The Oscars, 2005

Since they're coming up this Sunday, I figured I better do my, hopefully, annual list of who I want to win, even if they won't actually pull it off.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Don Cheadle - HOTEL RWANDA
Johnny Depp - FINDING NEVERLAND
Leonardo DiCaprio - THE AVIATOR
Clint Eastwood - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Jamie Foxx - RAY

So, I only saw Ray, which was better than I expected, and The Aviator, which was longer than I expected. Both of these actors were good, and, if you're betting, Jamie Foxx is the most likely to pull it off. The guy who should win, even though I haven't seen his movie is Don Cheadle. I'm constantly impressed by him when he's on screen. I want him to win because he should have been nominated years ago, especially for his part in Traffic. PS Where's Paul Giamatti nomination? Two years in a row he's been screwed over by not being nominated for outstanding leading roles! When will those Academy bastards give him some recognition?!

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Bening - BEING JULIA
Catalina Sandino Moreno - MARIA FULL OF GRACE
Imelda Staunton - VERA DRAKE
Hilary Swank - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Kate Winslet - ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

Wouldn't it be fun to see Annette Bening beat Hilary Swank this time around? Bening should have won for American Beauty all those years ago, too bad she's not most deserving this year. This year the Oscar should go to Kate Winslet. Her performance blew me away. The way she was both sweet and a bitch. The way she played a memory who just didn't want to be eliminated. Wonderful.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Alan Alda - THE AVIATOR
Thomas Haden Church - SIDEWAYS
Jamie Foxx - COLLATERAL
Morgan Freeman - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Clive Owen - CLOSER

You'll hear a lot from me on Sidways later on in this post, but here the man with an alliterative name, Alan Alda, should take the gold phallic shaped man. He was such a great asshole, searching for the way to be the top man in the country by taking one down.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Cate Blanchett - THE AVIATOR
Laura Linney - KINSEY
Virginia Madsen - SIDEWAYS
Sophie Okonedo - HOTEL RWANDA
Natalie Portman - CLOSER

Bam! Virginia Madsen should win! Sure, Cate Blanchett was a hot Kate Hepburn, but I don't think she got to show the huge range of emotions that Madsen got to show in Sideways. Madsen made me fall in love with Maya from the beginning and feel all her hurt when she learns the truth and then understand the need to make the phone call later.

DIRECTING
THE AVIATOR
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY
SIDEWAYS
VERA DRAKE

So, once again, Martin Scorsese gets a pity nomination for best director. He should have won in 1980 for Raging Bull and the Academy is trying to make up for that fuck-up. He's not the person who deserves to win, though; that person is Alexander Payne for Sideways. I can't really describe the melancholy perfection that is this movie. I can only say you need to go and see it yourself. Payne is the main cause, since he directed it and co-wrote the screenplay. Give this man an award.

MUSIC (SCORE)
FINDING NEVERLAND
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE VILLAGE

John Williams has not, in my opinion, written a better score than the one he wrote for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It has the amazing Potter theme he wrote for the first movie and it has more. It seems to me that Williams was willing to play with the music like the director was willing to play with the scenery. Go Williams!

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
BEFORE SUNSET
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
SIDEWAYS

Guess which one I want to win? Don't be an asshole, I want Sideways to win. I can't help it. This movie ruled. Go see it.

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
THE AVIATOR
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
HOTEL RWANDA
THE INCREDIBLES
VERA DRAKE

A large chunk of me would like to see The Incredibles win because it was fun, fast, and funny, but the winner should be (and probably will be) Charlie Kaufman's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Honestly, it if was up for best picture, this is the movie I'd choose. Kaufman crafted a masterpiece of twists and turns, never showing where he was leading us. Best movie out last year.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
THE INCREDIBLES
SHARK TALE
SHREK 2

What moron put Shark Tale in this category? That movie wasn't best anything. Even that stupid Disney movie Home on the Range was better and it sucked. Why not nominate The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, that was as funny as Shrek 2 and as charming as anything else out there? Probably because it was traditional cel animation and not CG animation, fuckers. Anyhow, the winner should and will be The Incredibles. The Incredibles gave me a grin throughout its entirety and on my walk out of the theater and for the rest of the day. Spectacular movie!

BEST PICTURE
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY
SIDEWAYS

Sideways. Do I need to say anything else?