And the Oscar Goes To.....My Own 2010 Oscar Predictions

It's time for the Oscars, or by its formal name the Academy Awards, and that means predictions of "Who will win?" Many people like to make predictions on the major categories just about everyone is familiar, but there are those who'll go even deeper into the obscure and technical categories too. I'll just stick to predicting three categories I feel are not locked in with a particular shoe-in. This will make it a lot more interesting. Now I'm going to weigh in on the nominees, select a winner and then state why they might win. Without further ado let's get right to it.

Best Actress:

Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

She is a definite dark horse in her debut film role, even though there have been others who've won an Oscar the first time out. Marlee Matlin in Children of a Lesser God is a prime example. Unfortunately Gabourey has too much competition this year. However, she has won several film critics awards for Best Actress as well as nominations from the major awards.

Carey Mulligan - An Education

Not well known yet with the American audiences, but could prove to be this decade's Kate Winslet. She won a BAFTA award for Best Actress and was nominated for the other major acting awards.

Helen Mirren - The Last Station

Dame Helen Mirren previously won an Oscar for Best Actress in The Queen. She's been nominated in this award season for a Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild award.

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

Sandra has an excellent chance to win an Oscar this year, even though this its her first Academy Award nomination. She has already won a Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild for Best Actress.

Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

This two-time Oscar winner has not won an Oscar since Sophie's Choice in the early 80s. In recent times Meryl Streep has taken on the more subtle comedic roles in comedy-dramas. She was nominated for Best Actress in the comedy film The Devil Wears Prada and in the dramatic film Doubt.

Best Supporting Actor:

Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones

Here is another example of a dark horse nominee. The film has not been nominated in any other category, which makes its chances very slim. Staley Tucci has been nominated for the other major awards in this category.

Woody Harrelson - The Messenger

He's been nominated for an Oscar before in The People vs. Larry Flint back in the mid 90s for Best Actor. Woody Harrelson has only been nominated for the major awards and film critics awards this season.

Matt Damon - Invictus

Matt and Ben Affleck won an Oscar together for Best Original Screenplay in Good Will Hunting. There have been no wins in the other major award nominations. The film's only Oscar nominations have been in the acting categories.

Christopher Plummer - The Last Station

It seems strange he hasn't been nominated for an Oscar, even though he's been acting in films since 1958. If you look at the past winners in this category most of them have been older. Christopher has finally been recognized with previous major award nominations to his credit in The Last Station.

Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

One would assume this is a definite shoe-in to win the Oscar, but don't count on certainty in the Best Supporting Acting categories at all. He has won virtually all of the Best Supporting acting categories, big and small, including the Golden Globes and SAG. It does look very good on paper for Christoph Waltz to win.

Best Director:

This is a category that is literally up for grabs. Most of these directors have have been nominated for Oscars before. Another director already has an Oscar to their credit. One director is African American and the other a female director. All of these directors films are nominated for Best Picture with a likely chance of winning. .

Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar

My Three Predictions & Why they will Win

Best Actress

Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia: She has gotten out of her comfort zone with previous roles in comedies such as The Devil Wears Prada. Meryl's portrayal of the famous chef, Julia Child, in a comedic film is bound to give her another deserved Oscar after all these years. She is the only actress to be nominated 16 times. Meryl Streep has already won the Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Julie and Julia as well as other numerous film critics awards.

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer - The Last Station: It is no secret the Academy Awards oftentimes gives an Oscar for a body of work or sentimental reasons towards the recipient. This was evident when Alan Arkin won for Little Miss Sunshine. He was hardly in the film, yet he got the Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category. However, Plummer's portrayal of the famous Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, goes far beyond winning for only a body of work or sentimental reasons. He has been nominated in all the other major awards for Best Supporting Actor. I loved Christopher Plummer in The Sound of Music, but he has proven to us over the years he is an extraordinary actor and well-deserved to finally be recognized with an Oscar.

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker: In the Academy Awards' 82 year history no woman has ever won Best Director. I think the timing is now set for Kathryn Bigelow. Only three other female directors have been nominated in this male-dominated category, which included Lina Wertmuller, Jane Campion, and Sofia Coppola. Ms. Bigelow was the first female to win the Directors Guild of America award as well as the first female to win for Best Direction at the BAFTA Awards. March is Women's History Month, so this will be an historic win all around at the Oscars.

SOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

http://oscar.go.com/

http://www.oscars.org/

http://www.filmsite.org/oscars.html

http://womenshistorymonth.gov/