Yay, In Bruge for Best adapted screenplay!

go wall-e go!

I still think DiCaprio will make it to the final five come nominations. If I were choosing my top five, I simply couldn't write down Winslet without having DiCaprio there as well. He deserves it. I'd also be very happy if Michael Shannon got nominated.

Another snub for Jolie two years in a row after Golden Globe and SAG nods from both years? If that happens, it will definitely be a big slap in the face.

I have a feeling Kate Winslet will win one at the Oscars, whether it be supporting or lead actress. She's been nominated multiple times in the past and many voters I believe will take that into account and push them to finally pencil her in for a win. It will be kind of like a "lifetime achievement award" of sorts to honor her current works in The Reader and Revolutionary Road as well as her past nominated works that did not yield her an Oscar win.

i have a feel Kate will win Best Supporting Actress, and Jolie Anne Hathway will win Best Actress, Mickey rourke will win Best Actor, and Heath Ledger will win Best supporting Actor

Best Director goes to Danny Byle
Best Picture Gies to SlumdoG Millionaire
Best original Score goes to Changeling
Best adpted screenplay goes to SLUMDOG Millionaire

@Garrett: Ah, but will Leo DiCaprio have a massive tantrum and refuse to attend (again) if Kate gets an Oscar nom and he doesn't?!

I hope Angelina doesn't get the nod – Changeling was such a shameless look-at-me-I'm-acting Oscar bid and I'm wondering if the Academy voters are getting as sick of her media ubiquity as the rest of us.

I belive, whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you – stranger…. The best movie of decade, since 7. 10 Oscars

the dark knight baby i loved it!

I think there is a comparison to be made between Vicky Christina Barcelona and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

And I still think that Kristin Scott Thomas will win if she's nominated, but I wouldn't be surprised if she isn't nomnated.

If In Bruges doesn't get a screenplay nod I will be disappointed. It's such a strong script with amazing dramatic and hilarious dialogue. Then again, if I controlled the nominees, it'd be up for best picture, actor, and supporting actor too.

I believe that Winselt will win for supporting actress but I think Hathaway will win Actress. Her performance was just what the academy likes to honor. A woman with a strong role beyond her years. Complex yet heartwarming. Winslet was very good in both her performences this year, but I don't think her Revolutionary Road was better than Hathaway's in the eyes of intellegint oscar voting eyes.

I cannot take this list seriously if you still think the Dark Knight is a Top 5 contender for Best Picture. IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. Obviously Heath Ledger will be nominated and is a sure bet to win as well, and I do think that Chris Nolan has a legitimate shot at Best Director, but those will be the only non-technical awards for it. It will NOT get a Screenplay nom either, especially with the Reader and Revolutionary Road running around.

I believe The Dark Knight will likely get nominated for these awards:

-Best Director
-Best Supporting Actor
-Best Cinematography
-Best Film Editing
-Best Sound
-Best Sound Editing

Why are you so sure this will get a Best Pic nomination?

Putting Amy Adams ahead of Taraji P. Henson is not a wise move. Adam's performace was for me the thing that will hold back Doubt from a Best Picture nod. Henson was the main force in the Button opening act, and I believe the voters will choose her over Adams. A duel-acting nod is odd for the Oscars, and Viola Davis had more of an impact on the film than Adams did. It's gonna be like Highlander…THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!…and Davis has the edge, so sorry, but Ive got Taraji over Adams.

Sup. Actor looks a lot better, but Patel is gaining momentum in the latter of this season. It will be a duke out between Downey Jr, Shannon, and Patel, but Slumdog fever is VERY contageous this season, and the voters might have that influence to vote for Patel. I thought Patel was more of a lead, but his being in Slumdog will likely put him ahead of Shannon. I think Shannon has a chance, but he's gotta get through the Slumdog to get it…and that's not an easy task!

Actor is about right to me…but I think that Jenkins will be victorius over Pitt, although it will be close.

everything else looks great! thanks for the work you do, Brad!!!

You're taking Leonardo DiCaprio out as part of the final five? Nooooooooooo……..

No Colin for best supporting actor? AWWWW! If Angie wins for Changling i'll scream i thought it was rubbish. I don't think she's a strong actress at all. I don't know quite when there began a feeling that she was a great actress??? Her best role was in Girl Interrupted when she was playing an even more messed up version of herself so it wasn't that much of a challenge for her. Best part of Golden Globes 09 …. ( besides Colin and Bruce winning) 'Oh god, who's the other one' …. cut to Angie with a staged smile.I love it, made Winslets carry on bearable. Go Heath!!

