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Today the Oscar nominations were announced and there were a few surprises but not many. Since picking the winners, in other words reading the minds of the Academy voters, is an inexact science I have decided to make it even harder because I will be the first member of the entertainment media to pick the winners without seeing a single nominated movie.
The interesting nominations, the movies Avatar directed by James Cameron and The Hurt Locker directed by Kathryn Bieglow pits an ex-husband and wife, Cameron and Bieglow against each other. One was a $200 million blockbuster and the other an independent costing a few million.
Here are my picks:
Best Picture - The Hurt Locker
Best Picture nominees
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
Best Director - Kathryn Bieglow
Best Director nominees
James Cameron: Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow: The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino: Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels - Precious
Jason Reitman: Up in the Air
Best Actor - Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
Best Actor nominees
Jeff Bridges: Crazy Heart
George Clooney: Up in the Air
Colin Firth: A Single Man
Morgan Freeman: Invictus
Jeremy Renner: The Hurt Locker
Best Actress - Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Best Actress nomiees
Sandra Bullock: The Blind Side
Helen Mirran: The Last Station
Carey Mulligan: An Education
Gabourey Sidibe: Precious
Meryl Streep: Julie & Julia
Best Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actor nominees
Matt Damon: Invictus
Woody Harrelson: The Messenger
Christopher Plummer: The Last Station
Stanley Tucci: The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz: Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress - Mo’Nique - Preciuos
Best Supporting Actress nominees
Penelope Cruz: Nine
Vera Farmiga: Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal: Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick: Up in the Air
Mo’Nique: Precious
Best Original Screenplay - Inglourious Basterds
Best Adapted Screenplay - Precious
That's enough.
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