{"id":3421,"date":"2010-03-03T13:52:50","date_gmt":"2010-03-03T13:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/idolchatter\/2010\/03\/academy-awards-predictions-201.html"},"modified":"2010-03-03T13:52:50","modified_gmt":"2010-03-03T13:52:50","slug":"academy-awards-predictions-201","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2010\/03\/academy-awards-predictions-201.html","title":{"rendered":"Academy Awards Predictions 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"merylstreeppic.jpg\"<\/span>
\nI don’t know why I like making my annual Oscar predictions <\/a>so much. Most years, including this one, it is blatantly obvious well in advance of Oscar night <\/a>who is the overwhelming favorite to win in all of the major categories. But maybe that is exactly why-even if we can’t actually sit through the long, long, long ceremony- movie buffs pay any attention at all to Oscar. It’s the one time each year we get to pretend we are all cinematic experts and our opinions actually matter.
\nSo if you need a little help with the Oscar betting pool at the office, or if you just want to see if your predictions are different than mine, read through my thoughts on several of the Oscar categories. (After that, be sure to go check out the Beliefnet Film Awards <\/a>and see who the winners are!)
\nBest Actress<\/strong>
\nThe nominees: Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”; Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”;Carey Mulligan, “An Education”; Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”; Meryl Streep, “Julie and Julia”
\nSandra and Meryl have been sharing the awards limelight this red carpet season. Both of their performances have humor and heart, but only one is considered a truly serious actress, so this category really is a toss-up.
\nWho should win:<\/em> Meryl Streep should win for once again creating a memorable characterization of a strong woman – this time as the feisty, iconic Julia Child.
\nWho will win:<\/em> Sandra Bullock will win because Oscar wants to not only acknowledge her, but all of us in mainstream America who adore her.
\nBest Actor<\/strong>
\nThe nominees: Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”; Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”; George Clooney, “Up in the Air”; Colin Firth, “A Single Man”; Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
\nThough many critics have heaped praise on Morgan Freeman for another commanding performance in “Invictus,” it has been Jeff Bridges who has been picking up most of the awards while Colin Firth has been doing the talk show circuit trying to get anyone to notice his performance in “A Single Man.”
\nWho should win:<\/em> Colin Firth should win because the man is underrated as an actor and it’s time to give Mr. Darcy a little respect.
\nWho will win: <\/em>Jeff Bridges wll win because he has had a long, wonderful, yet Oscarless career and Oscar loves to give Hollywood royalty his or her due.<\/p>\n


\nBest Supporting Actress<\/strong>
\nThe nominees: Penelope Cruz, “Nine”; Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”; Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart”; Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”; Mo’nique, “Precious”
\nHistorically speaking, this award always goes to a fresh-faced newcomer. I am not sure Mo’nique fits that description exactly. Still, Mo’nique has won many of the big awards coming into Oscar night so she would seem to be the favorite. However, I predict an upset. I think Oscar will go with someone who hasn’t won, but is still an ing\u00e9nue with a potentially long, illustrious career.
\nWho should win:<\/em> Maggie Gyllenhaal should win for making the most of not that exciting of a role as a single mom in love with the wrong guy.
\nWho will win:<\/em> Maggie Gyllenhaal will win because she is an indie film queen goddess and has quietly been gathering support , I think, for her performance.
\nBest Supporting Actor<\/strong>
\nThe nominees: Matt Damon, “Invictus”; Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”; Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”; Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”; Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
\nThis category has actually been kind of a snoozefest, to be perfectly honest. No one seems to be noticing Damon’s or Harrelson’s fine performances, but then again, how people had even heard<\/em> of Christoph Waltz before Tarantino put him in his movie?
\nWho should win: <\/em>Christopher Plummer should win, well, because he is Christopher Plummer, and is magnificent in all of his movies – even ones like this that no one saw.
\nWho will win:<\/em> Christoph Waltz has won all of the awards this season, so it would seem he would be a slam dunk in this category.
\nBest Director<\/strong>
\nThe nominees: James Cameron, “Avatar” ;Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker” ; Quentin Tarantino ,”Inglourious Basterds” ; Lee Daniels, “Precious”; Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
\nI am sure both Quentin Tarantino and Jason Reitman will win Oscars eventually, but this year they find their movies up against a critical darling in Kathryn Bigelow and a special effects genius in James Cameron, so Quentin and Jason will have to wait.
\nWho should win:<\/em> Kathryn Bigelow should win for creating a suspenseful, fresh war movie on an indie-sized budget and will now become the first female director to win an Oscar.
\nWho will win:<\/em> Kathryn Bigelow will win because even fellow nominee and ex-husband James Cameron says she deserves to win. Now that’s what I call support.
\nBest Picture<\/strong>
\nThe nominees: “Avatar”; “The Blind Side”;”District 9″; “An Education” ; “The Hurt Locker” ; “Inglourious Basterds”; “Precious”; “A Serious Man”;”Up”; “Up in the Air”
\nOscar decided to switch things up and change the rules allowing a whopping ten movies to be nominated in the Best Picture field. The idea was to make this category more interesting and accessible to the average moviegoer, but I don’t think that worked. I think it simply confused the voting process while still leaving the important, artsy films on top.
\nWho should win:<\/em> Well, in an overcrowded category, my sentimental favorite has to be the animated picture “Up,” which will win for Best Animated Feature.
\nWho will win: <\/em> It could be an upset with “Avatar” winning, but I still think it will be “The Hurt Locker” because it is a movie about an important social issue and Hollywood rarely gives an Oscar to special effects movies like “Avatar.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here are my annual predictions for who will win Oscar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","category-movies"],"yoast_head":"\nAcademy Awards Predictions 2010<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2010\/03\/academy-awards-predictions-201.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Academy Awards Predictions 2010\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Here are my annual predictions for who will win 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