In Bruges was one of the most under appreciated movies this year. Good for Colin to get the Globe though, and I'm all for an original screenplay nod.

Hey Brad, have you been hearing bad buzz for the "Rachel Getting Married" script recently? It seems like you've been dropping it a lot in your past couple of previews, which is too bad because I thought it was great–the rehearsal dinner scene was especially well-written

@Danny: It's not bad buzz as much as it's no buzz. When the film first came out the script was a huge topic, but it seems to have died off.

It is so horrible how the awards that matter most never get it right, from The Oscars, The Emmy's and even the Grammy's. The awards always go to the ones that got snubbed the year before or just because the name is great in the Academy. I wonder why Meryl Streep gets nominated so many times; for the Oscars, or Charlie Sheen, for the Emmy's. I'm not hating on them at all, they are both great actors and Two and a Half Men is a funny show and the movie Doubt looks great, but you can bet on no matter what movie she is in, she will be nominated, can I say The Devil Wears Prada. Jump to a new, superhero movies won't get acknowledged by the academy cause I don't know you tell me. X-Men United should of got some nominations and Spider-Man II as well, for more then just technical crap. A comic book is a book so is a novel, which they all get adapted into must of the time bad but when you do it just right you get the two titles above and the number one, The Dark Knight. If The Dark Knight doesn't get acknowledged that is just like not seeing The Lord of The Rings: Return of the King never getting nominated. Both movies deserved and deserve to be in cinema history winning the biggest award, The Oscar.

Here's what should happen

Best Picture:
Slumdog Millionaire- Winner
but The Dark Knight got nominatted

Best Actor:
Mickey Rourke- Winner
If Johnny Depp got nominated for his great performance as Jack Sparrow, then Robert Downey Jr. should get nominated for his break out performance as Tony Stark/Iron Man

Best Actress:
Kate Winslet- Winner

Best Director:
Chris Nolan- Winner
Slumdog gets Best Picture, so The Dark Knight gets Best Directing, they are both great films and both need to be recognized.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Dark Knight- Winner

Best Supporting Actor:
Heath Ledger- Of Course the Winner

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams- Doubt, just a brilliant actress

What will happen.

Best Picture:
Slumdog Millionaire- Winner
The Dark Knight not even nominated

Best Actor:
Mickey Rourke- Winner
Robert Downey not nominated

Best Actress:
Between Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet

Best Director:
Danny Boyle- Winner
Chris Nolan might get nominated but don't hold your breath with this Academy

Best Supporting Actor:
If it doesn't go to Heath Ledger then the Academy will get hit hard with negative talk and just be jerks, no one else was more deserving than Heath Ledger, Rest In Peace.
Since Robert Downey Jr. didn't get nominated for Iron Man, the Academy likes to give IOU'S to actors and he will get nominated for his work in Tropic Thunder.

Best Supporting Actress:
Between Amy Adams and Meryl Streep, just because you can't count her out for Momma Mia! haha.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Revolutionary Road- Winner
Slumdog Millionaire gets nominated, but not win, when it should and The Dark Knight won't even get nominated when obviously it should.

Melissa Leo should win the Best Actress Oscar for Frozen River. I'll be very pleasantly surprised, however, if she receives a nomination.

ok im a HUGE fan of Robert downey but he does not deserve to be nominated for Ironman. Yeah he was good in it but there wasn't anything original or surprising. Johnny Depp created a character from scratch and thus no other actor can be imagined in that role. Lots of actors could have been Ironman.

If The Dark Knight gets nominated I would bank on Boyle winning Best Director and The Dark Knight winning Best Picture just like Soderbergh/Gladiator. Best Picture is a popularity contest and The Dark Knight is the kind of public pleasing win that will make everybody happy. I love Boyle but it would be cool to see Nolan win like Peter Jackson/ROTK. Look out for Eastwood in the best Actor race too. Everybody loves that guy except Spike Lee.

Picture
The Dark Knight/Slumdog

Director
Boyle/Nolan

Actor
Eastwood/Rourke

Actress
Winslet

Supporting
Ledger and Cruz (Nobody wins ladies Oscars like Woody Allen)

You are so off here on some things, it's insane. First off Kate Winslet just won the critics choice award and golden globe for best supporting actress for The Reader, and it was for a reason. Her performance, supporting or not, in The Reader is the best dramatic performance, and just best performance by a female this year. And also the academy really wants to give her an oscar because she deserves it. Winslet doesn't deserve to win for Revolutionary Road, however, and shouldn't have won the second golden globe because that's a very incomplete film with somewhat incomplete characters.

