And The Award Goes To...

Each year I sit, glued to the television, ballot in hand, ready and excited to watch the Academy Awards. Of course I tune in for the red carpet shows, I drool over the fashion, and wonder what it would be like to walk that infamous line of photographers, reporters, and nosy paparazzi.

But, what really matters, what keeps me coming back year after year, isn’t the Harry Winston diamonds, or the Ralph Lauren gowns, it is the talent and passion that can be seen from every nominee gathered together in the Kodak Theatre.

As is my tradition, I make my annual predictions. Sometimes I’m right, there are many times I have no real idea, but the fun of it never fades. So, as the countdown is on, here are my picks for this year’s “Big Five”.

Nominees: Best Actor, Leading:
Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor”
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon”
Sean Penn in “Milk”
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler”

My Pick: Mickey Rourke, hands down. This role was a total comeback for him. It was a chance to prove just what he was made of, and allowed him the opportunity to portray a character that moved me to tears.


Nominees: Best Actor, Supporting
Josh Brolin in “Milk”
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder”
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt”
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight”
Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road”


My Pick: This isn’t a tough one; Heath Ledger should walk away with the little gold man. Anyone who has seen this movie will agree that Ledger brought something to the screen in his portrayal as the Joker that will never be topped. It will be a bittersweet moment if his name is called, I’m sure there won’t be a dry eye in the house.

Nominees: Best Actress, Leading
Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married”
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling”
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River”
Meryl Streep in “Doubt”
Kate Winslet in “The Reader”

My Pick: Wow, this one is hard to predict. There are some really amazing actresses in this category, ones who are not strangers to the Academy Awards stage. You have Meryl Streep who is enjoying her 15th nomination (two wins), Kate Winslet who has six nominations under her belt, Angelina Jolie with her second, and Anne Hathaway with her very first. They’re all great in their own respect, but since I can only pick just one, I will have to say that Kate Winslet will walk away with the Oscar. Though I really love Anne Hathaway, I believe she isn’t seasoned enough to leave names like Streep, Jolie, or Winslet in her dust.

Nominees: Best Actress, Supporting
Amy Adams in “Doubt”
Penelope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Viola Davis in "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler”

My Pick: I’m going back and forth between the aging and past her prime stripper and the woman who made famous the line “It’s hard out here for a pimp”. Though Taraji P. Henson, who played a pimp’s caretaker in Hustle and Flow, gave a surprising and on-the-mark performance in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” my money (if I had any to put down) is on Marisa Tomei. Aside from the fact that she looks amazing naked, and had the courage to bare it all at 45, she really made the audience connect with her character. When all was said and done I felt that we got a sense of what life would be like if you were stripping at that stage in life.

Nominees: Best Picture
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Milk”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

My Pick: Though my prediction isn't surprising to anyone following the award buzz, I would like to take a moment to say “The Wrestler” really should have been given more consideration. Though it hasn’t garnered the press the other films in this category received, it left me feeling for the character, and crying long after the last scene went black. When this happens I realize why it is I love watching a great movie.

However, my pick for Best Picture is...
What a surprise, Slumdog Millionaire is goin’ for gold! This film was the greatest I have seen in a long time, the total package. It had awesome cinematography, believable characters, a touching plot line, and a soundtrack that really suited the mood of the film.

Though you may just be interested in the celebrity faces and who they are wearing, I hope that you tune into the 81st Annual Academy Awards to see if my predictions were correct. Go ahead; make a few of your own!