Oscar Predictions

Best Picture

Million Dollar Baby
The Aviator
Sideways
Finding Neverland
Ray

This really could go either way between Million Dollar Baby and The Aviator. I predict Million Dollar Baby to win in a very close race. If there is a wildcard here it is Sideways, which had a small chance if Million Dollar Baby and The Aviator split votes.

Best Actor

Jamie Foxx (Ray)
Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Aviator)
Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda)
Johnny Depp (Finding Neverland)

Jamie Foxx is the clear cut winner here in the only lock of all the main categories. DiCaprio and Cheadle are neck in neck if for some reason Foxx is robbed. If Foxx loses expect some funny Chris Rock jokes to follow.

Best Actress

Hillary Swank (Million Dollar Baby)
Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake)
Annette Bening (Being Julia)
Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine)
Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace)

If I am right about my Million Dollar Baby prediction to win Best Picture then you would have to assume that Hillary Swank wins here. Benning has never won and lost to Swank last time when she was nominated for American Beauty, but Swank and MDB are just too good here.

Best Supporting Actor

Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby)
Clive Owen (Closer)
Thomas Haden Church (Sideways)
Jamie Foxx (Collateral)
Alan Alda (The Aviator)

I'll bet anyone 50 bucks that Alan Alda doesn't win. Tough category to call and it could go to Freeman, Owen or Church, but I predict Morgan Freeman to finally win his first (and long overdue) gold statue.

Best Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett (The Aviator)
Natalie Portman (Closer)
Virginia Madsen (Sideways)
Laura Linney (Kinsey)
Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda)

Cate Blanchett seems to have a stranglehold on this one, but usually upsets come from this category. Watch out for Portman and Madsen but I'm taking Blanchett.

Best Director

Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby)
Martin Scorsese (The Aviator)
Alexander Payne (Sideways)
Taylor Hackford (Ray)
Mike Leigh (Vera Drake)

I find it terribly ironic that Marty Scorsese has lost in this category 4 times when he should have won and now will likely win when he probably shouldn't. If Million Dollar Baby gets on a big time roll Eastwood could win here, but all signs point to Scorsese winning his long overdue Oscar.

Screenplay - Original

Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Mike Leigh (Vera Drake)
Keir Pierson (Terry George, Hotel Rwanda)
John Logan (The Aviator)
Brad Bird (The Incredibles)

This all depends on how much love The Aviator is getting. I'm guessing Eternal Sunshine wins here over The Aviator. If The Aviator wins here look for it to do some damage in the big categories.

Screenplay - Adapted

Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor (Sideways)
Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby)
David Magee (Finding Neverland)
Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries)
Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy (Before Sunset)

Sideways has a chance to swoop in and steal one away from MDB here. This will likely be the category where Sideways wins it's one and only award.

Animated Feature

The Incredibles
Shrek 2
Shark Tale

The Incredibles will win here without breaking a sweat. If it doesn't then Dreamworks must have cut a check.

Animated Short

Birthday Boy
Gopher Broke
Guard Dog Lorenzo

Foreign Language Film

The Sea Inside
The Chorus
As it is in Heaven
Downfall
Yesterday

The Sea Inside is my prediction but I am starting to hear more and more buzz for The Chorus, and we all know how Oscar loves to go for unknowns here.

Documentary Feature

Born into Brothels
Super Size Me
The Story of the Weeping Camel
Tupac: Resurrection
Twist of Faith

Born into Brothels is my guess, but it is only a guess because this category is brutal to predict every year.

Documentary Short

Autism is a World
The Children of Leningradsky
Hardwood
Mighty Times: The Children's March
Sister Rose's Passion

Art Direction

The Aviator
Lemony Snicket's
Finding Neverland
A Very Long Engagement
Phantom of the Opera

The Aviator should pick up the hardware here.

Visual F/X

Spider-Man 2
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
I, Robot

Spidy 2 will be rewarded for being a very good movie. This often goes to the best movie with FX and this year will be no different.

Costumes

The Aviator
Ray
Lemony Snicket
Finding Neverland
Troy

Look for Troy to walk away with this one.

Makeup

Lemony Snicket's
The Passion of the Christ
The Sea Inside

The Passion will win here, because it has to win somewhere to appease the religious right and this is the most deserving category.

Editing

The Aviator
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Collateral
Finding Neverland

The Aviator covered a lot of ground and did it without a hitch, that is why it wins here.

Cinematography

A Very Long Engagement
The Aviator
The Passion of the Christ
The Phantom of the Opera
The House of Flying Daggers

A real crap shoot, but I'm guessing The Aviator wins again here.

Sound Mixing

The Aviator
The Incredibles
The Polar Express
Spider-Man 2
Ray

Ray will pick this one up.

Sound Editing

Spider-Man 2
The Incredibles
The Polar Express

Original Score

Finding Neverland
Lemony Snicket
Harry Potter
The Passion of the Christ
The Village

This looks to be the category where Finding Neverland gets it's conciliation prize.

Song

Accidentally In Love - Shrek 2
Al Otro Lado Del Río - The Motorcycle Diaries
Believe - The Polar Express
Learn To Be Lonely - The Phantom of the Opera
Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin) - The Chorus

What a weak field this year. I think the song from The Chorus will win in a shocker.

Short Film (Live Action)

Everything in this Country Must
Little Terrorist
7:35 in the Morning
Two Cars, One Night
WASP