2006 Oscars

[SentToStud]

Unless noted, I have seen all the nominees.

Best Supporting Actress
Most people loved or hated Babel. I liked it, but not as much as many. Kikuchi and Barraza split whatever votes go this way. Barraza was great but the naked girl brings her down. If I were voting I'd go for Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal) but she's not going to win, only because too many voters will resent there not being teachers like her when they were in school. Abigail Breslin sure was cute in Little Miss Sunsine but frankly Toni Colllete deserved the nomination from the film in the same category. That leaves Jennifer Hudson who truly was super in Dreamgirls and she should and will win.

Write In: Toni Collett.

Best Supporting Actor
Jackie Earl Haley was great in Little Children but I doubt a sex offender wins this category. I liked Mark Wahlberg in The Departed but he wasn't special by any stretch. To me it's a tossup between the other three. Personally, I'll toss Dijmon Housou who was good but a bit one dimensional in Blood Diamond. I expect Alan Arkin will win and he would be deserving. To me Eddie Murphy should win. He was truly great in Dreamgirls and I believed every moment of his performance.

Write In: Jack Nicholson. How the hell is he not nominated and Wahlberg is?

Best Actress
I did not see Volver (Penelope Cruz). Kate Winslet (Little Children) and Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) were both great and I really enjoyed both films. Helen Mirren (The Queen) is the heavy chalk but while I liked the film it seemed a bit too much like a Movie of the Week to me. My vote would go to Judi Dench for Notes on a Scandal. To me, this was the best role of the ones I saw and she was wonderful in the film. Hoping for an upset.

Best Actor
I liked Will Smith but The Pursuit of Happyness just was not a real good film. Lots of people liked Venus (Peter O'Toole) but I'm not one of them. My vote would go to Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson) but almost nobody saw this film. If I'm right, it's a tossup between Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland). I liked Blood Diamond but the end dragged a bit too much for my taste and I wasn't quite convinced on the accent. But DiCaprio is very good in the film. Whitaker probably wins. He was very, very good and "real people" roles seem to win a lot for Best Actor, at least recently (Phillip Seymour Hoffman/Capote, Jamie Foxx/Ray, etc...).

Best Director
Paul Gingrass/United 93... did not see but I believe no film has ever won for Director unless nom'd for Picture.... Clint Eastwood/ Letters From Iwo Jima could win but that's always true. But I thought the movie was a bit dull toward the end. Then again, we already know how WW2 turned out. Stephen Fears/The Queen and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarrtu (Babel) could win but I didn't like either film that much. I think M Scorcese wins easy for The Departed, not just deservedly so for this film but for past films as well (how the hell he got beat by Robert REdford in 1980 is still a mystery).

Write In: DeNiro for The Good Shepard.

Best Picture
I'd not vote for Babel, Letters From Iwo Jima or The Queen for reasons above. Of the nominated films, my vote would go to The Departed which I thought was the best of these. But I believe Little Miss Sunshine wins. This is truly a very fine film about family and true faith which questions convention and has fine performances.

Write In: The Good Shepard. Along with The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine, it's in my top 3 of the year.

Summary of Predicted Winners

Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson
Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin
Actress: Judi Dench
Actor: Forrest Whitaker
Director: Martin Scorcese
Picture: Little Miss Sunshine

Maybe I can stay awake for more than the first hour this year.