BEST PICTURE
Updated: 5/27
Top Five Contenders
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| 1. Inception | 2. The Tree of Life | 3. The Social Network | 4. The Way Back | 5. The Fighter |
| Well last year a summer film withstood time to win best picture so I suppose the same could happen here. Though I know it's sketchy that a sci-fi film would win the top prize, but I remain hopeful. Just because it's a Nolan film, I'm sure it will get great reviews. | This holdover from last year is a Terrence Malick film with a lot of buzz. It's a coming of age story about somebody who loses their innocence sometime in the '50s. I haven't liked the previous Malick films that I have seen, but if the buzz is good, this one might prove me wrong. | This will be interesting. Rarely do modern day set films in America about modern technology starring young actors get nominated. The only film in recent memory that comes close is Juno. Maybe David Fincher can do magic for this topic. The film is about the founding of Facebook. | I've loved every Peter Weir film I've seen so I have high hopes for his latest one. The film is based on a true story about a group of political prisoners who break out of a Russian prison in the '40s. If not best picture, I sure hope Peter Weir can finally win best director for it. | Rocky, Raging Bull, Million Dollar Baby and now this. The Academy loves boxing movies, especially the actors who star in them. David O'Russell directs this drama about fighter Mickey Ward in the '80s. Mark Wahlberg has a good shot at being nominated, but I don't know about the film. |
Rest of the Top Ten
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| 6. Black Swan | 7. Hereafter | 8. Miral | 9. The Kids Are All Right | 10. Toy Story 3 |
| This Darren Aronofsky film is about competing ballet dancers. Aronofsky's last film The Wrestler was nearly nominated for best picture, so maybe this one can do it. With ten nominees, I think there will be a place for it. | Clint Eastwood films are always in the best picture running. But his last three films all failed to get nominated. It was a surprise when Invictus didn't get into the top ten. But maybe he can give it another try with this vague-plotted supernatural film. | There is often room for a foregin-ish film in the top ten and this film about an orphanage in 1940's Jerusalem sounds like the ticket. It has lots of talented Middle-Eastern actors and is directed by the talented Julian Schnabel. | Sounds like the liberal Academy would love a film about two lesbian mothers with a family. This sounds like it will be a good showcase for the actors but I don't know how it will do in best picture. It's also the only real contender with a female director this year. | Thanks to having ten nominees, Up became only the second animated film to be nominated for best picture last year. Somehow I don't think Toy Story 3 has the same strength just because it's impossible to be as good as the originals. But then, you never know. |
Close Behind
| 11. True Grit | 12. Blue Valentine | 13. Love and Other Drugs | 14. Shutter Island | 15. The American |
| The original True Grit won best actor for John Wane in 1970, but was not nominated for best picture. Does that mean the remake can't be nominated for best picture? The Coen Brothers got their film in the top ten last year so maybe they can do it again this year. | This modern romantic drama got some of the best reviews at Cannes these last couple of weeks. It stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as a pair of young newlyweds. It will take a strong campaign for it to be remembered by Oscar time. | This is an odd concept. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a salesman who pitches Viagra. The topic may be a little too taboo for Oscar voters. Plus the Academy has never fully embraced Edward Zwick films, despite how good they often are. But things can change. | This Scorsese thriller came out in February and got pretty good reviews. At this point it's Oscar chances depend entirely on how the other films do. If the others drop like flies, then Shutter Island will be all that's left so it will be nominated. | I'm really getting sick of seeing George Clooney films for the purpose of Oscar watching. Maybe the Academy will agree. This film stars Clooney as an assassin in hiding in Europe. With a no-name director I don't think it can go far. |
My Original Predix
| Inception | Tree of Life | Social Network | The Way Back | The Fighter |
| Black Swan | Hereafter | Miral | Kids Are All Right | Toy Story 3 |
