It's Oscar Time!

The Academy Award nominees were announced today. 2008 was a tough movie year for me. There were a lot I wanted to see, but I had less time than ever for movie going. Consequently, I have seen very few of the nominated movies, which makes it a lot harder for me to predict the winners. But I'm still going to give it a go. Here's who I think will win, and who would win if I was the one and only judge:


Best Actor in a Lead Role:
WILL WIN - Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" - Oscar loves a comeback story, and Mickey Rourke is the big one this year. It doesn't hurt that he was - from what I hear - great in this part.
SHOULD WIN - Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - I haven't seen the movie, but it's on my list. I think it looks terrific. And Pitt deserves this after making it through three "Oceans" movies still smelling rosy!

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
WILL WIN - Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" - Even though Heath Ledger is the sentimental favorite, I think Hoffman's performance will win out.
SHOULD WIN - Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" - Downey's another survivor story. He had two big hits in 2008 (also "Iron Man"). And this is one category where a comedic actor has a shot.

Best Actress in a Lead Role:
WILL WIN - Kate Winslet in "The Reader" - You can't win em all, Meryl.
SHOULD WIN - I'm torn between Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married") and Angelina Jolie ("Changeling"). These two very different actresses are both worthy of the honor. One thing's certain: if Winslet wins, she may not want to be alone in the bathroom with Jolie (if you saw Angie at the Golden Globes while Winslet gushed, you know what I'm talking about!)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
WILL WIN - Viola Davis in "Doubt" - I've heard strong buzz about this actress, and Oscar seems to gravitate toward little known actresses in this category.
SHOULD WIN - Amy Adams in "Doubt" - I just love Amy Adams!


Best Animated Feature Film:
WILL WIN - WALL-E - I've actually seen this one! What a powerful, moving, incredible movie. I am now convinced that Pixar can do anything.
SHOULD WIN - WALL-E - I wish there could be a tie, because I loved "Kung Fu Panda" as well, but WALL-E is the clear winner.

Best Motion Picture:
WILL WIN - Slumdog Millionaire - Buzz, buzz, buzz. And everyone I know who's seen it has loved it. So there you go.
SHOULD WIN - Sadly, I have seen none of the nominated movies. But I love the premise of "Benjamin Button." And, being almost three hours long, it gives you great value: if you're going to pay $10 for admission, don't you want to stay in the theater as long as possible? Pass me the big bucket of popcorn!