Ok, here is the Oscar Ballot. I’m not going to live blog this show. I’m watching Prom Night (the new version) and will follow that up with either Burn After Reading or this Chop Soki movie called Chocolate. But I did at least set the DVR, so maybe the mood will strike me to speed watch it later tonight. In the meantime here is the official Oscar Ballot with my picks – without virbage. I do not think Slumdog will sweep everything this year, my sense is that everything is weak enough that they’ll try and spread it around. Since Slumdog is a lock for Best Picture and Director the other films will win in the technical categories. There’s no drama this year.
BEST PICTURE
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] Frost/Nixon
[ ] Milk
[ ] The Reader
[ X ] Slumdog Millionaire
Although after seeing Milk this weekend, I’d really like to see an upset.
DIRECTOR
[ ] David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
[ ] Gus Van Sant, Milk
[ ] Stephen Daldry, The Reader
[ X ] Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
[ ] Frozen River
[ ] Happy-Go-Lucky
[ ] In Bruges
[ ] Milk
[ X ] WALL-E
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] Doubt
[ ] Frost/Nixon
[ ] The Reader
[ X ] Slumdog Millionaire
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
[ ] Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
[ ] Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
[ ] Sean Penn, Milk
[ ] Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ X ] Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
[ ] Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
[ ] Angelina Jolie, Changeling
[ ] Melissa Leo, Frozen River
[ ] Meryl Streep, Doubt
[ X ] Kate Winslet, The Reader
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
[ ] Josh Brolin, Milk
[ ] Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
[ ] Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
[ X ] Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
[ ] Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
[ ] Amy Adams, Doubt
[ ] Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
[ ] Viola Davis, Doubt
[ ] Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ X ] Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Taraji deserves this, but she hasn’t paid her “dues,” so Marisa will get this. Even though her role was minimal at best.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
[ ] The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
[ ] The Class (France)
[ ] Departures (Japan)
[ ] Revanche (Austria)
[ ] Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
No Let The Right One In? Screw this category.
ANIMATED FEATURE
[ ] Bolt
[ ] Kung Fu Panda
[X ] WALL-E
Hated Wall-E
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
[ ] The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
[ ] Encounters at the End of the World
[ ] The Garden
[ ] Man on Wire
[ ] Trouble the Water
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
[ ] The Conscience of Nhem En
[ ] The Final Inch
[ ] Smile Pinki
[ ] The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306
SHORT FILM – ANIMATED
[ ] La Maison En Petits Cubes
[ ] Lavatory – Lovestory
[ ] Oktapodi
[ ] Presto
[ ] This Way Up
SHORT FILM – LIVE ACTION
[ ] Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)
[ ] Manon on the Asphalt
[ ] New Boy
[ ] The Pig
[ ] Spielzeugland (Toyland)
ORIGINAL SCORE
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] Defiance
[ X ] Milk
[ ] Slumdog Millionaire
[ ] WALL-E
ORIGINAL SONG
[ ] “Down to Earth” – WALL-E
[ X ] “Jai Ho” – Slumdog Millionaire
[ ] “O Saya” – Slumdog Millionaire
ART DIRECTION
[ ] Changeling
[ X ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[ ] The Duchess
[ ] Revolutionary Road
CINEMATOGRAPHY
[ ] Changeling
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[ ] The Reader
[ X ] Slumdog Millionaire
COSTUME DESIGN
[ ] Australia
[ X ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Duchess
[ ] Milk
[ ] Revolutionary Road
MAKEUP
[ X ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[ ] Hellboy II: The Golden Army
SOUND MIXING
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ X ] The Dark Knight
[ ] Slumdog Millionaire
[ ] WALL-E
[ ] Wanted
SOUND EDITING
[ X ] The Dark Knight
[ ] Iron Man
[ ] Slumdog Millionaire
[ ] WALL-E
[ ] Wanted
VISUAL EFFECTS
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[ X ] Iron Man
FILM EDITING
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[ ] Frost/Nixon
[ X ] Milk
[ ] Slumdog Millionaire