speech for Syriana last year. All that would probably be nothing if Iraq In Fragments wins. After they hear the director's speech, the same number will probably shoot the TV, like Elvis did once.
Later all.
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