Oscar Nominations Announced!

Here is how I did with my predictions. Check out the complete list of nominations at http://oscar.go.com/nominations.


Best Actress - 4 out of 5

I missed Michelle Williams for "Blue Valentine." Very glad to see Michelle on the list!


Best Supporting Actress - 4 out of 5

I missed Hailee Steinfeld for "True Grit." Hailee's role is clearly the lead role in this film--her character is the narrator and appears in nearly every scene--but sometimes the Academy puts lead performances in the Supporting categories, especially when the performer is young. I do not approve of this practice. Harumph.


Best Actor - 4 out of 5

Here I missed Javier Bardem for "Biutiful." I haven't seen "Biutiful" yet--it will be released in San Francisco this coming weekend--but I love Javier, so I'm excited to see his performance.


Best Supporting Actor - 4 out of 5 (are you sensing a pattern?)

I'm thrilled to see John Hawkes on the list for his work in "Winter's Bone," though I didn't predict it. If you haven't seen "Winter's Bone," go find it as soon as possible!


Best Director - 4 out of 5

The Coen brothers made the cut for "True Grit," edging out Christopher Nolan for "Inception." I think this is a shame. "True Grit" is good but is perhaps the least interesting film the Coens have ever made, while "Inception" is something totally new and brilliant.


Best Picture - 9 out of 10

Here I'm very happy to see "Winter's Bone" instead of "The Town." While "The Town" is pretty good, "Winter's Bone" is excellent: deeply moving, great atmospherics, fascinating subject matter, and wonderful performances.


As for the other categories, I'm bummed that my favorite movie song of the year, "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from "Burlesque," has been left off the list of nominees for Best Original Song. Glad to see screenplay nominations for both "Winter's Bone" and the brilliant "Another Year."

Oscar Nominations - My Predictions!

We are fast approaching the announcement of the Academy Awards nominations for films from 2010. I'd like to give you my predictions as well as the ones I would nominate if I were in charge.


Best Actress

Predicted nominees:

* Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
* Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
* Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
* Natalie Portman, Black Swan
* Hilary Swank, Conviction

I would nominate:

* Isabelle Huppert, White Material
* Kim Hye-ja, Mother
* Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
* Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
* Leslie Manville, Another Year


Best Supporting Actress

Predicted nominees:

* Amy Adams, The Fighter
* Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
* Mila Kunis, Black Swan
* Melissa Leo, The Fighter
* Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

I would nominate:

* Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
* Ann Guilbert, Please Give
* Charlotte Rampling, Life During Wartime
* Imelda Staunton, Another Year
* Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom


Best Actor

Predicted nominees:

* Jeff Bridges, True Grit
* Robert Duvall, Get Low
* Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
* Colin Firth, The King's Speech
* James Franco, 127 Hours

I would nominate:

* Jim Carrey, I Love You Phillip Morris
* Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
* Colin Firth, The King's Speech
* James Franco, 127 Hours
* James Franco, Howl


Best Supporting Actor

Predicted nominees:

* Christian Bale, The Fighter
* Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
* Jeremy Renner, The Town
* Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
* Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

I would nominate:

* David Andrews, Fair Game
* John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
* Ciaran Hinds, Life During Wartime
* Pete Postlethwaite, The Town
* Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech


Best Director

Predicted nominees:

* Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
* David Fincher, The Social Network
* Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
* Christopher Nolan, Inception
* David O. Russell, The Fighter

I would nominate:

* Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
* Claire Denis, White Material
* David Fincher, The Social Network
* John Cameron Mitchell, Rabbit Hole
* Mike Leigh, Another Year


Best Picture

Predicted nominees:

* 127 Hours
* Black Swan
* The Fighter
* Inception
* The Kids Are All Right
* The King's Speech
* The Social Network
* The Town
* Toy Story 3
* True Grit

I would nominate:

* Blue Valentine
* The Kids Are All Right
* The King's Speech
* Life During Wartime
* Mother
* Please Give
* Rabbit Hole
* The Social Network
* White Material
* Winter's Bone


Check out my predictions for other categories, along with a bunch of fun facts and figures, at http://tinyurl.com/jeffsoscarnoms.

The nominations will be announced tomorrow morning (Tuesday, January 25) at 5:38am or so at http://oscars.go.com/.