Carolinian

Issue date: 2/13/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment

The Academy will award the best (or what it feels is the best) in film of 2006 on Sunday, Feb. 25. Here are my picks for what the Academy will likely select, what I would select, and my humble two cents about each category.

Best Picture:
Babel
The Departed
The Queen
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine

The Academy Will Select: Little Miss Sunshine
My Pick: Little Miss Sunshine
Comments: The Departed is the favorite, but Little Miss Sunshine is the sleeper. I don't see the Academy selecting Babel because it's so similar to Crash, last year's winner.

Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

The Academy Will Select: Forest Whitaker
My Pick: Forest Whitaker
Comments: Forest Whitaker was amazing and deserves to win. Hopefully even the Academy won't blow this one.

Best Actress:
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet, Little Children
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal

The Academy Will Select: Helen Mirren
My Pick: Helen Mirren
Comments: Mirren seems the closest thing there is to an Oscar sure thing.

Best Supporting Actor:
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children

The Academy Will Select: Eddie Murphy
My Pick: Jack Nicholson, The Departed
Comments: All Wahlberg did was cuss like a northern-accented sailor, and he wasn't even the best supporting actor in The Departed. I know he's been nominated a plethora of times before, but where's the love for Jack, Academy?

Best Supporting Actress:
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine

The Academy Will Select: Jennifer Hudson
My Pick: Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Comments: Meryl Streep may have made The Devil Wears Prada, but her role was still more of a supporting role. Hudson can sing spectacularly; her acting left something to be desired.

Best Director:
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Paul Greengrass, United 93

The Academy Will Select: Martin Scorsese
My Pick: Alfonso Cuaron, Children of Men
Comments: If Scorsese doesn't win this year, he never will. I loved Cuaron's distinct style and precise timing in Children of Men.

Best Animated Film:
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

The Academy Will Select: Cars
My Pick: Cars
Comments: Pixar does it again.

Original Screenplay:
Babel
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
Pan's Labyrinth
The Queen

The Academy Will Select: Babel
My Pick: Little Miss Sunshine
Comments: The writing is what made Little Miss Sunshine so great.

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