With the Oscars only a few hours away, it’s time to start placing your bets on your picks for this year’s winners. Will “The Social Network” win Best Picture? Will Natalie Portman finally win an Oscar? And will Firth bring home the gold? Here are my predictions for tonight. Also, be sure to follow along here for our live-blog at 7 p.m.
BEST PICTURE
Who will win: “True Grit”/ “The King’s Speech”
The Best Picture category has some heavy contenders, and it’s difficult to predict whose side the Oscar voters will take. But “The King’s Speech” and The Coen Brothers’ “True Grit,” both polished, period pieces with seasoned actors, veteran directors and classic tales, are both the perfect candidates to win the Oscar.
Who should win: “The Social Network”
Two years ago, when it was announced that a movie about Facebook starring Justin Timberlake would be made, who didn’t roll their eyes? But David Fincher shocked us all with “The Social Network,” which largely has been hailed as the watershed film of a new generation. It’s hard to disagree. The film’s slick dialogue and magnetic performances combined to make one of the most riveting films of the past 10 years.
BEST ACTOR
Who will win: Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”
The Academy often likes to give Oscars to actors who are long overdue for recognition. With that in mind, this is definitely Firth’s year. Nominated for his lead role last year in Tom Ford’s “A Single Man,” the actor, who lost to Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” (who also was long overdue), is destined to take home the Oscar.
Who should win: Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”
Firth definitely brought out the big guns in “The King’s Speech.” His role as England’s stammering King George VI was by far the highest caliber performance in the category.
BEST ACTRESS
Who will win: Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
The four-time nominee also is long overdue for a win. The veteran actress, who plays a controlling mom in a lesbian relationship in “The Kids Are All Right,” has been vying for an Oscar since 1991. Also, Hilary Swank isn’t around to trump her this time.
Who should win: Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Portman has always been a Hollywood darling and her role as Nina Sayers in Darren Aronofsky’s haunting “Black Swan” proved to be the most difficult performance of her career. And she pulled it off by making us all feel like we were living her ballerina nightmare.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Who will win: Goeffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech”
Even though Rush already has an Oscar sitting at home for his role in “Shine,” the actor has been back as a nominee three times since that win for his performances in “Quills” and “Shakespeare In Love.” It might be time for Rush to take home a second statue one for his endearing performance as King George VI’s speech therapist in “The King’s Speech.”
Who should win:Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
Bale’s performance as real-life ex-boxer and former junkie Dicky Eklund is a knockout. It’s impossible to take your eyes off the actor from the moment he appears on screen to the moment he says goodbye. He has an incredible ability to transform himself into polarizing characters (Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho”).
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Who will win: Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Adams’ role as the feisty, strong-willed girlfriend is the perfect choice for Best Supporting Actress, especially when she’s already been nominated twice for two dramatically different performances (a nun in “Doubt” and a pregnant teen in “Junebug”) in this category.
Who should win:Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
When you walk out of a movie hating an actress because of her character, it’s often a sign she did a great job. Leo was perhaps one of the most evil villains I’ve seen in a film. Her performance as the trashy, ruthless working-class mom in “The Fighter” is hands down the best in the category.
