2011 Oscar Nominee Rundown

The Academy Awards, more affectionately known as the Oscars, are coming up in a couple of weeks. Here's a quick rundown of what to look for and who might be frontrunners to come away with the most awards. Honestly, I didn't watch many movies last year compared to the hordes that I have watched in previous years, but there are 2 or 3 movies I saw that I hope will win.

Best Leading Actor seems to me to be a 2-man contest between Jesse Eisenberg and Colin Firth. Eisenberg was the star in the popular Social Network while Firth played King George VI in The King's Speech. Both were very good movies but I'd have to give a slight edge to Firth mainly because "The King's Speech" was a more serious movie and generally seems higher quality. While "Social Network" tells a fascinating story and is more interesting to me, it does have a feel of corniness and immaturity.

Rising star Jennifer Lawerence has been extremely popular of late as she treks through the Ozarks in a struggle to keep her family together in Winter' Bone. She is only 20 and this is her first big hit but even if she doesn't win this year, we can look for her to be a regular nominee in the coming years. She is already scheduled to be in The Beaver with Mel Gibson and in the next X-Files movie, both to be released later this year. Another candidate for Best Leading Actress is one of my all-time favorites Natalie Portman. She was the star of Black swan, a movie about a ballet dancer who does everything, including turning over to the dark side, to keep her dancing career. The other nominees are Annette Bening in The Kids are Alright, Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole, and Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine.

Best picture nominees include Social Network, The Kings' Speech, True Grit, Black Swan, The inception, The Fighter, The Kids are Alright, 127 Hours, Toy Story 3, and Winer's Bone. My personal favorite is True Grit but wouldn't be surprised to see Social Network or The King's Speech take the big prize. The Academy Awards will air Sunday, February 27 on ABC.