81st Annual Academy Awards Predictions

The year 2008 provided moviegoers with a slew of excellent films; many surprisingly popular films emerged late in the year, and soon became known as the most highly touted films of the year. With the release of the nominees for the 2009 Oscar awards on Thursday, January 22, 2009 many entertainment seekers were less than surprised to find that all five of the nominees for Best Picture had release dates of mid- to late-November or later. What surprised more fans were the so-called Oscar "snubs"; that The Dark Knight failed to receive a nomination in the Best Picture category, and Clint Eastwood was bypassed for the Best Actor award, were among the snubs that got the internet buzzing soon after the release of the list of the nominees.

Despite several surprises, the 81^st Annual Academy Awards is already looking to be an exciting event for those who consider themselves movie fans. Here's a look at my predictions for who will take home the Oscar statuettes this year in the top five categories: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.

Best Picture

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, based on a short story of the same title by F. Scott Fitzgerald, dominates the 2009 Oscars with thirteen nominations. Despite its popularity in the numerous Oscar categories, the film finds itself in the midst of some pretty steep competition. Earlier in January, Kate Winslet won the Golden Globe Best Actress award for The Reader, which many expect to be the first of many awards for both the actress and the film. But despite the merits of both these films, along with other nominees Milk and Frost/Nixon, it is likely that Slumdog Millionaire will take the award. The film has received critical acclaim from all around the world; its compelling and vibrant story appeals to a wide audience of viewers, and makes it a top-runner in this category. As a global blockbuster and crowd-pleaser, it easily becomes my pick for the best picture Oscar award.

Best Actor

The Wrestler has become something of a surprise hit in the movie world. Mickey Rourke's performance as Randy, a semi-washed up wrestler who returns to try and work his way back to his former glory, has received wide critical acclaim, including a reward of the Golden Globe Best Actor award. Likely, his toughest competitions among the nominees are Sean Penn for his role in Milk and Brad Pitt for his stellar performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Though Rourke took home the Golden Globe, Brad Pitt may steal the Oscar; his performance as the backwards-aging Benjamin is touted as being both moving and masterfully carried out.

Best Actress

The top contenders in this category are most definitely Meryl Streep for Doubt and Kate Winslet for The Reader. Though Streep's performance, as a nun who suspects a priest of having an inappropriate relationship with one of her students, was certainly lauded and critically acclaimed, it is Winslet who has amazed audiences in her two Oscar-worthy roles, in The Reader and Revolutionary Road. Many predicted that Winslet would earn a nomination for her role in RR over her role in Reader, but to the public at large, it really doesn't matter which film she's nominated for; they still want her to win!

Supporting Actor

Heath Ledger's role as the Joker in The Dark Knight earned him praise that placed him over even the great Jack Nicholson's performance in the same role some years earlier in the original Batman movie. While many expressed hesitance at his ability to perform the highly demanding role, most were also pleasantly surprised by his mastery of the character. The untimely death of the popular young actor has not stopped him from garnering more praise and recognition for the critically acclaimed role. Though Ledger has some stiff competition-Josh Brolin (Milk), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt), and Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road), and Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)-he will likely posthumously take the Oscar in this category.

Supporting Actress

Doubt leads in this category with two nominations, Amy Adams and Viola Davis. Adams portrays Sister James, who gets the action of the film rolling when she observes activities she considered suspicious between a priest and a young alter boy. Davis portrays the boys mother. The two actresses' competition comes from actresses from three other films: Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler. If you played "One of these things is not like the other" among the contestants, Davis rises to the top; her Oscar nod comes for a scene lasting all of ten minutes. However, it is considered one of the best scenes-if not the best scene-in Doubt. In a short span of time viewers are presented with the full breadth of a mother's love, strength, and fear. While the other actresses in this Oscar category had exemplary roles, they had much longer periods of time to allow the full natures of their characters to be brought to life; to do it all in ten minutes makes Viola Davis a top-contender, and my pick for the Oscar Best Supporting Actress award.