2011 Oscar Predictions

It is last-minute here, and I may edit this post again within the next few days, but here are my predictions. It is tough this year because while ‘The King’s Speech’ is a good film, there are at least three that are more worthy of the win.

Best Picture: The King’s Speech
It is hard to ignore the strength of this film at this point. ‘The Social Network’ is a far superior film and it would be a huge win. But all signs point to the period piece.

Best Director: David Fincher, for ‘The Social Network’
Going against the consensus here. This is a pick from my gut. Tom Hooper won the DGA and is the safe money bet, but here we are.

Best Actor: Colin Firth
No real question here.

Best Actress: Natalie Portman
Again, no real question. She was the best part of ‘Black Swan’ and it was a great role.

Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush
Am I the only one who thought ‘The Fighter’ was trite and insipid? Christian Bale had a good performance, but other than losing a lot of weight, it wasn’t too challenging. Geoffrey Rush’s role is much more memorable.

Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo
Hailee Steinfeld would be a great win for her role in ‘True Grit’, but it’s hard to ignore the build-up to this point.

Original Screenplay: David Seidler, for ‘The King’s Speech’
A good win for the film here.

Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, for ‘The Social Network’
Best film of the year. Best script of the year. Funny, poetic, caustic, and completely entertaining.

Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, for ‘The Social Network’
The film hinges on its editing and is brilliantly efficient.

Cinematography: Roger Deakins, for ‘True Grit’
Is anyone else more due for a win than this great artist?

(Note: The following categories are educated guesses, as I have not been following the race closely this year.)

Art Direction: The King’s Speech
Sound Mixing: True Grit
Sound Editing: Inception
Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Original Score: The Social Network
Foreign Language Film: Incendies
Documentary Feature: Exit Through the Gift Shop (completely deserving)
Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Visual Effects: Inception
Makeup: The Way Back???
Original Song: “I See the Light” from Tangled
Live Action Short: The Confession
Documentary Short: Strangers No More
Animated Short: Day & Night