Oscar Winner Predictions for the 2008 Academy Awards

Have a bet with a friend or family member and you really want to embarrass them? Want to teach that Ebert guy a lesson with his little "contest"? Want to be addressed by the title "Movie God" for the next 12 months? Yes, yes, and yes you say? Then read on, my friend, and discover the best bets for the 80th annual Academy Awards.

1) Best Picture

The nominees are:

Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Although you might hear rumblings about Juno (similar to Little Miss Sunshine the prior year) as a dark horse, it has no chance for the prize. Its presense in the top 5 is prize enough. Atonement is good, but just another stuffy British romance film. Michael Clayton is an intelligent film with a popular star (Clooney), but is not Best Picture worthy. That leaves No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. I give the nod to NCFOM since it had a larger release and bigger buzz than TWBB in December. The story is spellbinding, and Oscar loves the Coen brothers.

Winner: No Country for Old Men

2) Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen - No Country For Old Men
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Jason Reitman - Juno
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

As above, I believe this is a two-way race between Anderson and the Coens. Although I stated that Oscar loves the Coen brothers, you could flip a coin to decide this award. Voters may lean toward Anderson since the Coens already won for Fargo. Also, Anderson's Boogie Nights and Magnolia were previously overlooked (but regarded as masterpieces). This is painful to choose, but I will take Anderson.

Winner: PT Anderson

3) Best Actor

George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

I regard this as a two-way race between Day-Lewis and Depp, with Lewis having a 100 step head start. Depp will get his someday soon, but nothing will stop Day-Lewis from claiming his prize for an uncompromising, brutal protrayal.

Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis

4) Best Actress

Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Marion Cotillard - La vie en Rose
Laura Linney - Savages
Ellen Page - Juno

Although Blanchett is an acting goddess, this is not her best work. Not enough people saw Cotillard and Linney in their art house films. That leaves Christie and Page. Although it would be a feel-good story for the young Page to win for the uplifting Juno, Christie was just too good in Away from Her. In addition, after Christie won in 1966 for Darling, she was nominated three times - and came up empty each time. She's due, and she was great in this role.

Winner: Julie Christie

5) Best Supporting Actor

Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

No contest.

Winner: Javier Bardem

6) Best Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Ruby Dee - American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Between Blanchett and Ryan. Blanchett is much better here, and a win would make for an interesting story with Cate winning for playing an incarnation of Bob Dylan. However, Amy Ryan is the best part of an excellent film.

Winner: Amy Ryan

And finally, the lesser categories(and winners), in no particular order:

Best Foreign Film: Katyn (Poland)

Best Animated Film: Ratatouille

Achievement in Art Direction: Sweeney Todd

Achievement in Cinematography: No Country for Old Men

Achievement in Costume Design: Atonement

Best Documentary: No End In Sight

Best Documentary Short: La Corona

Achievement in Film Editing: There Will Be Blood

Achievement in Makeup: Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End

Best Original Score: 3:10 to Yuma

Best Original Song: Falling Slowly

Best Animated Short: Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis

Best Live Action Short: The Tonto Woman

Achievement in Sound Editing: No Country for Old Men

Achievement in Sound Mixing: The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Visual Effects: Transformers

Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood)

Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody (Juno)

If the ceremony goes as planned (with possible complications from the current writers strike), it will air on February 24 at 8:00pm ET on ABC.

Please leave me comments with any disagreements. If not, a simple "Thank You" will suffice. Enjoy the show!