As Usual…
By Mitch Berg
…I have seen almost none of the Oscar nominees this year. I don’t get out to all that many movies these days, for better or worse.
JACK VALENTI: “You should! Movies are THE great American form of entertainment!”
MITCH: “Who let Jack Valenti into my dream?”
Anyway, even though I’ve seen almost none of the movies, and have almost no idea who any of them are, I’m going to have fun anyway. I’m going to the Patriot’s Oscar night broadcast with Michael Medved on Sunday at the St. Paul Hotel (and so can you!). And I figure I might as well have some stake in the event, if only to have something to rub peoples’ faces in in the unlikely event I win (although, given the ’02 Senate and Gubernatorial, ’04 Presidential, and most of the ’06 Congressional races, not to mention my Super Bowl prediction, which was less than 20 points off in a game the Bears weren’t even supposed to be in, maybe not all that unlikely), it might be good to have some predix on the ground just in case.
And remember – it’s all in good fun. Unless I win.
So without further ado:
Best Actor: I never saw any of the nominated movies, but I will go with Peter O’Toole, since I have never heard of Ryan Gosling, DiCaprio is too obvious and Will Smith and Forest Whitaker will split the “Oscars Are Too White” vote.
Best Supporting Actor: Djimon Hounsou. Not sure why, except that I thought Alan Arkin (who is one of my favorite actors) was just OK in the immensely-overrated Little Miss Sunshine. And Blood Diamond has great buzz.
Best Actress: Much as I’m dying to see either Penelope Cruz or Kate Winslet in an evening gown, my money’s on Helen Mirren. And when I say “my money”, it’s a figure of speech. Don’t get greedy, Learned Foot.
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson has all the buzz. I’ll go with that this time.
Best Directing: The Departed will finally earn an Oscar, just out of pure guilt.
Best Picture: The Departed, again.
Discuss.
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:03 am
Whittaker is the front runner for Best Actor, and while The Departed may win (don’t count Little Miss Sunshine out) it can’t really win Best Director. That honor would go to Martin Scorcese.
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:11 am
“Will Smith and Forest Whitaker will split the “Oscars Are Too White” vote.”
And that is a pity. I love both Smith and Whitaker, but I am rooting for Whitaker. He has been one of the most under-rated actors in Hollywood and he has been excellent in everything he has done!
LL
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:38 am
“He has been one of the most under-rated actors in Hollywood and he has been excellent in everything he has done!”
Especially in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”
Or was that Phoebe Cates who undid her bikini top?
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:37 am
I don’t know….can’t say as I have seen it….
I know, such a sheltered life…
LL
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:48 am
I’m picking The Illusionist. Just because it’s rare that the plot of a movie turns on the politics of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Strangely, you left out best documentary. It’ll be “An Inconvenient Truth.” And you can suck on it.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:36 pm
And you can suck on it.
Did you save me any?
February 24th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Best Actress: Penelope Cruz
Mirren did a fine job, but so did Cruz, and the Cruz likeability factor will tip the balance.
February 24th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Alan Arkin NEEDS to win. He’s had it coming for forty years. Not only did he miss out on his nominations in 1964 and 1966, but he was royally screwed over by not being nominated for the title role in 1967’s Inspector Clouseau.