Another Academy Awards done and gone, this one with relatively few surprises aside from a special effects win for a film no one actually saw in The Golden Compass, and Denzel Washington’s shaved head. So how’d I do on my picks? Let’s see…
Best Actor
Who was nominated?
- George Clooney – Michael Clayton
- Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood
- Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Tommy Lee Jones – In the Valley of Elah
- Viggo Mortensen – Eastern Promises
Who’d I pick?
Daniel Day-Lewis.
Who won?
Daniel Day-Lewis. He was a lock.
Best Supporting Actor
Who was nominated?
- Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
- Javier Bardem – No Country For Old Men
- Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson’s War
- Hal Holbrook – Into the Wild
- Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton
Who’d I pick?
Javier Bardem.
Who won?
Javier Bardem. Another lock.
Best Actress
Who was nominated?
- Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
- Julie Christie – Away From Her
- Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose
- Laura Linney – The Savages
- Ellen Page – Juno
Who’d I pick?
Marion Cotillard.
Who won?
Marion Cotillard. The win by La Vie En Rose for best makeup foreshadowed this in a big way.
Best Supporting Actress
Who was nominated?
- Cate Blanchett – I’m Not There
- Ruby Dee – American Gangster
- Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
- Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
- Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton
Who’d I pick?
Amy Ryan.
Who won?
Tilda Swinton. I almost posted an update switching my pick to Swinton, as word on the street had this going to her as a way of throwing a bone to Michael Clayton, so this wasn’t much of a surprise.
Cinematography
Who was nominated?
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Roger Deakins
- Atonement - Seamus McGarvey
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Janusz Kaminski
- No Country for Old Men - Roger Deakins
- There Will Be Blood - Robert Elswit
Who’d I pick?
There Will Be Blood cinematographer Robert Elswit.
Who won?
There Will Be Blood cinematographer Robert Elswit. Deakins lost because of a split vote between No Country for Old Men and The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
Adapted Screenplay
Who was nominated?
- Atonement - Christopher Hampton
- Away From Her - Sarah Polley
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Ronald Harwood
- No Country For Old Men - Joel and Ethan Coen
- There Will Be Blood - Paul Thomas Anderson
Who’d I pick?
No Country For Old Men writers Joel and Ethan Coen.
Who won?
No Country For Old Men writers Joel and Ethan Coen.
Original Screenplay
Who was nominated?
- Juno – Diablo Cody
- Lars and the Real Girl – Nancy Oliver
- Michael Clayton – Tony Gilroy
- Ratatouille – Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
- The Savages – Tamara Jenkins
Who’d I pick?
Juno writer Diablo Cody.
Who won?
Juno writer Diablo Cody.
Best Director
Who was nominated?
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – Julian Schnabel
- Juno – Jason Reitman
- Michael Clayton – Tony Gilroy
- No Country For Old Men - Joel and Ethan Coen
- There Will Be Blood - Paul Thomas Anderson
Who’d I pick?
Joel and Ethan Coen.
Who won?
Joel and Ethan Coen.
Best Picture
Who was nominated?
Who’d I pick?
No Country for Old Men.
Who won?
No Country for Old Men.
So, all and all, 8 for 9. Not bad. While I’m okay with No Country for Old Men winning, I have to admit that I was pulling hard for There Will Be Blood, especially after it won Best Cinematography.
But hey, at least it wasn’t Juno.
