Oscar Picks

With only, literally, a few more hours until The Academy Awards I will post my picks for the major categories - along with what I would pick and a little blurb about my choice/reasoning behind it.


I'll start where all movies start - the page:


Best Original Screenplay - My pick is Midnight in Paris & it's what I think will win. I loved this film, loved it, loved it, loved it. 


Best Adapted Screenplay - I believe The Descendants will win here, based entirely on what it has won up to this point - which is basically everything. As for my pick...I'm partial to Moneyball because of my love of baseball.


Moving on to the acting categories:


Best Supporting Actress - My pick and who I think will win is Octavia Spencer for The Help. She's great and steals every scene she's in.


Best Supporting Actor - My pick would be Nick Nolte in Warrior but I feel strongly that Christopher Plummer will win for Beginners. Plummer, while great, didn't match the emotional range Nolte found in Warrior - a truly underrated film.


Best Actress - This one is tough. A part of me wants to say Streep, because that's where the sentiment is leaning, but I'm not going to do that. I believe Viola Davis will win for The Help. Now, my pick, I go for Rooney Mara for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but you really can't pick a loser in this bunch (even though I believe Williams in My Week With  Marilyn is the weakest - she does a great impression/acting her Ms. Monroe but that was it to me).


Best Actor - I believe Jean Dujardin for The Artist will win. My pick is Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which is also a role that is largely silent and relies more on expression, but when Oldman speaks as Smiley - you pay attention to every single word.


The final two awards of the night:


Best Director - Based on what he's won leading up to this night I believe the winner will be Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist. My pick lies in two camps: Hugo and Midnight in Paris. Scorcese does a beautiful job with Hugo as does Allen for Midnight in Paris, but I am forced to choose one and I choose Woody Allen.


Best Picture - The Artist will win here, even though my pick is Midnight in Paris. There seems to be no stopping The Artist train, unless The Help pulls a Crash from 2005 and comes out of nowhere.