Final Oscar Predictions

The time has come. The Oscars are mere days away, and we have finally assembled our predictions for the likely winners to be announced this Sunday. Unlike last year, many of the top races are still wide open, and there are many opportunities for upsets and surprises. Without further ado, here we go!


BEST PICTURE

The steam has continued throughout awards season, and The Artist faces virtually no competition for the top prize. There is almost no possibility for an upset at this point.

1. The Artist
2. Hugo
3. The Descendants
4. Moneyball
5. Midnight In Paris
6. The Help
7. The Tree of Life
8. War Horse
9. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

BEST DIRECTOR

As we learned last year with Tom Hooper's final victory, it is futile to predict against the DGA Awards, in this case the winner being Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist. If The Tree of Life would have had a stronger showing in nominations, perhaps Terrence Malick could have pulled in a surprise.

1. Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
2. Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
3. Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life)
4. Woody Allen (Midnight In Paris)
5. Alexander Payne (The Descendants)

BEST ACTOR

This could be one of the closest races of the night. Coming up to the awards season, George Clooney was the clear frontrunner with Brad Pitt serving as a possible upset. However, with the recent awards given by BAFTA and SAG, Jean Dujardin seems poised for a well-deserved win.

1. Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
2. George Clooney (The Descendants)
3. Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
4. Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
5. Demian Bichir (A Better Life)

BEST ACTRESS

Is there a chance for Meryl Streep to FINALLY win her coveted third Oscar? Perhaps, but the chances are slimming with each day as Viola Davis inches closer to becoming only the second black Best Actress winner in history - and a well-deserved win it would be, too. Interesting fact, Viola Davis is only the second black actress to receive a second Academy Award nomination (the first being for Doubt). The other woman to accomplish this was Whoopi Goldberg, who won on her second nomination for Ghost.

1. Viola Davis (The Help)
2. Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
3. Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
4. Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn)
5. Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christopher Plummer has locked himself in for the win, which will be his first Oscar win in his illustrious career. Out of all the acting categories, this is perhaps the most locked. Max Von Sydow could provide an upset (interestingly, both men are 82 and would become the oldest acting winners in history), but his lack of other nominations suggests otherwise.

1. Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
2. Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
3. Kenneth Branagh (My Week With Marilyn)
4. Nick Nolte (Warrior)
5. Jonah Hill (Moneyball)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Octavia Spencer has won a slew of awards and is the technical lock. However, depending on the support for The Artist, Berenice Bejo could be swept in and win in an Oscar upset. The same could be said for Melissa McCarthy, winning for a comic turn a la My Cousin Vinny. The problem is (like so many other dark horses) is the fact that they have all failed to win any major precursors. Thus, Spencer is our winner.

1. Octavia Spencer (The Help)
2. Berenice Bejo (The Artist)
3. Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
4. Jessica Chastain (The Help)
5. Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Probably the toughest category to call, as a case could be made for virtually every nominee. Woody Allen has won this award every time the film has also been nominated for Best Picture (Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, etc), so should we bet on him? Then again, the Artist is the Best Picture winner, thus is it the presumed front-runner? Or will they truly pick the 'best' and award A Separation? Any of the top three are viable contenders, but Woody should be the safest bet.

1. Midnight In Paris
2. The Artist
3. A Separation
4. Bridesmaids
5. Margin Call

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Again, there is a two, potentially three-horse race in this category, with The Descendants, Moneyball, and perhaps Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy standing to be the victor. As praised as the Moneyball script was, The Descendants won the Writer's Guild Award, thus boosting it to a frontrunner status. Either could still win and as of now it's an incredibly close call.

1. The Descendants
2. Moneyball
3. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
4. Hugo
5. The Ides of March

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Rango. Case closed.

1. Rango
2. A Cat In Paris
3. Puss In Boots
4. Kung Fu Panda 2
5. Chico & Rita

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

A Separation currently sits on rottentomatoes with a perfect 100% score. It is also the only other foreign nominee with an additional Oscar nomination (for the screenplay). Then again, the Academy sure loves the Holocaust subject matter as seen in In Darkness...

