Oscar predictions have been coming in for months at other blogs. We at the Playground don't need to spend months speculating. One (expansive) list (with some obscure categories) shall do. It seems these things are pretty much set at this point, so I threw in some surprises because you never know with L.A. Check back Jan. 22 for an analysis of the awards and until Feb. 22 for our take on the major categories. And without further ado, here's the list.
Best Adapted Screeplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Screenplay
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Synecdoche, NY
The Visitor
The Wrestler
Best Cinematography
Australia
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Foreign Film
3 Monkeys (Turkey)
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Class (France)
Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Best Documentary Feature
Encounters at the End of the World
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water
Best Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
Something incredibly mainstream and kind of surprising
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins, Happy Go-Lucky
Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Love You So Long
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
Best Actor
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Best Animated Feature
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Waltz with Bashir
Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
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