Oscar Predictions

I'm just not feeling it this year. I don't watch the Oscars any more. I don't like to subject the kids to it. I mean, it's right after the Olympics, and nearly as long.

But I'm gonna take some WAGs here on who's gonna take home the gold.

Best Picture: Avatar

It doesn't make a lick of sense, but then Titanic beat out Life Is Beautiful, L.A. Confidential, Boogie Nights, uh...Men In Black...actually, '97 was a pretty crappy year. But I don't think the Academy can give the award to what is, essentially, a pro-troop movie. Bigelow tried to make their service more a compulsion than a duty, though, so it's possible. Precious, maybe, could get it.

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges

Morgan Freeman could win, of course. He always has a chance, even in years where he's not nominated or hasn't been in a movie. But Bridges doesn't have one, he did great (as always), and it's the sort of role the Academy likes to reward.

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock

I'm way shaky on this. Sandra played a rich, white (duh) Republican. Can they really let her win over Gabourey Sidibe? My only real thought there is "Gabourey Sidibe who?" So, maybe.

Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer

What the supporting award was made for: Slipping Oscars to old guys you might be embarrassed of not having awarded when you die (See Palance, Jack and Landau, Martin.) Stanley Tucci will get one eventually. Chris Waltz probably deserves it the most for being the only non-boring part of Inglorious Basterds.

Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique

Supporting Actress has been a ghetto for black actresses since Hattie McDaniel. Plus, no comedies have been nominated. Actually, no comedies have been nominated anywhere this year, except for kid movies.

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow

This is a total WAG. Tarantino and Cameron already have awards. Bigelow doesn't quite have the pedigree, I think, which makes me hesitate. But can they really give the award to Reitman. He probably is the best director out of the bunch, but that seldom actually matters.

No clue about screenplay. Should be the Coens, though. Avatar will pick up Cinematography, Editing and Art Direction.

Meh. I'm filled with...lack of interest. You?

UPDATE: OK, nine predictions, and I missed Best Picture and Editing (The Hurt Locker), supporting actor (Waltz of Basterds). Six out of nine is not really good. I probably could've guessed The Cove would win, muckraking as it is. And I maybe could've guessed Crazy Heart's "Weary Kind" would've won a song just by eliminating Randy Newman who had two of the other nominations.

But I couldn't have cared much more. Let's have some better films this year, H-wood.