I would have a new respect for the Oscars if Benjamin Button won best picture, upsetting Slumdog. It was way way better!

Well, ADU, though i agree that benjamin button was a great movie, slumdog was much more original film with much more surprising performances and direction. I personally would rather see this little film take home the oscar than to put brad pitt in another spotlight.

I think the Globes were close to perfect and 'audience friendly' films were recognized as opposed to films like Doubt which most of us wouldn't have seen..im absolutely thrilled for Kate Winslet..but i dont think she'll win the Oscar for Best Actress maybe the supporting one*fingers crossed*..i hope Benjamin Button wins something too..it was an excellent film.

I hope Benjamin Button doesn't win Best Picture. The movie was good; however, it is only being considered as an Academy-worthy film because its an epic tale of love, loss & it stars two of Hollywood's most-loved stars: Brad Pitt & Cate Blanchett. I just wasn't that impressed with it. Zodiac, Fight Club, Se7en – these are David Fincher's finest films – NOT Benjamin Button.

To me, no film was better or more arresting than the emotional rollarcoaster that is Revolutionary Road. The perf. by Winslet and DiCaprio are forces to be reckoned with – it was the finest crafted film I've seen this year. My runner-up is, without a doubt, Gran Torino.

I think Mickey Rourke will and should win Best Actor; however, Clint Eastwood is not far behind – his performance was outstanding (continuing to amaze me at 70+).

Although there's that 70.8% Globe-to-Oscar win percentage, I think it's still worth pointing out that the last movie to win Best Picture at the Globes and the Oscars was Return of the King back in 2003.

Kate Winslet has an EXTREMELY good chance of winning Best Actress, especially when you look at Oscar politics.

Firstly, once you win an award in one category, it is a whole lot harder to win that same award again. Thus, Meryl Streep has only won two awards, despite her oodles of nominations: one Best Supporting Actress and one Best Actress. I wonder if she'll ever win again. It's almost obligatory that she be nominated every other year, but I won't be placing huge money on another win.

Secondly, if an actor/actress has been nominated quite a few times for some really great performance, but still hasn't won the Oscar, the Academy will feel like they need to reward that actor/actress. This often means that an actor/actress (or even a director) will win the Oscar for a work that clearly isn't his/her best or most memorable. See Ellen Burstyn's win for "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," following nominations for "The Last Picture Show" and "The Exorcist" and preceding "Requiem for a Dream." Kate Winslet falls into this category: she has gotten five nominations for five fantastic performances, and she still hasn't won. The Academy feels that it's high time they give her an award, and soon. I think this might be the year. I'm not sure if she'll also get Best Supporting Actress as well, but I'd be willing to wager a little something on her winning Best Actress.

As for Anne Hathaway, she will most likely get nominated. I wouldn't mind if she won over Kate Winslet. While I do so love Kate Winslet extremely much, I am positive she will be able to turn out another award-worthy performance if she doesn't win this go-round. However, I also love Anne Hathaway, and while she's a great actress, she often tends to lean towards the softer comedy roles ("Devil Wears Prada" "Get Smart") that do not promise another Oscar chance in the near future. But I do not think Anne Hathaway will win this one. Keep our fingers crossed that she finds another Oscar-worthy role in the future! (Her two upcoming roles won't be contenders, even if she's great in them.)

Slumdog is really going towards the big "O" win! It is unstoppable. I still believe that the OSCARS will go for Benjamin Button or MILK. I really need to see the SAG Awards. This will really firm up my predix for the OSCAR Awards.

Kate's win last nite opened the race for Best Actress again. But I strongly believe this is Meryl's year to win. Being nominated for 15 times is enough torture for her! it is not an obligation to the critics or the academy but she did a very good job in Doubt.

Best Actor is still is Sean Penn, Supporting Actor is Heath Ledger and Sup. Actress is Kate Winslet (The Reader). I will still place my bet to: ACTRESS: Meryl Streep.

Slumdog Millionaire sucked! i hated it so fucking much, a kid competes on a game show and is suspected of cheating. WOW big woop. i dont care if everyone else liked it it was horrible. I belive it's down to Ben Button and The Dark Knight

as to the lead actor and lead actress comparison, the percentages 62% and 79.1% respectively would be much lower if we consider the fact that the golden globes separate the categories between drama and comedy/musical with a regular 5 (sometimes 6) nominations under each while the oscars does not.

thus, if 2 of 10 nominees for lead actor and lead actress in the golden globes win, how many of them go on to bag the oscars?

@Quake82: I think Zodiac will play into things though. I feel like the Academy tends to be a little after the fact; they reward the track record not the instance.

I hope Winslet sweeps the Oscars. This is based on nothing else other than the fact that I love her, and I think she is one of the best actresses of this generation. Hands down. And it's time she won one. Or two.

I still want to see Kate take a double win. But there is another woman who take home her first nomination til twenty years ago, she holds the record of most nominations, the academy wants to give her now that important third oscar, because she is in the same place with Ingrid Bergman, Kate Hepburn and Jack Nicholson – shes that kind of star. Maybe Winslet has a better chance for her role as Hanna Schmitz, Penelope and Viola are perfect in their roles but haven´t that body of work like Winslet. And Anne Hathaway should be happy with her deserved nomination.

I wish Rob Downey Jnr. gets the joint oscar award with Heath coz he really deserve an OScar…