Pick Yer Horses

This is it. No more analysis. No more oddsmaking. Just my predictions for the winners of twelve big categories for this year’s Academy Awards. And now it’s time for you to make yours. As stated earlier, however, anyone who attends SMCA currently is welcome to attempt predictions. For the winner, the one who out-predicts me by the largest margin, your prize will be a collection of candy, other prizes, and one Academy Award-winning film, one that will be a personal favorite of mine.

Here’s how it’ll work. In the comments section of this post on Facebook (and only Facebook), you all will put, in the same order I use here, your twelve predicted winners for Oscar night. Not who you want to win; who you truly believe will walk away with the gold. Your first entry is your only entry; you cannot change after you’ve predicted. To win, you must out-predict me.

With all that said, let’s get started!

Best Actor
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Will Win: Sean Penn, Milk

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Will Win: Meryl Streep, Doubt

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Will Win: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Will Win: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Original Screenplay
WALL-E, Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter
Happy-Go-Lucky, Mike Leigh
Frozen River, Courtney Hunt
In Bruges, Martin McDonagh
Milk, Dustin Lance Black

Will Win: Dustin Lance Black, Milk

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
Frost/Nixon, Peter Morgan
The Reader, David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire, Simon Beaufoy
Doubt, John Patrick Shanley

Will Win: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Song
"Down to Earth" from WALL-E, Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman (music), Peter Gabriel (lyrics)
"Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire, A. R. Rahman (music), Gulzar (lyrics)
"O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire, A. R. Rahman and M.I.A.

Will Win: “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman (music), Gulzar (lyrics)

Best Foreign Language Film
Revanche (Austria)
The Class (France)
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
Departures (Japan)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

Will Win: Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

Will Win: WALL-E

Best Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Alexandre Desplat
Defiance, James Newton Howard
Milk, Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire, A. R. Rahman
WALL-E, Thomas Newman

Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman

Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk

Will Win: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire

Accepting your picks now! Good luck!