Oscar Predictions

The 78th Academy Awards...

Who Will Win- *
Who Should Win- +

BEST PICTURE

Brokeback Mountain*

Capote

Crash+

Good Night, And Good Luck

Munich

Who Got Snubbed:
King Kong: It deserved more than a nomination. It deserved a win with its style, its emotion, its story, but must of all, it was the best time at the movies all year.

Cinderella Man: I knew it was a long shot, but I would have really enjoyed seeing the fantastic four up for another prize (Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Russell Crowe, and Akiva Goldsman)

A History of Violence: Not only one of the best reviewed movies of the year but it gives us stunning performances, an ingenious screenplay, and an ending that will literally blow you away.

Walk the Line: Apparently, the Golden Globes and audiences don’t seem to matter anymore.

Who Shouldn’t be There:
Munich: Sorry Steven, but you just are not worthy of any awards with this film. Your three hour long thriller should have been reduced to an hour and forty-five. End it Steven. Just end it.


BEST DIRECTOR
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain*+
Bennett Miller, Capote
Paul Haggis, Crash
George Clooney, Good Night and Good Luck
Steven Spielberg, Munich

Peter Jackson for “King Kong”: Jackson is a masterful storyteller. He respects the original film more than any other man. This should be his year like in 2003 with “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”

David Cronenberg for “A History of Violence”: Cronenberg gives us one of the most powerful films of the year. It will mess with your head and crush you when you least expect it. This is his baby.

BEST ACTOR
Philip S. Hoffman, Capote*+
Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
David Strathairn, Good Night, And Good Luck

Who Got Snubbed:
Russell Crowe in “Cinderella Man”: Maybe the Academy would have given him the nomination if it wasn’t for the incident over the summer. Come on, give the guy a break. His performance was sensational.

BEST ACTRESS
Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Keira Knightley, Pride and Prejudice
Charlize Theron, North Country
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line*+

Who got snubbed:
Joan Allen in “The Upside of Anger”: I loved her in this film. It reminded me so much of Diane Keaton in “Something’s Gotta Give”

Ziyi Zhang in “Memoirs of a Geisha”: She had to learn English and play woman with a different racial background.

Naomi Watts in “King Kong”: It’s the first time Watts has tackled this material and she gives a dead-on performance as Ann Darrow, Kong’s first and only love.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
George Clooney, Syriana
Matt Dillon, Crash
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man*+
Jake Gyllehnaal, Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt, A History of Violence

Who got Snubbed:
All five contenders deserve their nominations. All five contenders deserve a win.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Junebug
Catherine Keener, Capote
Frances McDormand, North Country
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener*
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain+

Who got snubbed:
The entire cast of “Crash”.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Crash*+
Good Night, And Good Luck
Match Point
The Squid and The Whale
Syriana

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Brokeback Mountain*+
Capote
The Constant Gardener
A History of Violence
Munich

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Howl's Moving Castle
Corpse Bride
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit*+

Each film in every category is a deserving nominee except one…the last hour of Munich. But with Steven Spielberg, anything can happen and that has been proven this year. But with this race heating up, it seems that each film could win. But right now, it seems that Brokeback Mountain is leading the charge. There were two kings of 2005: Kong and Clooney. Now it seems they will not rule at all at the Oscars.