I Have Two Cents, Who Wants 'Em

It's the most wonderful time of the year: Oscar time!
That's right, February means Oscars Oscars Academy Awards :) Tuesday the nominations are announced. There are only a few reasons to wake up at 5:30 a.m. as is tradition, I am going to post my predictions for the top categories. Everyone is welcome to post their own predictions and/or yell at me.
Here we go:

Best Original Screenplay
(500) Days of Summer - Scott Neustatder & Michael H. Weber
The Hurt Locker - Mark Boal
Inglorious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino
A Serious Man - Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Up - Bob Peterson & Pete Docter

No I'm not going to put in James Cameron because Avatar is just like Dances With Wolves therefore not really "original".

Best Adapted Screenplay
An Education - Nick Hornby
District 9 - Neill Blonkamp & Terri Tatchell
Julie & Julia - Nora Ephron
Precious - Geoffrey Fletcher
Up In The Air - Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner

Best Animated Feature
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up

Best Director
Katherine Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Lee Daniels - Precious
Jason Reitman - Up In The Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglorious Basterds

I don't see anyone sneaking in because the category has been pretty much set for a few months now BUT the Coen brothers could take Jason Reitman's place which I don't think they will because mroe people saw Up In The Air than A Simple Man.

Best Supporting Actress
Vera Farmiga - Up In The Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal - Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick - Up In The Air
Mo'Nique - Precious
Julianne Moore - A Single Man

Since Mo'Nique is going to win the award the voters should reward all of the other good performances of the year and Anna Kendrick was very good in Up In The Air and she's the ray of sunshine in the dark, gloomy Twilight franchise. Same about Vera Farmiga (except for the Twilight reference) and she deserved to be nominated for The Departed. Julianne Moore can get nominated for reading the phone book. The last entry was a little hard but I went with Maggie since she's a) awesome; b) a great actress; and c) probably getting more attention now that her co-star is winning awards.

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Alfred Molina - An Education
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Christopher Waltz - Inglorious Basterds

Same thing with this category as with the actresses. Christopher Waltz is going to take the award home everyone else is just filling the slots.

Best Actress
Emily Blunt - The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

The one I'm iffy about is Emily Blunt, although she's a really good actress. If not her then her highness Helen Mirren will take her spot.

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up In The Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

I didn't see Invictus but Morgan Freeman is a great actor so probably a good bet for an Oscar nod. Also, being directed by Clint Eastwood doesn't hurt either.

Best Movie
An Education
Avatar
(500) Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Invictius
Precious
A Single Man
Up
Up In The Air

This year there are ten films that can be nominated and I don't like it. Some years we need more than five but others...not so much. Up might not get nominated since it will almost very likely take home the Best Animated Feature award. In that case, my vote goes for District 9. Almost wish I didn't have to put Avatar here, but I guess you can't ignore that much money.
We'll see the results on Tuesday.