2010 OSCAR Nominations -- Your Predictions?

The announcement is less than a week away and remember that this year the list of nominees for Best Picture have grown to TEN.

In your predictions, please indicate the five that you think would have been nominated without the rule change, followed by the additional five.

Ready? GO!

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ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jeff Bridges, CRAZY HEART
George Clooney, UP IN THE AIR
Colin Firth, A SINGLE MAN
Morgan Freeman, INVICTUS
Tobey Maguire, BROTHERS

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
WOODY HARRELSON, THE MESSENGER
Christopher Plummer, THE LAST STATION
Peter Saarsgard, AN EDUCATION
Stanley Tucci, THE LOVELY BONES
Christoph Waltz, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Sandra Bullock, THE BLIND SIDE
Helen Mirren, THE LAST STATION
Carey Mulligan, AN EDUCATION
Gabourey Sidibe, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE
Meryl Streep, JULIE & JULIA

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Penelope Cruz, NINE
Anna Kendrick, UP IN THE AIR
Diane Kruger, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS
Julianne Moore, A SINGLE MAN
Mo'Nique, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
CORALINE
THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX
THE PRINCESS & THE FROG

DIRECTING
James Cameron, AVATAR
Lee Daniels, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE
Kathryn Bigelow, THE HURT LOCKER
Jason Reitman, UP IN THE AIR
Quentin Tarantino, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
THE COVE
FOOD, INC.
EVERY LITTLE STEP (probably not but I hope!!)
THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS
UNDER OUR SKIN

MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE
AVATAR
THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX
THE INFORMANT!
STAR TREK
UP

MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG
"I See You," AVATAR
"The Weary Kind," CRAZY HEART
“Cinema Italiano," NINE
"Almost There," THE PRINCESS & THE FROG
“Down in New Orleans," THE PRINCESS & THE FROG

BEST PICTURE
AVATAR
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLORIOUS BASTARDS
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE
UP IN THE AIR
AN EDUCATION
INVICTUS
A SERIOUS MAN
A SINGLE MAN
UP

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I honestly didn't think Carey Mulligan was that great in An Education. She's a decent actress but not Oscar-worthy yet.

Also, I thought Melanie Laurent was better than Diane Kruger in Inglourious Basterds.

The only prediction I can make at this point is that Jeff Bridges will win. Crossing fingers! Make it a triple crown, Jeff!

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The acting categories are incredibly boring.
LEAD ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, CRAZY HEART
George Clooney, UP IN THE AIR
Colin Firth, A SINGLE MAN
Morgan Freeman, INVICTUS
Jeremy Renner, THE HURT LOCKER

LEAD ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, THE BLIND SIDE
Helen Mirren, THE LAST STATION
Carey Mulligan, AN EDUCATION
Gabourey Sidibe, PRECIOUS
Meryl Streep, JULIE & JULIA
Wild Card: Emily Blunt, THE YOUNG VICTORIA

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Woody Harrelson, THE MESSENGER
Alfred Molina, AN EDUCATION
Christopher Plummer, THE LAST STATION
Stanley Tucci, THE LOVELY BONES
Christoph Waltz, INGLORIOUS BASTERDS
Wild Card: Matt Damon, INVICTUS

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Vera Farmina, UP IN THE AIR
Anna Kendrick, UP IN THE AIR
Diane Kruger, INGLORIOUS BASTERDS
Mo'Nique, PRECIOUS
Julianne Moore, A SINGLE MAN
Wild Card: A NINE girl, Samantha Morton for THE MESSENGER

My guess for movies is:
AVATAR
DISTRICT 9
AN EDUCATION
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS
INVICTUS
PRECIOUS
A SERIOUS MAN
UP
UP IN THE AIR
Wild Cards: STAR TREK, THE HANGOVER

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I haven't really been paying attention to the new Oscar rules, but is it possible for Up to be nominated for Best Animated Movie AND Best Picture?

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Originally the ANIMATED FEATURE category was to have five nominees, however I read that one of this year's animated films became ineligible after they discovered it had a premiere at a small film festival last year, thus making the films this year totaling less than 15, thus only 3 nominees again.

If UP is able to be nominated in both, then I think it will. If not, PRINCESS & THE FROG will take its slot. If there are five, then you can add PONYO and A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

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Movies like (500) Days of Summer are near sure things for a nomination in the best original screenplay category but rarely not much else.

I'll be shot here, but I still think Meryl's work was the best in her category this year, but because she's Meryl Streep, it will overlooked. I would otherwise give it to Mulligan. As much as I admired Sidide, I found the role reactive (for my money, it's Mo'Nique's movie -- harrowing and unforgettable.)

But again, the most memorable work was Streep's. I watched it again at home, and blown away by the range. And Jane Lynch is magnificent as her sister. Watch the scene where Julia recognizes the pain of never having children. It doesn't get much better than that. But again, Streep is assumed to be brilliant, so her brilliance is generally minimized.

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Finally saw THE BLIND SIDE. Meryl Streep is definitely the best in her category. Auggie, I think that scene you mention is worthy of the Oscar in itself, it's so wonderfully played by both Streep and Tucci. Streep deserves the Oscar this year, but like Auggie said, because she's Streep, she'll be overlooked. Bullock is getting caught up in the huge success of the movie, if the film had flopped, there'd be no talk of Oscar for her.
Mulligan is great, but poor thing has lost all buzz. I still don't understand the buzz behind Gabourey Sidibe or Mo'Nique for that matter.
It's a shame JULIE & JULIA isn't getting as much recognition as it deserves. After seeing the movie when it came out and recently on DVD, I'm surprised the performances of Jane Lynch (whose section of the film is the best part of the movie) and Stanley Tucci (whose nomination for THE LOVELY BONES will be in part for his performance in this movie) aren't being remembered by award voters. They were all excellent.

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I loved Streep in JULIE & JULIA, but her performance is supreme Oscar bait -- showy and over the top at times. Sandra's is more subtle and nuanced. Just 'cause someone isn't hysterical or doesn't have a big crying/screaming scene, doesn't make their performance less worthy. But like I've said before, Meryl has the sentiment (27 years since her last award) and Bullock has the box office ($234 million and counting).

All in all, I'd be happy with either win.

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When they tied at the one on VH1, they kissed. Could be even more thrilling if they tied for the Oscar, which would be cool.

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Even I would be a lil turned on.

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