1. A Separation
2. In Darkness
3. Footnote
4. Bullhead
5. Monsieur Lazhar

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

At long last, Emmanuel Lubezki will win his much-deserved Oscar for the absolute best photographed film of the year. There is no chance of upset here.

1. The Tree of Life
2. War Horse
3. Hugo
4. The Artist
5. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

BEST EDITING

Best Picture and Best Editing usually align, so by process of elimination The Artist should be our winner. All of the nominees would be deserving, but no film seems to stand a chance in this category.

1. The Artist
2. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
3. Moneyball
4. Hugo
5. The Descendants

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Interesting fact-ever since this category's creation, the best picture nominee of the group always wins. Always. That bodes well for Hugo, but the clear love for Apes leads many to believe otherwise. After all, Weta Digital is the juggernaut in this category... Hugo's win at the guild awards, however, makes it a fairly clear pick.

1. Hugo
2. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
5. Real Steel

BEST ART DIRECTION

Bigger is usually better, and with Hugo's elaborate train station set alone, this category seems all locked up.

1. Hugo
2. The Artist
3. War Horse
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
5. Midnight In Paris

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

As we have seen from past winners, the Academy doesn't care about the quality of the film here, just how many goddamned frills they can fit on a costume (i.e. Elizabeth The Golden Age). So, could W.E. win the category, after recently taking the Costume Designers Guild Award, or Anonymous? (what movie was that again?) Jane Eyre seems like the next best bet after The Artist, which has picked up awards from many major groups already. It's anyone's guess, though.

1. The Artist
2. Jane Eyre
3. W.E.
4. Hugo
5. Anonymous

BEST MAKEUP

This category seems like the only viable chance Harry Potter has at winning an Oscar (for any of the 8 films). However, it has never received a makeup nomination before and there's nothing too different in this film. Albert Nobbs is too subtle and not the type the Academy usually rewards. The Iron Lady is the only clear winner, as it transformed Meryl Streep into a believable elderly woman very much like past makeup winner La Vie En Rose did for Marion Cotillard.

1. The Iron Lady
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
3. Albert Nobbs

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

For a silent movie, music is everything, and for The Artist, its score was one of its shining aspects. John WIlliam's two nominations will cancel each other out, and not much has been said about Tinker Tailor or Hugo in terms of musical aesthetic.

1. The Artist
2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
3. War Horse
4. Hugo
5. The Adventures of Tintin

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

This category truly needs to be eliminated or seriously reformatted. Out of all the songs from this past year, these are two of the weakest. Muppets wins or this category simply loses all respect. Listen to 'Real In Rio' and you'll understand the frustration.

1. 'Man or Muppet' (The Muppets)
2. 'Real In Rio' (Rio)

BEST SOUND MIXING

Hugo has won key sound awards this season, thus it seems like the logical choice.

1. Hugo
2. War Horse
3. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
4. Moneyball
5. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

BEST SOUND EDITING

Hugo again, but any of the top three could be victorious.

1. Hugo
2. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
3. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
4. Drive
5. War Horse

BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

After Project Nim's shocking omission, this category was thrown into the air slightly. Pina has been praised for its unconventional documentary style and 3D, but Undefeated has Weinstein support and a feel-good attitude. Then again, Paradise Lost 3 could prove to be a bigger contender.

1. Undefeated
2. Pina
3. Paradise Lost 3
4. Hell and Back Again
5. If a Tree Falls

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

1. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
2. La Luna
3. A Morning Stroll
4. Dimanche
5. Wild Life

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

1. The Shore
2. Pentecost
3. Tuba Atlantic
4. Raju
5. Time Freak

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

1. The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
2. Saving Face
3. God is the Bigger Elvis
4. Incident In New Baghdad
5. The Barber of Birmingham