My Oscar Predictions

Members of the Academy of Arts and Sciences have until the end of the day today to cast their votes on who they want to win at the Academy Awards taking place next Sunday.

It's been an odd award season with baitier films faltering late in the year to be replaced by more alternative films from earlier in the newest and most exclusive top ten. Many have commented on the length of the award season and maybe this year it's felt much longer due to the repetitiveness of the winners, especially in the last few weeks.

With that said, my predictions below will look quite conservative. I'm NOT going to think outside the box this year, but my goodness if there is at least one big shocker to happen on Sunday, preferably one reflected on my personal ballot, I will be ecstatic. For now, here are the favorites my predictions:

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Lead Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Lead Actress: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique, Precious
Best Original Screenplay: Inglourious Basterds
Best Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air
Best Animated Film: Up
Best Foreign Language Film: Un Prophete, France
Best Original Score: Up
Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart
Best Editing: The Hurt Locker
Best Art Direction: Avatar
Best Cinematography: The White Ribbon
Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria
Best Makeup: The Young Victoria
Best Documentary: The Cove
Best Documentary Short: China's Unnatural Disaster
Best Animated Short: A Matter of Loaf and Death
Best Live Action Short: The Door
Best Sound Editing: Avatar
Best Sound Mixing: The Hurt Locker
Best Visual Effects: Avatar

Tally: 4 - The Hurt Locker; 3 - Avatar; 2 - Inglourious Basterds, Up, Crazy Heart, The Young Victoria; 1 - Precious, Up in the Air, The Blind Side, Un Prophete, The White Ribbon, The Cove, China's Unnatural Disaster, A Matter of Load and Death, The Door