Samantha and I love to argue about pop culture. One of our first fights was about whether or not Kingdom Come was a good comic book (years later, after Sam learned more about the DC Universe, she realized that it was a good comic). As long as I’ve known her, we’ve had some pretty epic debates from whether or not Batman Begins was a good film (I take the side that it isn’t, but I will concede that she is right in her reasoning for why I’m wrong), whether Mickey Rourke is talented or not (I suppose neither of us thinks he is particularly talented, but she vehemently despises him) and who is the worse actor; James Franco or Hayden Christensen?
With the coming of the 83rd annual Academy Awards, I have declared victory that James Franco is a better actor than Hayden Christensen now that Franco has been nominated for an Oscar, but Sam still battles me on this subject.
In the past, neither of us have been particularly interested in the Academy Awards, but this year, we’ve decided on solidifying our Oscar picks and I thought we’d share them with all of you.
Best Picture
Cody – King’s Speech – The Academy is notorious for picking pretentious British films as best picture, and they are also big fans of picking films that have just come out. I’ve got a feeling that this film will be the big winner in almost all categories.
Sam – Black Swan – While I love Aronofsky, and I hear this film is fantastic, I’m not sure if it can defeat the power of a pretentious British movie.
Best Director
Cody – Tom Hooper (King’s Speech) – See the reasons above.
Sam – David Fincher (Social Network) – I could honestly see Fincher taking the prize given the fast nature of Social Network, but I fear that the movie was almost too popular and I also worry that the Academy won’t take a film about Facebook seriously enough to give awards to it.
Best Leading Actress
Cody – Natalie Portman (Black Swan) – Portman has been a high-profile actress for some time now, and its about time for her to be recognized by the Academy. She is great in everything she does, but this movie should be the one that snags the award for her. I think the fact that she has so many movies coming out next year will only increase her chances of winning.
Sam – Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) – While I want Sam to be wrong on some of her picks, this is one that I hope she’s right on. As much as I am a Natalie Portman fan, I hope Lawrence gets the award.
Best Leading Actor
Cody – Colin Firth (King’s Speech) – I’ve honestly heard great things from his performance.
Sam – Jeff Bridges (True Grit) – While I would love for the Dude to win, he’s got too many strikes against him. First, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor last year for Crazy Heart. Second, he was in a remake (I know that I’ve argued that it isn’t a remake, but you know what I mean). Third, as good as he was in True Grit he wasn’t the best part, and the Academy will probably ignore his efforts.
Best Supporting Actress
Cody – Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) – I’m going to say it right now; she won’t win. I picked her because I want her to win, but she won’t. As great as she was in the film, the Academy doesn’t typically give the Oscar to child actresses. It’s not going to happen, but I want her to win.
Sam – Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom) – Sam said that she had heard really good things about it. I’ve heard nothing, but I’m willing to concede that Weaver has a better chance of winning than Steinfeld does.
Best Supporting Actor
Cody – Geoffrey Rush (King’s Speech) – From what I gather about King’s Speech its a bromance and if Colin Firth is going to win, then Rush is going to have to as well. Also, look at his competition in this category. Christian Bale for the Fighter doesn’t stand a chance. Jeremy Renner for the Town seems like the Academy is seriously grasping at straws. And Mark Ruffalo for the Kids Are All Right? The day Mark Ruffalo wins an Academy Award for anything, I will eat my socks (just in case he does win, I reserve the right to make any stipulations on how to prepare said socks).
Sam – John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone) – Again, I really hope it wins, but I doubt it.
While there are tons of other categories, none of them really matter in comparison to the big six. So, while we’re waiting for February 27th, where do you weigh in on this year’s Academy Awards?
I love John Hawkes, but I agree that he probably won’y win…ah well.
I’ve come to loath the academy awards over the years so I don’t care what movies win. I just like to watch movies I like. I haven’t found that the awards reveal the quality of an actor, film maker, or other role in a way that is meaningful to me. I don’t like to watch alot of movies which star Oscar winning actors. Doesn’t make them bad actors and likewise an Oscar also doesn’t mean an entertaining actor.
Call it picking a bone, I don’t agree that The King’s Speech is pretentious. It’s not the best movie I’ve seen all year, not with the way I judge movies anyway. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t powerful and, I feel, relevent. Its a very good movie and I’m glad to see it nominated for so much and even gladder that my fiance convinced me to see it.
Tad – I suppose “pretentious” isn’t really the word for it, but there is a certain degree of elegance and prestige about the film that sparkles above others. One strange way to think about it in my mind is a class war between “King’s Speech” and “Winter’s Bone.” Winter’s Bone by all accounts is a phenomenal film and unlike anything else I have ever seen. Yeah, it’s a drama, but its also noir and very true to how some families live in Missouri.
Maybe I’m biased.
I’m sure King’s Speech is a great film and when it wins, it will get everything it deserves, but when I say “pretentious” I guess what I really mean is “English” and is therefore going to win.
I’ve seen all the nominees for best picture and most of the nominees for best actor/actress. So here we go!
Best Picture – My pick: Black Swan. Who will win: King’s Speech. Black Swan made my top 5 of the year but I don’t think I would put it at number 1 it’s just better in my mind then the other nominees. King’s Speech will almost certainly win, with Social Network its only real competition.
Best Director – My pick: Aronofsky. Who will win: My guess is Fincher, but could easily be Hooper for King’s Speech.
Lead Actress – My pick and who will win – Portman. Her year, she’s got it.
Lead Actor – My pick and who will win – Colin Firth. It’s a tough field for actors this year but I think Firth will win out.
Supporting Actress – My pick: Hailee Steinfeld. Who will win: Melissa Leo in The Fighter. Jacki Weaver was great in Animal Kingdom as well but I doubt she will win.
Supporting Actor – My pick and who will win – Christian Bale for The Fighter. Bale does an amazing job in The Fighter and is the best thing about that movie (which is a pretty good movie to begin with).
Other categories of note:
Best Foreign Language Film – Dogtooth was probably my favorite movie of the year so I hope it wins.
Documentary – Here’s rooting for Exit Through the Gift Shop. Banksy is up for an Oscar!
Editing – 127 Hours should get it.
Original Song – None of Scott Pilgrim’s songs being nominated is a crime. Ditto for Visual Effects.
I know my pick won’t win, but i think Toy Story 3 should take home best picture. It won’t, but i rank it above the others.
Side question. Last year some of my co-workers complained that Up was nominated for both Best Picture and best animated picture, saying it should be one or the other. I defended this decision as it makes sense, even though it obviously means that by being nominated for best picture, it has already won best animated picture. Any thoughts on this subject?
also….how can she think Christensen is better than Franco? Christensen’s worst (Episode 3) is far worse than everyone’s worst.
my voting is based soley on not wanting cody to be right. ever.
also i would rather watch every hayden christensen film back to back then watch franco beg to be taken seriously as an actor. hayden knows he is a joke and franco keeps trying and that makes him a bigger joke to me.
I was rooting for “True Grit” to win best picture until I saw “The King’s Speech”. As much as I love “True Grit”, “The King’s Speech” is brilliant and deserves all the the awards it has been nominated for. Hailey Steinfeld deserves the Oscar for Best Leading Actress, but since she wasn’t nominated for that, I hope she wins Best Supporting Actress.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: King’s Speech could have easily been a BBC Masterpiece Theater presentation. It was NOT that great of a movie. What was great was Colin Firth’s acting in it, but the overall movie was bland, generic and uninspired. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it won Best Picture, but, I’m rooting for Social Network. Fincher made, in my opinion, a near perfect movie.