This Year's Oscar Picks - Updated with winners
It's that time of year again, time to pick the Academy Award Winners. Although we've been rather negligent in our movie reviewing as of late, rest assured we've still been watching the nominees like fiends. Below are our picks for this year's Oscars (note: we've picked who we deemed most deserving of the Oscar and not necessarily who we think the Academy will honor):
Brandon's picks in blue, Sarai's picks in red, purple for agreement.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON
Peter O'Toole - VENUS
Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND *WINNER
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE *WINNER
Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz - VOLVER
Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN *WINNER
Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza - BABEL
Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS *WINNER
Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL
Best animated feature film of the year
CARS
HAPPY FEET *WINNER
MONSTER HOUSE
Achievement in art direction
DREAMGIRLS
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
PAN'S LABYRINTH *WINNER
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
THE PRESTIGE
Achievement in cinematography
THE BLACK DAHLIA
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE ILLUSIONIST
PAN'S LABYRINTH *WINNER
THE PRESTIGE
Achievement in costume design
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
MARIE ANTOINETTE *WINNER
THE QUEEN
Achievement in directing
BABEL
THE DEPARTED *WINNER
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
THE QUEEN
UNITED 93
Best documentary feature
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH *WINNER
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY
Achievement in film editing
BABEL
BLOOD DIAMOND
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED *WINNER
UNITED 93
Best foreign language film of the year
AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS *WINNER
PAN'S LABYRINTH
WATER
Achievement in makeup
APOCALYPTO
CLICK
PAN'S LABYRINTH *WINNER
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
BABEL *WINNER
THE GOOD GERMAN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH *WINNER
"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS
"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS
"Our Town" - CARS
"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS
Best motion picture of the year
BABEL
THE DEPARTED *WINNER
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN
Here is where the nominees for best live action and animated short films usually go, but they seem to be missing. I would like to say that The Danish poet should win for Best Animated Short (as A Gentleman's Duel cruelly didn't get a nod), and the hilarious West Bank Story should win for Best Live Action.
Achievement in sound editing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA *WINNER
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
Achievement in sound mixing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
DREAMGIRLS *WINNER
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
Achievement in visual effects
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST *WINNER
POSEIDON
SUPERMAN RETURNS
Adapted screenplay
BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED *WINNER
LITTLE CHILDREN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Original screenplay
BABEL
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE *WINNER
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN