The Academy Awards are handed out the best in film on March 7 and as SheKnows sees it: Look for The Hurt Locker to dominate.
Sure, it was an Avatar year financially, but there was no other film that riveted audiences quite like Avatar director’s James Cameron‘s ex-wife did with her spellbinding The Hurt Locker.
Kathryn Bigelow directed a perfect film and also look for her to become the first female ever to win Best Director. Look for not only Bigelow to make history, but also her film. The Hurt Locker winning a Best Picture Oscar could also be Hollywood’s way of finally paying a powerful, riveting and almost too-real-life-like tribute to the American effort in Iraq.
Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, we present the SheKnows 2010 Oscar predictions.
Best motion picture of the year
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
Precious
Winner:The Hurt Locker
Why:The Hurt Locker will win based on the fact that 90-percent of the time, the person who wins the Best Director Oscar also takes Best Picture. With The Hurt Locker’s female director looking a lock to beat her ex-husband James Cameron of Avatar…count is in The Hurt Locker’s column. Plus, Hollywood has been trying to pay tribute to the Iraq War for years with nothing but failure. Look for Oscar to congratulate the first film to get it right.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart
George Clooney in Up in the Air
Colin Firth in A Single Man
Morgan Freeman in Invictus
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker
Winner: Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart
Why: After SheKnows called the Golden Globes Best Actor race for Jeff Bridges — and then he won — the actor shot to the top of the favored list. With the Golden Globe win in his pocket, look for Jeff Bridges, who has never won, to finally earn his first Academy Award.
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side
Helen Mirren in The Last Station
Carey Mulligan in An Education
Gabourey Sidibe in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia
Winner: Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side
Why: Bullock has never been nominated and Oscar history is littered with first-time nominees who took home the top prize. Given her adoration among Hollywood insiders and Meryl Streep’s many victories in this category, Bullock is a sure-thing.
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Matt Damon in Invictus
Woody Harrelson in The Messenger
Christopher Plummer in The Last Station
Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
Winner: Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
Why: Simply, among these nominees, the Austrian actor most dominated his film. Yes, he supported the entire cast, but in many ways, Inglourious Basterds was Christoph Waltz’s film.
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Penelope Cruz in Nine
Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air
Mo’Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Winner: Mo’Nique in Precious
Why: The Academy will want to pay tribute to Precious and what better way to salute an astounding and powerful film with awarding its most searing performance. Mo’Nique busted out of her comic reputation and secured a place among acting’s elite with her Precious performance.
Best animated feature film of the year
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up
Winner:Up
Why: Because Up will not win Best Picture and it is one of the best movies of the year.
Achievement in art direction
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria
Winner:Avatar
Why: Here we go, because Avatar is denied some victories in the major categories, look for the James Cameron box office smash to enjoy a slew of technical awards, art direction being one.
Achievement in cinematography
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon
Winner:The Hurt Locker
Why: Best Cinematography is certainly one of the most difficult categories of the evening to call. There are so many vast and exquisitely shot films that were nominated. The award could truly go to any single one. The Hurt Locker takes the Oscar because of the swelling support for the film as it makes a run at Best Picture.
Achievement in costume design
Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria
Winner:The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Why: Again, a difficult category, especially after SheKnows spoke exclusively to several of the nominees. Oscar loves to adorn period pieces with this award, so look for a The Young Victoria or Bright Star, yet with the soaring work the costume designer for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus had to do with the death of her star, Heath Ledger, and the ability to seamlessly capture director Terry Gilliam’s vision, look for the good Doctor to win this category.
Achievement in directing
Avatar, James Cameron
The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow
Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Lee Daniels
Up in the Air, Jason Reitman
Winner: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Why: Bigelow’s pacing and tenacity of spirit is unmatched amongst nominees that — if you think about it — include a few who share that power including Quentin Tarantino and James Cameron. At the end of the day, look for Bigelow’s big moment.
Best documentary feature
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home
Winner:Food, Inc
Why: Whether on Oprah or in the headlines, how we get our food is a hot topic and Hollywood loves nothing but a hot topic.
Best documentary short subject
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan, Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit a la Berlin
Winner:China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan, Province
Why:The Tears of Sichuan, Province is riveting in its ability to capture a tragedy on so many levels.
Achievement in film editing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Winner:The Hurt Locker
Why: This category tends to go with the Best Picture, Best Director winners and in this case, 2010 should be no different. The Hurt Locker could not have achieved its supersonic suspense without the sharpest of editors manning the editing bay.
Best foreign language film of the year
Ajami, Israel
El Secreto de Sus Ojos, Argentina
The Milk of Sorrow, Peru
Un Prophete, France
The White Ribbon, Germany
Winner:The White Ribbon, Germany
Why:The White Ribbon is an astounding film, as are all of the nominees on this list. What sets The White Ribbon apart is its heart and soul and how the German film has captured audiences’ hearts as well since its release. Plus, it’s time for the German cinema to rock the Oscars!
Achievement in makeup
Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria
Winner:Star Trek
Why:Avatar isn’t nominated.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
Avatar
Fantastic Mr Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up
Winner:The Hurt Locker
Why: Nothing enhances the suspense on screen quite as a tight score can achieve. The Hurt Locker had this going for the film as well. Pounding while simultaneously painting a picture of the Iraq landscape with music, The Hurt Locker’s score made Kathryn Bigelow triumph only more searing.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
Almost There from The Princess and the Frog
Down in New Orleans from The Princess and the Frog
Loin de Paname from Paris 36
Take It All from Nine
The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart) from Crazy Heart
Winner:The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)
Why: Lately, the Academy has moved passed their tendencies to give the Best Original Song award to a Disney movie. They have gotten edgy over the years including giving this trophy to rappers Three-6 Mafia. T-Bone Burnett has crafted many a terrific film soundtrack in his day (O Brother Where Art Thou anyone?) and look for Oscar to give him gold for putting the music in Jeff Bridges’ Crazy Heart.
Best animated short film
French Roast
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty Production
The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death
Winner:French Roast
Why: The film is delicious and the Academy adores short animated film such as French Roast.
Best live action short film
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants
Winner:Kavi
Why: It’s subject matter is pertinent to our time and if there’s another thing Oscar adores it is being timely.
Achievement in sound editing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up
Winner:Avatar
Why: Because Avatar is technically brilliant on so many levels, but also because its sound was revolutionary.
Achievement in sound mixing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Winner:Avatar
Why: See above!
Achievement in visual effects
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek
Winner:Avatar
Why: Being shut out of the major awards, again, Avatar will have to win the technical awards — particularly Best Visual Effects!
Adapted screenplay
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Up in the Air
Winner:Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Why: Taking the powerful work of Sapphire and bringing it to the screen was an incredible and daunting task. When Precious arrived on screens, it was clear that task became a triumph. Look for the award to go to a Precious screenplay.
Original screenplay
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up
Winner:Inglourious Basterds
Why: Since this award is about the words on page, the favorite has to be Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino previously won this award for Pulp Fiction. Best Picture favorite The Hurt Locker will suffer because of the film’s heavy reliance on non-spoken action that bristles with suspense.
Read on for more 2010 Oscars
Oscar nominations: Who was snubbed?
Oscar nominees react to the good news
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to host the Oscars
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