First off, if you didn’t read my predictions (one and two) shame on you.
Secondly, if I didn’t get them all right shame on you again. I only say that because I ain’t taking the blame, not my fault, so gotta blame it something and I am not breaking into Milli Vanilli this early in the morning.
Third… Well… This little illustration pretty much says it all:
Zodiac: 0
Norbit: 1
With that elegant and oh-so-telling demonstration out of the way let’s take a look at the 2008 Oscar nominees and see how badly (or not so badly) I screwed up in some of my predictions.
BEST PICTURE
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
How badly Dre screwed the pooch: 5 out of 5 correct!
How do you like them apples? Yes, I’m not above gloating. This was a pretty tricky year for predicting the Best Picture race and I owned it like I own my six-year-old nephew in Wii Tennis. I ace that little bastard all day and I did the same with the Academy.
Overall, this is a great selection in my eyes. All but one of these (Atonement) is in my top six of the year and I have zero complaints with that film getting loads of awards (which it kinda didn’t). I would have loved to see The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Zodiac get nominations but we all knew that wasn’t happening.
Now I know the Juno hater campaign is in full force and all I can say to you clowns is … EAT IT!!!!!!!
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
How badly Dre screwed the pooch: 4 out of 5 correct
Well, my greatest of fears has materialized. The one nomination I didn’t want to see happen (and therefore ignored in predicting) swooped in with its demon wings, reached into my chest and ripped my heart out. When one comes across a demon like Ruby Dee, they have two choices. Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’. And I choose death, you bastards.
Seriously, I love Ruby Dee. She makes me feel all warm and lovely inside. And I hate that shit. Again, if the Academy wanted to nominate an old broad for five minutes of work, nobody … NOBODY was better than Vanessa Redgrave this year in Atonement.
Blanchett, Ryan and Swinton were strong bets that came through and I am totally cool with. I am very happy, however, my Saoirse Ronan prediction came through.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
How badly Dre screwed the pooch: 5 out of 5 correct!
It’s moments like these when I start to wonder if I am some kind of deity. It’s moments like these where I start upping my bets at Bodog. And it’s moments like these where I begin to lose a lot of money only to end up in a gutter somewhere.
But yes, I nailed this category harder than a randy old-timing cowboy on nickel-night. Ladies and gentlemen, Casey Affleck is an Oscar nominee. Damn skippy. Bardem and Hoffman were “Duh”s. My Into the Wild fetish was rewarded with a Holbrook nomination (more on that god-damn movie later). I was also happy with the Tom Wilkinson nod. All in all, a deserving crowd without any major surprises from where I stand.
BEST ACTRESS
Ellen Page, Juno
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Laura Linney, The Savages
How badly Dre screwed the pooch: 4 out of 5 correct
I feel really, really stupid. In fact, I was just telling Brad I thought about changing up my Best Actress prediction recap last night to include Laura Linney as a contender (not to pick as a nominee though). See, I didn’t even mention her name when discussing the race which was a major goof on my part. And son of a bitch, the Academy made me pay dearly for it. They handed the fine actress a nomination for The Savages.
The Academy also screwed over Angelina Jolie who would have been nominated for her great performance in A Mighty Heart if her name was Meryl Streep. I know, Academy, she isn’t a serious actress because she’s in the tabloids. The voters had their way with her about as bad as Antonio Banderas did when he slammed her in Original Sin.
Everything else here went as planned/predicted. Kudos to Ellen Page.
BEST ACTOR
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
How badly Dre screwed the pooch: 4 out of 5 correct
Despite missing one, I’m pretty damn happy with this crop of actors. Clooney and Day-Lewis came through. I wasn’t sure about Johnny Depp but I’m happy he made it to the big show. The biggest shock – probably of all the Oscar nominees this year – is Tommy Lee Jones. You might recall he was the first early front-runner way, way back. But then that movie (supposedly) faded. Yeah, guess not.
I am super stoked Viggo Mortensen got the nod because it’s a bit overdue and he’s terrific in Eastern Promises.
The pick I got wrong (replaced by Tommy Lee) was Emile Hirsch for Into the Wild. For those of you keeping count, that’s twice that this film has burned and plundered where I live.