Second, I loved Vicky Christina Barcelona, it's one of my 10-15 favorite films of the year, and I love woody, but that screenplay doesn't deserve best original screenplay when you have a great screenplay from Dustin Lance Black turned into a magical bio-pic and a masterful screenplay by Jenny Lumet. I even think Kaufman deserves a nomination more than Woody does, I'm in the semi minority of loving Synecdoche though. Oh, and also I hope Anne Hathaway wins the oscar for Rachel Getting Married because she's wonderfully flawed in that film and gives the most fulfilling and authentic female performance of the year.

You also have Frank Langella behind Eastwood, which is a joke. Don't get me wrong, I loved Eastwood, and he deserves a nomination, but there were three great performances this year, that in most other years could win an oscar. I think Rourke should and will win. I don't think Eric Roth deserves best adapted screenplay, but I do think David Fincher deserves best director. That film was amazing technically, and was very very god, but not great, and Slumdog deserves to win almost everything because it's my favorite film of the year.

Oh yeah, your not alone on Michael Shannon, He was absolutely spectacular in Revolutionary Road and deserves a nomination, but it doesn't matter because Heath is going to win the oscar., he had the best performance of the year.
Curious Case is not getting the buzz it was b4 b/c it really isn't great enough to win, but it's a good enough film and difficult great enough technical achievement for Fincher to win for best director. Brad Pitt doesn't deserve to get the fifth nomination, Richard Jenkins does, he was so good in The Visitor. Leo's performance wasn't bad in Revolutionary Road, it's just that everyone involved in the film misconceived the idea of the story and the characters before going into it. They had their independent hollywood minds going when they thought of their characters, but not the reality of normal people like the wheelers.

@coleen: True, True, you are correct, I was just throwing him in there because I was going off on the whole superhero films never get into the Oscars. Johnny Depp did deserve the nomination for that role because now we can't picture anyone else doing Jack Sparrow, you are right on that. Just like now I can't picture anyone being The Joker, with Heath Ledger's role.

@Burt Nelson: Of course, how could I forget Clint Eastwood, Yeah, he will be nominated as well. He totally flew over my head when I was writing my piece, since I was mainly focused on The Dark Knight's case. Now, I'm thinking Best Actor will either go to Clint or Mickey.

@Zack Solomon: Truth be told about Slumdog Millionaire, I think it deserves to win it all too, because I too loved the movie. Question for you. Where do you think The Dark Knight stands?

I just can not take a list seriously that still has Shannon listed. Whether he deserves it or not (and you may well end up being right), logic dictates a snub.

First of all, Let me just say that I love KAte Winslet and think that she is amazing, that being said, Kate Winselt's performace in Revolutionary Road was not all that, at least not enough for her to have beaten Streep and Hatahway. I have seen all three (Doubt, Rev Road, and Getting Married) and Hathaway's performance was the best out of them. Hawkins seems to be gaining momentum but I doubt she will win. Winslet 's GG win for the Reader was deserved but not for Best Actress and if she wins the Oscar for BEst Actress, it will be out of sympathy, but I highly doubt that experienced Academy voters will giver her both awards. Hathaway's performance needs to win Best Actress. It was sublime. Second would be the strong vertern work of Streep and then Winslet. Other predictions are: Picture-Slumdog, Actor-Penn, Supp. Actor-Ledger. Supp. Actress- Winslet.

I totally agree. My dad is an academy member and he took me to see most of the screenings. We both agreed that Hathaway's performance was too good not to win. The only thing that might hurt her is the fact that she is young and "isn't due". I know that the critics have a huge impact on the Academy voters. Everyday my Dad gets newsletters from the National Board of Review (which Hathaway won). The critics might not vote for the winners but they defanitly influence them. The nominations haven't come out yet, but my dad is planning on voting for her if she gets a bid and his other friends in the academy are split between her are Streep.

I love Kate, but I don't think she played this year well. The Reader is a lead Actress performance and she will win if she is nominated for it, but with her slanting for supporting, it will hurt her. The Academy will split their votes and she might walk away with lead actress in Revolutionary Road and nothing else. From the Academy voters I have talked to, they want her for the Reader in lead, but if the other half vote for her in Supporting, she won't have enough votes to qualify for either Actress catagories for the Reader. Poor Kate.

