After weeks of build-up, our final Oscar prediction is here. Check out our previous predictions and don't forget to come back Sunday for our Oscar LIVE BLOG. Because there is no point in addressing the nature of this award, we'll just skip to the nominees and winner Slumdog Millionaire.
The Nominees
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
It's been close to 15 years since Forrest Gump eased its way into the hearts of Americans and critics alike. Now, another sweeping, American epic is up for Oscar gold. But Benjamin Button, in all its cinematic and technical glory, lacks an real emotional oomph. Expect David Fincher's 3-hour film to pick up some technical wins--maybe even Best Supporting Actress--but to falter in this circle of glory.
Ron Howard's adaptation of the Broadway hit is the safest Oscar bet--like every other Ron Howard picture. Frost/Nixon is a much easier picture to decipher than Benjamin Button, but it still really lacks punch. It's a great film--not to say every Best Picture has deserved its win--but Frost/Nixon just doesn't feel like a best picture.
Like, say, every other category (especially Best Directing), Gus Van Sant's Harvey Milk biopic is playing second fiddle to Slumdog Millionaire. That said, it seems the best candidate to upset Slumdog and it has Prop 8 to thank for that.
If The Reader wins, we can only hope the Oscars don't live to see an 82nd year. Harvey Weinstein's brilliant campaigning or not, Nazis sex loses.
For the past two Academy Awards, the little film that could was a comedy. This year, it's Danny Boyle's gimmicky drama about a little boy from the slums overcoming the odds, striking it rich and finding love. It's a hopeful story in the Barack Obama presidency that everyone is saying is destined for Oscar glory. Well the hype killed it for me, I can't deny that it will win. Thus...
The Winner: Slumdog Millionaire
It's not exciting. It's not going to draw viewers. It would be more exciting if The Dark Knight or especially WALL-E were fighting in this category, but predictability is a fact of the Oscars.
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