George's unfounded Oscar predictions...

I have not seen most of these films. I am merely predicting based on industry buzz.

1. Best Picture: "Atonement," "Juno," "Michael Clayton," "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood."
I think that No Country For Old Men will take it. Atonement is my back-up, as it won the Golden Globe. So, the question is; Is it a Golden Globe kind of movie or an Oscar kind of movie? I stand by No Country.

2. Actor: George Clooney, "Michael Clayton"; Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"; Johnny Depp, "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street"; Tommy Lee Jones, "In the Valley of Elah"; Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises."
I'd really like Johnny Depp to win, but I haven't heard anything about There Will Be Blood other than how amazing Daniel Day-Lewis and Javier Bardem's performances are. It's apparently Their Movie, and I think they will reward them each in the acting field for it.

3. Actress: Cate Blanchett, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"; Julie Christie, "Away From Her"; Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose"; Laura Linney, "The Savages"; Ellen Page, "Juno."
I am pretty surprised by the fact that Cate Blanchett is in the running, especially by how savaged the film ended up being by critics. I've only seen clips, but she gives one of the most affected, I-want-to-be-Katherine-Hepburn performances I have ever seen her do. I actually think give the award to either Golden Globe winners: Julie Chrisie, or Marion Cotillard. So, it comes down to rewarding an institution or a newcomer. I am going to go for institution; Christie has it.

4. Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"; Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"; Hal Holbrook, "Into the Wild"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War"; Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton."
I'm expecting Javier Bardem to win.

5. Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There"; Ruby Dee, "American Gangster"; Saoirse Ronan, "Atonement"; Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"; Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."
I honestly have no idea. For the sake of argument, I will say Cate Blanchett, who won the Golden Globe.

6. Director: Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"; Jason Reitman, "Juno"; Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"; Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood."
Seriously, no Tim Burton makes me sad. I think the Coen brothers have this sewn up.

7. Foreign Film: "Beaufort," Israel; "The Counterfeiters," Austria; "Katyn," Poland; "Mongol," Kazakhstan; "12," Russia.
Israel.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Christopher Hampton, "Atonement"; Sarah Polley, "Away from Her"; Ronald Harwood, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"; Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"; Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood."
This is where Atonement will win.

9. Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno"; Nancy Oliver, "Lars and the Real Girl"; Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"; Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava and Jim Capobianco, "Ratatouille"; Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages."
This is where Michael Clayton will win.

10. Animated Feature Film: "Persepolis"; "Ratatouille"; "Surf's Up."
Ratatouille. I am very surprised that The Simpsons Movie didn't get nominated. Is there are rule that only 3 animated films can be listed, because that's all I have ever seen.

11. Art Direction: "American Gangster," "Atonement," "The Golden Compass," "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street," "There Will Be Blood."
I am expecting Sweeney Todd will win this one if no others.

12. Cinematography: "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," "Atonement," "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood."
They actually all have an equal shot, I think. For the same of argument, No Country For Old Men.

13. Sound Mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum," "No Country for Old Men," "Ratatouille," "3:10 to Yuma," "Transformers."
3:10.

14. Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum," "No Country for Old Men," "Ratatouille," "There Will Be Blood," "Transformers."
No Country.

15. Original Score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli; "The Kite Runner," Alberto Iglesias; "Michael Clayton," James Newton Howard; "Ratatouille," Michael Giacchino; "3:10 to Yuma," Marco Beltrami.
I'm going with James Newton Howard for this one.

16. Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova; "Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; "Raise It Up" from "August Rush," Nominees to be determined; "So Close" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; "That's How You Know" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.
Either Enchanted will go the Dreamgirls route (3 noms, no wins), or it will win one. I'm guessing "So Close."

17. Costume: "Across the Universe," "Atonement," "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," "La Vie en Rose," "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Elizabeth.

18. Documentary Feature: "No End in Sight," "Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience," "Sicko," "Taxi to the Dark Side," "War/Dance."
Sicko.

19. Documentary (short subject): "Freeheld," "La Corona (The Crown)," "Salim Baba," "Sari's Mother."
Haven't heard anything about any of these.

20. Film Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum," "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "Into the Wild," "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood."
There Will Be Blood.

21. Makeup: "La Vie en Rose," "Norbit," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."
Norbit got nominated for an Academy Award. Seriously. They may actually win.

22. Animated Short Film: "I Met the Walrus," "Madame Tutli-Putli," "Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)," "My Love (Moya Lyubov)," "Peter & the Wolf."
Haven't heard anything about any of these.

23. Live Action Short Film: "At Night," "Il Supplente (The Substitute)," "Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)," "Tanghi Argentini," "The Tonto Woman."
Haven't heard anything about any of these.

24. Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," "Transformers."
The Golden Compass.