But I will say it again, my dad and his Academy friends are voting for Hathaway, so it will be interesting.

I think for the first time in a LONG time, there are a couple categories that are VERY competitive and very close. I think the lead actress is close between Winslet, Hathway and Streep. It will be interesting to see who snags the SAG award. I think "Bride Wars" and then her ditzy acceptance speech at the Critics Awards last week will turn off some Academey voters (like me). And again, though the talk/entertainment shows seemed to "love" Winslet's lengthy Golden Globes acceptance speeches, personally, her apology (?) and then "gather" comments after her best actress win came off as phoney and in my mind she went from contender to pretender. I really do not want to see her at the podium again. Anyone see Meryl Streep on "Oprah" on Tuesday?

finally they moved Robert Downey Jr back up into contention! but Heath Ledger all the way

Best Picture:
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor:
Sean Penn, Milk

Best Actress: Kate Winslet, Rev. Road

Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, Milk

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona

Best Original Screenplay: Milk

Best Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Feature: Space Chimps! …Just kidding. WALL-E

Now dont get me wrong,Brad,but do you really think Slumdog Millionaire will win best picture? I think Ben Button or TDK will win because they were most talked about for best pic. And dont even say rev road has a chance for best pic. Sam Mendes had his time with American Beauty.

I dont think Winslet should have won for rev road. The Reader she will probally win.

Best Pic:TDK/Ben Button
I really dont think Slumdog Millionaire should win, it was good but Ben Button and TDK are more deserving

Best Actor:Sean Penn/Mickey Rourke
Two amazing performances, but if it were up to me, I would pick Sean Penn over Mickey Rourke

Best Actress:Meryl Streep
Yeah I know Winslet won the GG, but Meryl delivers a interesting performance as a nun. But dont get rid of Hathaway yet, because shes right behind Streep, then is Winslet

Best Sup. Actor:Heath Ledger
Who else could win? Downey JR. if Heath doesn't win

Best Sup. Actress:Kate Winslet
I am not a fan but I cannot imagine her not winning anything after winning 2 Actress awards at the GG's

Best Director:Danny Boyle/David Fincher/Christopher Nolan
It is really hard to predict this award because I cannot imagine a man other than these 3 men winnng director this year. But I want Nolan.

Screenplays:No Comment

Score:TDK
Fine, maybe Slumdog Millionaire

Animated Feature:Walle
But if Walle gets a best pic nom then count on Kung Fu Panda will win

AGreed for Best Actress Mikey…Hathaway all the way

2009 predictions

These may be a little out there but the academy usually always has a few big surprises

Best Picture

The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
Milk
The Wrestler
Wall-E

Yes Benjamin Button is missing. But I think it is this year’s Dream Girls, a film that has only gotten its previous nominations from ridiculous hype. There are too many in the academy that will be disappointed by the film. The Wrestler, on the other hand is the real deal. No one who has seen it has been unmoved. WALLE is the animated film that can go the distance. It transcends its genre and more than any other Pixar film is being seen as a true work of art.

Best Director

Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler)
Gus Van Sant (Milk)
Arnaud Desplechin (A Christmas Tale)

Sorry, it’s not Fincher’s year. That was last year with Zodiac and the academy missed out. I still don’t see how he has a chance. Benjamin Button was too much of a mess for enough sympathy votes. It’s actually Boyle, Aronofsky, Nolan, and Van Sant’s year. They all turned out (what many agree) are their finest films to date. And I know Desplechin is an out there pick but those few who have seen A Christmas Tale will surely agree. It has topped an impressive amount of critics’ lists. There is usually a room for a great film that is ineligible for best Foreign film (Letters From Iwo Jima, Talk To Her, Amélie, Vera Drake, Pan’s Labyrinth, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, City of God, and Cache)

Original Screenplay

Charlie Kauffman (Synecdoche, New York)
Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
Roger Segal (The Wrestler)
Mike Leigh (Happy Go Lucky)

Woody Allen’s screenplay for Vicky Cristina Barcelona was a big disappointment to many (Narrator, anyone?). Much of the films success was due to the scenery and the outstanding work of the cast. Wall-E, of course, is a masterpiece, but with so little dialogue, it could easily be left out. It’s such a crowded category that The Coen Brothers (Burn after Reading), Arnaud Desplechin (A Christmas Tale), and Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) will be the unfortunate casualties. I think that Kauffman has just enough ardent supporters for Synecdoche, New York to get a nod. Unfortunately, Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir will be dismissed as a documentary screenplay. IT’S STILL A SCREENPLAY!!

