The biggest movie event of the year, eh? We’ll just see when the ratings come in.
As printed in the Lumberjack on Feb. 19, 2009
by Gary Sundt
I am slightly irritated with the Academy Awards this year. You see, dear reader, the best film of 2009 was snubbed in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score. I am speaking, of course, of The Dark Knight. As such, I still feel my predictions will hold water come Feb. 22, but know that these are not all of my own personal picks. Because my picks revolve around The Dark Knight.
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire, because if Batman can’t win an Academy Award for Best Picture, then the second-best live-action film of the year will do. And the award is certainly not unwarranted. The rags-to-rupees story won the hearts of critics and audiences around the world. Also of note: the little kids are the best child actors I’ve ever seen, and people like kids who can actually act.
Best Director: This will be another win for Slumdog Millionaire. Danny Boyle is a remarkable director, and he has made several films that should have won more awards than they did (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Sunshine immediately pop into my mind). It is unfortunate, however, that movie buffs will regard this award for the rest of time as the one that should have gone to Christopher Nolan, but the Academy just had to snub The Dark Knight… OK, last time. I promise.
Best Actor: I want to say it’ll be Mickey Rourke for his outstanding performance in The Wrestler. It’s truly the performance of his career. Unfortunately, the Academy likes the hell out of Sean Penn, and his work in Milk is pretty stellar. So, I’m saying this is a toss-up, but I want to give it to Rourke, because a man’s gotta dream.
Best Actress: This award should go to Meryl Streep in Doubt. Seriously. I know Kate Winslet’s performance in The Reader is good, and I know she’s gone 0-5 in Academy Award nominations. But I think this should go to Streep, because she is simply electrifying in her performance as the Head Nun from Hell.
Best Supporting Actor: Should win: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight. Will win: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight. And no, it has nothing to do with him being dead. He deserves this because his performance as the venomous Joker is just incredible. But all the other fellas nominated should know they were brilliant this year and would deserve it if Ledger hadn’t been such a powerhouse.
Best Supporting Actress: This one is often a toss-up, but I’m putting my bets on Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Woody Allen’s best romantic comedy in years deserves that much. But don’t be surprised if Viola Davis nabs it for her role as the mother of the possibly sexually-abused kid in Doubt. Best Supporting Actress is a historically crazy category, and no one can ever be sure just who is going to win.
Best Original Screenplay: I want this to go to Andrew Stanton for WALL-E. It would make the film the first animated feature to win in this category, and considering critics have hailed it as a modern-day masterpiece, this should definitely win.
Best Adapted Screenplay: This should go to Batman. I know I said I was done, but this is killing me! Due to The Dark Knight not being nominated, Simon Beaufoy will win for Slumdog Millionaire.
Best Animated Film: Kung-Fu Panda was super cute and all, but WALL-E is a magnum opus. This story of robot romance has taken my list as favorite all-time on-screen couple. WALL-E’s going to win.
The other categories:
Art Direction: The Dark Knight
Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Cinematography: The Dark Knight
Best Documentary: Man on Wire
Best Foreign Film: Waltz With Bashir
Best Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Original Score: WALL-E
Best Original Song: “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire
Sound Editing: The Dark Knight
Sound Mixing: The Dark Knight
Disagree with these picks or my absolute love for The Dark Knight? Shoot me an e-mail at ae@jackcentral.com.
(Go Jack football in 2009! Thanks for the lift, guys.)
