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Okay, so where are we in the 2010 race for the Academy Awards? LemonWade prognosticator Rex Okpodu has come up with his first list of possibilities:

The 82nd Academy Awards

BEST PICTURE

* Avatar
* An Education
* The Hurt Locker
* Inglourious Basterds
* Invictus
* Nine
* Precious
* Up in the Air
* A Serious Man
* The Blind Side

Alternate:

* A Single Man

I have included The Blind Side on account of its superior box office and the fact its star, Sandra Bullock, is having a great year. An unrelated factor is that there will only be room for one Man on Oscar’s list. Chances are, it will be A Serious Man. Here is a thought: Avatar is doing great box office and has some of the best reviews of the year. It could win best picture and none of the other senior awards. Another thought: Up In The Air did not make SAG’s ensemble nomination list; the only film not to have done so and gone on to win the Oscar for best picture was Braveheart (1995).

BEST DIRECTOR

* Kathryn Bigelow – “The Hurt Locker”
* James Cameron – “Avatar”
* Clint Eastwood – “Invictus”
* Jason Reitman – “Up In The Air”
* Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

I have a sneaking feeling that Lee Daniels (Precious) might not make this list. The DGA will tell us more but I am leaving him off for now.

BEST ACTOR

* Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”
* George Clooney – “Up In The Air”
* Colin Firth – “A Single Man”
* Morgan Freeman – “Invictus”
* Jeremy Renner – “The Hurt Locker”

This matches SAG’s list. Bridges, Clooney, Firth and Freeman are locks. Renner is shaky.

BEST ACTRESS

* Sandra Bullock – “The Blind Side”
* Carey Mulligan – “An Education”
* Gabourey Sidibe – “Precious”
* Meryl Streep – “Julie & Julia”
* Helen Mirren – “The Last Station”

Alternate: Emily Blunt – “Young Victoria”

Will Blunt make it for playing another Queen of England? Oscar likes his queens and though Blunt did not make SAG list, she might still make the Oscar nominations.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

* Matt Damon – “Invictus”
* Woody Harrelson – “The Messenger”
* Christopher Plummer – “The Last Station”
* Stanley Tucci – “The Lovely Bones”
* Christoph Waltz – “Inglourious Basterds”

Anything can happen in the supporting categories and there might be some surprises in the air. The only lock here is Waltz. He is also the frontrunner for the win in March.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

* Penelope Cruz – “Nine”
* Vera Farmiga – “Up In The Air”
* Anna Kendrick – “Up In The Air”
* Mo’Nique – “Precious”
* Julianne Moore – “A Single Man”

Will the two ladies from Up In The Air make it? Like Waltz in the best supporting actor category, Mo’Nique is a lock for the nomination but her chances of a win are beginning to recede with talk of her reluctance to attend any events promoting the film, etc. Word of advise to Mo’Nique: Honey you are not yet big enough to do that. Oscar is calling..pick up the phone, Mama!

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

* Mark Boal – “The Hurt Locker”
* Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – “A Serious Man”
* Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber – “(500) Days Of Summer”
* Bob Peterson, Peter Docter – “Up”
* Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

* Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach – “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
* Geoffrey Fletcher – “Precious”
* Tom Ford, David Scearce – “A Single Man”
* Nick Hornby – “An Education”
* Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner – “Up In The Air”

by Brendan Lemon | 12/21/09 | Leave a comment |