Adapted Screenplay

Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Peter Morgan (Frost Nixon)
Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
John Patrick Stanley (Doubt)
Laurent Cantet (The Class)

Eric Roth’s script for Benjamin Button seems to be adapted more from his own Forrest Gump than F. Scott FitzGerald’s short story. The academy should see how much of a mess it really is. Being a weak category this year there shouldn’t be any surprises here other than Cantet’s The Class, which is a shoe in to win Best Foreign Film. It should garner enough love to go the extra mile.

Best Actor

Brendan Gleason (In Burge)
Sean Penn (Milk)
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Frank Langella (Frost Nixon)
Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)

I don’t see how Brad Pitt has gotten any buzz at all. Many are confusing his performance with the accomplishments of CGI and Makeup. And even awards shows are getting tired of Clint Eastwood. Dicaprio’s performance in Revolutionary Road was good but not good enough for another nod. This leaves a spot open for Benicio Del Toro for Che, but let’s be honest, a tiny fraction will muster up the nerve to sit through it. That’s why I think Gleason has a more that worthy shot (like Laura Linney last year). The fans of the film will try to get it nominated in any category they can and this seems the most likely one.

Best Actress

Meryl Streep (Doubt)
Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky)
Kirstin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You, So Long)
Melissa Leo (Frozen River)

Although Winslet won the Golden Globe, her chances at an Oscar nod are still slim. The main reason why she won is due to her multiple losses. The Globes wanted a Susan Lucci moment. Also Revolutionary Road’s buzz has dwindled significantly with mixed reviews and her performance in it has very little champions. Too bad Michele Williams will be overlooked simply because not enough have seen Wendy and Lucy. If Jolie gets a nod, it will not be for this year’s performance, but for last year’s.

Best Supporting Actor

Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Josh Brolin (Milk)
Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
Dev Petal (Slumdog Millionaire)
Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)

Another predictable race with the strong possibility of an omitted P.S. Hoffman. His performance may have been up to par with everyone else in the cast, except he has not had the praise. His previous nominations have mostly been part the Doubt Oscar train. Many academy members could just forget to include him. It seems that Michael Shannon has the better chance with his few fierily scenes in Revolutionary Road, that had everyone talking. Eddie Marsden (Happy Go Lucky) could also slide in, if only everyone didn’t focus on just Sally Hawkins.

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Viola Davis (Doubt)
Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
Rosemarie Dewitt (Rachel Getting Married)

The only real upset should be Dewitt, who has won almost every critics award, and has yet to be nominated for a major award (possibility of too many breakthroughs at one time). Her performance has plenty of ardent supporters who should secure the nod. The breakthrough performance that could get the boot is Taraj P. Henson, one of the few things good about Benjamin Button, may be deemed as too much of a stereotype by many.

My predictions are that Kte Winslet will win best Actress and Sean Peen will win Best Actor. Viola Davis and Heath Ledger will win supporting Oscars and the screenplay awards will go to Slumdog Millionaire and Milk. I'm still not sure about Picture and Director.

Best actor: mickey rourke. Sean Penn did gain an oscar few years ago and mickey totally deserves it after so many years doing rubbish…In my opinion his best film

Best actress: Meryl Streep 40%, Kristin Scott Tomas 20%, Kate Winslet 20%, Anne Hathaway 10%, Angelina Jolie 10%

Best supporting actress: Kate Winslet 100%

Best supporting actor: Without doubt Heath Ledger

Best picture: Well i would really want the Dark knight to win but as i see Slumdog Millionaire has better chances:/

Best Director: Christopher Nolan(if he will be nominated)

@mikey cylwer: Not a Kate Winslet fan? that comment made me forget everything else you said. She is one of the true talents in film today and The Reader was brilliant

@Zane: Listen, Kate Winslet will probally win for the reader, I just think that her for rev. road she didnt do an oscar worthy performance. Dont you think that rev. road felt incomplete and totally awkward? But the main argument of my article is slumdog millionaire not Kate Winslet. But im still not a huge fan.

MELLISA LEO deserves the oscar for best actress. She easily gave the best performance of the year. I predict a upset.

@Pamela: I agree, Melissa Leo definitly deserves to be nominated and win