My Oscar Predictions

Animated Film of the Year

Persepolis (Sony Pictures Classics)
Ratatouille (Walt Disney)
Surf’s Up (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Ratatouille is cooking the competition, and that’s all I need to say.

Will Win: Ratatouille
Should Win: Ratatouille

Director of the Year

Julian Schnabel “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (Miramax/ Pathe Renn)
Jason Reitman “Juno” (A Mandate Pictures/ Mr. Mudd Production)
Tony Gilroy “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen “No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Paul Thomas Anderson “There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
The Coen brothers have the most impressive filmography of all the nominees, this year might be the year that their body of work is acknowledged. Tony Gilroy is talented, I remember him most for writing the “Bourne” movies, and critics say “Michael Clayton” was a masterpiece. Jason Reitman is creative and his “Juno” is the “little movie that could” of the year, but voters may feel that he is young and will have plenty more chances to be rewarded.

Will Win: The Coen Brothers
May Win: Paul Thomas Anderson
Should Win: The Coen Brothers
Missing from the Category: Ridley Scott

Best Picture

“Atonement”
“Juno”
“Michael Clayton”
“No Country for Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood”

This category makes me think about the year that “Saving Private Ryan”, “The Thin Red Line”, and “Shakespeare in Love” were among the nominees; it was 1998. All three were wonderful movies, and “Shakespeare in Love” was advertising around Oscar time on movie posters and writing, “make love, not war”. The Oscar voters love a good “love” movie, and “Atonement” is no exception to the rule.

Will Win: “Atonement”
May Win: “Michael Clayton”
Should Win: “Atonement”
Missing from the Category: “American Gangster”