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OSCAR WINNERS 2009

March 15th 2009 08:59

Category: No Category

The Academy has not disappointed this year with its occasionally offbeat choices, political stands, the obligatory glitz and glamour and the singing and dancing Hugh.

Hugh Jackman effortlessly steals the audiences' hearts at 2009 Academy Awards

Best Motion Picture of the Year Nominees:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
• Frost/Nixon (2008): Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
• Milk (2008): Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
• The Reader (2008): Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti, Redmond Morris
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Christian Colson

Prediction: Correct. This was a slam dunk.

Sean Penn plays it queer with bravado in Milk

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Nominees:

• Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007)
• Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)
• Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
• Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
• Sean Penn for Milk (2008)

Prediction: Miss. The biggest surprise of the evening was Sean Penn’s Oscar win. Mickey Rourke was robbed in professional terms, but this year the Academy decided to support gay rights, specifically gay marriage, plainly illustrating the cultural forces at play beneath the glitzy surface.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Nominees:

• Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
• Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
• Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
• Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)
• Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Prediction: Miss. After endless nominations for Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, Iris, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Little Children Kate finally hit the home run, ironically for a role arguably least memorable out of this line-up. One gets the feeling she was awarded as the most deserving overall, and not so much for The Reader. Another stand out performance in Revolutionary Road probably contributed as well.

Kate Winslet as a seductress in The Reader

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Nominees:

• Josh Brolin for Milk (2008)
• Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
• Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
• Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
• Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Prediction: correct. Another slam dunk. A class act by the Academy.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Nominees:

• Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
• Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
• Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
• Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
• Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)

Prediction: Correct. Penelope’s efforts in Hollywood couldn’t remain unrecognized for long, and this was one charismatic role. This way she and Javier Bardem can have a balanced mantelpiece set.

Best Achievement in Directing Nominees:

• Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
• Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
• David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
• Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
• Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008)

Prediction: Correct.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Nominees:

• Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
• Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
• In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
• Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
• WALL•E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon

Prediction: Correct.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Nominees:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
• Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley
• Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
• The Reader (2008): David Hare
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy

Prediction: Correct.

Best Achievement in Cinematography Nominees:

• Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
• The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister
• The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle

Prediction: Miss. Slumdog takes it all.

Best Achievement in Editing Nominees:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
• The Dark Knight (2008): Lee Smith
• Frost/Nixon (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
• Milk (2008): Elliot Graham
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Chris Dickens

Prediction: Correct. If an Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire doesn’t keep you at the edge of your seat, not much will.

Best Achievement in Art Direction Nominees:

• Changeling (2008): James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
• The Dark Knight (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
• The Duchess (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
• Revolutionary Road (2008): Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt

Prediction: Correct. If not completely successful on all levels, David Fincher’s film was an art director’s dream.

Best Achievement in Costume Design Nominees:

• Australia (2008): Catherine Martin
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Jacqueline West
• The Duchess (2008): Michael O'Connor
• Milk (2008): Danny Glicker
• Revolutionary Road (2008): Albert Wolsky

Prediction: Miss. We were rooting for Australia, but the big wigs took it away, as usual.

Best Achievement in Makeup Nominees:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom
• The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz

Prediction: Correct.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Nominees:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
• Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
• Milk (2008): Danny Elfman
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman
• WALL•E (2008): Thomas Newman

Prediciton: Correct.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Nominees:

• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Gulzar("Jai Ho")
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, ("O Saya")
• WALL•E (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman("Down to Earth")

Prediction: Miss.

Best Achievement in Visual Effects Nominees:

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron
• The Dark Knight (2008): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin
• Iron Man (2008): John Nelson, Ben Snow, Daniel Sudick, Shane Mahan

Prediction: Miss. Apparently the members of the Academy did think that turning Brad Pitt into a “garden gnome” (as pointedly referred to during the awards show) was worthy of gold. One hopes they were being a little ironic.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year Nominees:

• Bolt (2008): Chris Williams, Byron Howard
• Kung Fu Panda (2008): John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
• WALL•E (2008): Andrew Stanton

Prediction: Correct. Who doesn’t love little robots with big hearts?

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Nominees:

• Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
• Entre les murs (2008)(France)
• Revanche (2008)(Austria)
• Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
• Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)

Prediction: Miss. An obscure choice by the Academy, but this way maybe the film will receive a wider international distribution.

Best Documentary, Features Nominees:

• The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
• Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser
• The Garden (2008/I): Scott Hamilton Kennedy
• Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh, Simon Chinn
• Trouble the Water (2008): Tia Lessin, Carl Deal

Prediction: Correct.

Overall results: hits 12, misses 7, equals not too bad. We’re aiming to improve these ratios next year.