Sandra Bullock, Morgan Freeman and 'Meatballs' Should Lead 2010 Oscars

The awards season has arrived once again, and film fans already are looking in earnest toward the most notable ceremony, the 2010 Academy Awards. 2009 had its share of winners, losers, outstanding efforts and dismal failures. With that in mind, here are five films from 2009 that should receive at least one nomination for the upcoming 82^nd Annual Academy Awards. Nominations are released on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The ceremony airs on Sunday, March 7.

Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"

2009 was an unusually busy year for Sandra Bullock, with starring roles in two romantic comedies ("The Proposal," "All About Steve"). Bullock saved the best for last, though, with her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in "The Blind Side," a film about rising football star Michael Oher.

Now a rookie offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, Oher spent a lot of time living on the streets as a young man. As "The Blind Side" shows, however, Leigh Anne Tuohy and her husband opened their home to Oher, giving him a stable family environment and private tutoring. As played by Bullock, Mrs. Tuohy is a Memphis matriarch who gets a real education on what charity is really all about.

Sporting designer clothes and a no-nonsense attitude as Tuohy, Bullock definitely is the Most Valuable Player in "The Blind Side," making her a front-runner for a Best Actress nomination. Playing Tuohy's outspoken and opportunistic son S.J., young Jae Head also has a good shot at a Best Supporting Actor nod when the nominations are announced.

George Clooney in "Up in the Air"

The buzz about George Clooney's performance in "Up in the Air" started during the Toronto International Film Festival and hasn't let up for a moment. Clooney definitely deserves a Best Actor nomination for playing Ryan Bingham, a professional corporate downsizer who's in danger of having his own wings clipped.

Bingham is a "road warrior" for a company that reduces the workforces of other companies. Spending over 300 days each year "in the air," Bingham loves his frequent flyer miles, concierge services and other perks that come with his job. It's why he fights so hard to stay on the road after his company changes its business model.

"Up in the Air" is easily the best work of Clooney's career. Jason Reitman's direction also is Oscar-worthy, as is Vera Farmiga's smoking-hot performance as Clooney's on-the-road love interest. Farmiga and Clooney's onscreen chemistry combined with a timely story should make "Up in the Air" the film to beat in the Academy Awards.

Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"

As Lt. Aldo Raine, Brad Pitt leads the charge in "Inglourious Basterds," a different kind of war film from Quentin Tarantino. Heading up a specialized team of soldiers during World War II, Pitt's character tells his troops that their only duty is to "kill Nazis." Raine has his own inimitable style of dispatching German soldiers, and he does so without hesitation or mercy. Any survivors are left with a permanent reminder of their encounter with Raine and his Basterds.

Christoph Waltz's performance as Colonel Hans Landa is also in the running for a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Known as "The Jew Hunter," Landa likes to torture his victims psychologically before delivering the final killing blow. The opening sequence in "Inglourious Basterds," in which Landa calmly questions a dairy farmer, is both cunning and chilling.

Although "Inglourious Basterds" isn't quite strong enough for a Best Picture or Director nomination, Pitt definitely will be going head-to-head with George Clooney in the Best Actor category, and Waltz should be the front-runner for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. It will be interesting to see if the "Basterds" or the "road warrior" from "Up in the Air" comes out on top once the envelopes are opened.

Morgan Freeman in "Invictus"

Morgan Freeman turns in a top-notch performance as Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood's "Invictus," which is based on real-life events that took place after Mandela became president of South Africa. Mandela turned his own passion for sports into a way to bring all the people of South Africa together under one banner.

Freeman is a rare actor in that he is excellent in each of his films, and his portrayal of Mandela during "Invictus" is nothing short of amazing. Freeman captures the nuances of Mandela's speech and mannerisms perfectly, portraying him a leader that inspires trust in all people. Supported by Eastwood's direction and Matt Damon's performance as the captain of the South African rugby team, Freeman should lead "Invictus" to victory at the Oscars.

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"

In 2001, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added a category for "Best Animated Feature Film," with "Shrek" taking home the inaugural statuette that year. The animated dark horse for the 82^nd Annual Academy Awards is "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," one of the tastier submissions of 2009 and one that was overlooked during its initial theatrical release.

Based on the popular children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett, "Meatballs" tells the story of would-be inventor Flint Lockwood who creates a machine to end world hunger. Unfortunately, his device causes food to rain down from the sky, which soon becomes a threat to civilization.

Typically, animated features from Walt Disney or Pixar Studios have been the front runner in the Best Animated Feature Film Category, but with its eye-popping visual effects, Sony Pictures' "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" has an excellent chance of earning a Oscar nomination for 2009.

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. Pacific time in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Sources:

http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/about/history.html