Oscar Winner Predictions for the 2009 Academy Awards

It is that time of year again! So, break out the popcorn, Junior Mints, and a sharpened number 2 pencil to fill out your ballots for the 81^st annual Academy Awards. With a respectable showing last year, I hope to follow up nicely this time around. So, without further adieu, here are my predications.

1) Best Picture

The nominees are:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

Milk

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

After Slumdog's overwhelming showing at the Golden Globes and a ground swelling of support for this fell-good picture, nothing stands in its way for the top prize. The only possible dark horse would be Frost/Nixon, but that is more remote than my control.

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

2) Best Director

David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"

Gus Van Sant, "Milk"

Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"

Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"

Danny Boyle should follow up his Best Director award at the Golden Globes with an Oscar. Ron Howard is a distant contender, but already scored Oscar gold with A Beautiful Mind. Gus Van Sant is a dark horse.

Winner: Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"

3) Best Actor

Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"

Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"

Sean Penn, "Milk"

Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"

Strictly a two-way race between Penn and Rourke. Penn was considered the front runner until Mickey Rourke won the Golden Globe. Having just seen both performances this evening, I believe Rourke deserves the statue hands down for an uncompromising, brutal, painful, and most beautiful acting job.

Winner: Mickey Rourke

4) Best Actress

Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"

Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"

Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"

Meryl Streep, "Doubt"

Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

Voters will undoubted choose Winslet for The Reader. She has put together quite a resume of brilliant performances and, amazingly, has never won an Oscar. In addition, she was overlooked for her other strong performance in Revolutionary Road.

Winner: Kate Winslet

5) Best Supporting Actor

Josh Brolin, "Milk"

Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"

Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"

Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road"

No contest.

Winner: Heath Ledger

6) Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, "Doubt"

Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Christina Barcelona"

Viola Davis, "Doubt"

Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"

Cruz should hold the upper hand against Adams.

Winner: Penelope Cruz

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

Best Foreign Film: Departures (Japan)

Best Animated Feature Film: WALL-E

Achievement in Art Direction: The Dark Knight

Achievement in Cinematography: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Achievement in Costume Design: The Duchess

Best Documentary: Man on Wire

Best Documentary Short: The Final Inch

Achievement in Film Editing: Frost/Nixon

Achievement in Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman

Best Original Song: "Down to Earth" from WALL-E, Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman

Best Animated Short: This Way Up

Best Live Action Short: New Boy

Achievement in Sound Editing: The Dark Knight

Achievement in Sound Mixing: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Visual Effects: The Dark Knight

Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"

Best Original Screenplay: Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, and Pete Docter, "WALL-E"

If the ceremony goes as planned, it will air on February 22nd at 8:00pm ET on ABC.

Please leave me comments with any disagreements. I would love to hear what you have to say!