Oscar time

Right then, let's get this out the way. My official Oscar predictions for 2006 are:

Best Leading Actor:

Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
Terrence Howard in “Hustle & Flow” (Paramount Classics, MTV Films and New Deal Entertainment)
Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
Joaquin Phoenix in “Walk the Line” (20th Century Fox)
David Strathairn in “Good Night, and Good Luck.” (Warner Independent Pictures)

It's a strong field but the lack of nomination for Viggo Mortenson in History of Violence is an actual crime. Somewhat handicapped by not having seen four of these movies, I'll follow the smart money and take Hoffman for this.

Best Supporting Actor:

George Clooney in “Syriana” (Warner Bros.)
Matt Dillon in “Crash” (Lions Gate)
Paul Giamatti in “Cinderella Man” (Universal and Miramax)
Jake Gyllenhaal in “Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
William Hurt in “A History of Violence” (New Line)

William Hurt's good but too leftfield. Clooney? By all accounts Syriana is a bit earnest. Hmmm... Gyllenhaal perhaps as the field is less contested than Leading Actor and the Brokeback Mountain block vote will probably count for more.

Best Leading Actress:

Judi Dench in “Mrs. Henderson Presents” (The Weinstein Company)
Felicity Huffman in “Transamerica” (The Weinstein Company and IFC Films)
Keira Knightley in “Pride & Prejudice” (Focus Features)
Charlize Theron in “North Country” (Warner Bros.)
Reese Witherspoon in “Walk the Line” (20th Century Fox)

If Dench wins for Mrs. bloody Henderson Presents I will eat my own face. Not a very strong field this (though I'm only two for five in terms of having actually seen these. Witherspoon or Knightley? Witherspoon I hope.

Best Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams in “Junebug” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Catherine Keener in “Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
Frances McDormand in “North Country” (Warner Bros.)
Rachel Weisz in “The Constant Gardener” (Focus Features)
Michelle Williams in “Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)

Catherine Keener is apparently amazing. Let's have her for this category then.

Best Animated Feature:

“Howl’s Moving Castle” (Buena Vista)
“Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride” (Warner Bros.)
“Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit” (DreamWorks Animation SKG)

My heart says Wallace and Gromit, but my head says Corpse Bride. Corpse Bride - Boo!

Art Direction:

“Good Night, and Good Luck.” (Warner Independent Pictures)
“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (Warner Bros.)
“King Kong” (Universal)
“Memoirs of a Geisha” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
“Pride & Prejudice” (Focus Features)

Oooh. Good Night and Good Luck or a giant monkey... Jackson's had his moment, Good Night and Good Luck will take this.

Cinematography:

“Batman Begins” (Warner Bros.)
“Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
“Good Night, and Good Luck.” (Warner Independent Pictures)
“Memoirs of a Geisha” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
“The New World” (New Line)

Batman Begins? Having a laugh aren't you? Good Night and Good Luck

Direction:

“Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
“Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
“Crash” (Lions Gate)
“Good Night, and Good Luck.” (Warner Independent Pictures)
“Munich” (Universal and DreamWorks)

Ang Lee will probably take the brace of top prizes so Brokeback Mountain here I think.

Editing:

“Cinderella Man” (Universal and Miramax)
“The Constant Gardener” (Focus Features)
“Crash” (Lions Gate)
“Munich” (Universal and DreamWorks)
“Walk the Line” (20th Century Fox)

I always get this one wrong so I'll say Constant Gardener (though it will more likely be Munich)

Best Picture:

“Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
“Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
“Crash” (Lions Gate)
“Good Night, and Good Luck.” (Warner Independent Pictures)
“Munich” (Universal and DreamWorks)

Gay cowboys win I'm afraid.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

“Brokeback Mountain” (Focus Features)
“Capote” (UA/Sony Pictures Classics)
“The Constant Gardener” (Focus Features)
“A History of Violence” (New Line)
“Munich” (Universal and DreamWorks)

History of Violence, mainly due to my bitterness at the lack of other nominations (save William Hurt)

Best Original Screenplay:

“Crash” (Lions Gate)
“Good Night, and Good Luck.” (Warner Independent Pictures)
“Match Point” (DreamWorks)
“The Squid and the Whale” (Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sony Pictures Releasing)
“Syriana” (Warner Bros.)

Clooney *has* to get up on stage at some point. For this reason alone I'm rooting for Good Night and Good Luck.


Well, there you go. No way I'm staying up for this on Sunday but if I can be bothered will do post-match run through next week.