Just in time for the Oscars.
I’ve seen most of the films nominated this year (aside of the final few categories involving the documentaries that you can hardly get locally) so most of my picks listed below are from my own personal opinion. I have to admit that some of my picks were influenced by what I have read on the net and in magazines but I’m fairly certain these choices represent the popular choice.
I really want to have “Brokeback Mountain” to win all the categories that film is nominated but I have a feeling that won’t happen this year as the other nominees in some of the categories are really hard to beat. The only sure thing that I think will happen on Oscar night would be that “King Kong” would roll over everyone in the technical categories.
The rest is still up in the air which makes this year’s Oscar something worth while to look forward to.
Nick’s Picks -
(6/3/2006 - updated with the winners list)
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Brokeback Mountain - Diana Ossana, James Schamus
Capote - Caroline Baron, William Vince, Michael Ohoven
Crash - Paul Haggis, Cathy Schulman
Good Night, and Good Luck. - Grant Heslov
Munich - Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Barry Mendel
Nick’s pick – Brokeback Mountain - Diana Ossana, James Schamus
Winner - Crash - Paul Haggis, Cathy Schulman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote
Terrence Howard for Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger for Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix for Walk the Line
David Strathairn for Good Night, and Good Luck.
Nick’s pick - Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote
Winner - Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Judi Dench for Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman for Transamerica
Keira Knightley for Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron for North Country
Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line
Nick’s pick - Felicity Huffman for Transamerica
Winner - Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
George Clooney for Syriana
Matt Dillon for Crash
Paul Giamatti for Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal for Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt for A History of Violence
Nick’s pick - Matt Dillon for Crash
Winner - George Clooney for Syriana
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams for Junebug
Catherine Keener for Capote
Frances McDormand for North Country
Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams for Brokeback Mountain
Nick’s pick - Michelle Williams for Brokeback Mountain
Winner - Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardener
Best Achievement in Directing
George Clooney for Good Night, and Good Luck.
Paul Haggis for Crash
Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain
Bennett Miller for Capote
Steven Spielberg for Munich
Nick’s pick - Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain
Winner - Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Crash - Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco
Good Night, and Good Luck. - George Clooney, Grant Heslov
Match Point - Woody Allen
The Squid and the Whale - Noah Baumbach
Syriana - Stephen Gaghan
Nick’s pick - Crash - Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco
Winner - Crash - Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Brokeback Mountain - Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
Capote - Dan Futterman
The Constant Gardener - Jeffrey Caine
A History of Violence - Josh Olson
Munich - Tony Kushner, Eric Roth
Nick’s pick - Brokeback Mountain - Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
Winner - Brokeback Mountain - Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Batman Begins - Wally Pfister
Brokeback Mountain - Rodrigo Prieto
Good Night, and Good Luck. - Robert Elswit
Memoirs of a Geisha - Dion Beebe
The New World - Emmanuel Lubezki
Nick’s pick - Brokeback Mountain - Rodrigo Prieto
Winner - Memoirs of a Geisha - Dion Beebe
Best Achievement in Editing
Cinderella Man - Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
The Constant Gardener - Claire Simpson
Crash - Hughes Winborne
Munich - Michael Kahn
Walk the Line - Michael McCusker
Nick’s pick - Crash - Hughes Winborne
Winner - Crash - Hughes Winborne
Best Achievement in Art Direction
Good Night, and Good Luck. - James D. Bissell, Jan Pascale
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Stuart Craig, Stephanie McMillan
King Kong - Grant Major, Dan Hennah, Simon Bright
Memoirs of a Geisha - John Myhre, Gretchen Rau
Pride & Prejudice - Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
Nick’s pick - King Kong - Grant Major, Dan Hennah, Simon Bright
Winner - Memoirs of a Geisha - John Myhre, Gretchen Rau
Best Achievement in Costume Design
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Gabriella Pescucci
Memoirs of a Geisha - Colleen Atwood
Mrs. Henderson Presents - Sandy Powell
Pride & Prejudice - Jacqueline Durran
Walk the Line - Arianne Phillips
Nick’s pick - Memoirs of a Geisha - Colleen Atwood
Winner - Memoirs of a Geisha - Colleen Atwood
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Brokeback Mountain - Gustavo Santaolalla
The Constant Gardener - Alberto Iglesias
Memoirs of a Geisha - John Williams
Munich - John Williams
Pride & Prejudice - Dario Marianelli
Nick’s pick - Munich - John Williams
Winner - Brokeback Mountain - Gustavo Santaolalla
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Hustle & Flow - Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, Paul Beauregard "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp"
Crash - Michael Becker, Kathleen York "In the Deep"
Transamerica - Dolly Parton "Travelin' Thru"
Nick’s pick - Transamerica - Dolly Parton "Travelin' Thru"
Winner - Hustle & Flow - Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, Paul Beauregard "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp"
Best Achievement in Makeup
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Howard Berger, Tami Lane
Cinderella Man - David LeRoy Anderson, Lance Anderson
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - Dave Elsey, Annette Miles
Nick’s pick - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - Dave Elsey, Annette Miles
Winner - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Howard Berger, Tami Lane
Best Achievement in Sound
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Terry Porter, Dean A. Zupancic, Tony Johnson
King Kong - Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, Hammond Peek
Memoirs of a Geisha - Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, Rick Kline, John Pritchett
Walk the Line - Paul Massey, Doug Hemphill, Peter F. Kurland
War of the Worlds - Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Ron Judkins
Nick’s pick - King Kong - Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, Hammond Peek
Winner - King Kong - Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, Hammond Peek
Best Achievement in Sound Editing
King Kong - Mike Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn
Memoirs of a Geisha - Wylie Stateman
War of the Worlds - Richard King
Nick’s pick - King Kong - Mike Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn
Winner - King Kong - Mike Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Dean Wright, Bill Westenhofer, Jim Berney, Scott Farrar
King Kong - Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers, Richard Taylor
War of the Worlds - Pablo Helman, Dennis Muren, Randy Dutra, Daniel Sudick
Nick’s pick - King Kong - Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers, Richard Taylor
Winner - King Kong - Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers, Richard Taylor
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Corpse Bride - Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Howl’s Moving Castle - Hayao Miyazaki
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - Steve Box, Nick Park
Nick’s pick - Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - Steve Box, Nick Park
Winner - Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - Steve Box, Nick Park
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Don’t Tell - Cristina Comencini (Italy)
Joyeux Noël - Christian Carion (France)
Paradise Now - Hany Abu-Assad (Palestine)
Sophie Scholl – The Final Days - Marc Rothemund (Germany)
Tsotsi - Gavin Hood (South Africa)
Nick’s pick - Paradise Now - Hany Abu-Assad (Palestine)
Winner - Tsotsi - Gavin Hood (South Africa)
Best Documentary, Features
Darwin's Nightmare - Hubert Sauper
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room - Alex Gibney, Jason Kliot
March of the Penguins - Luc Jacquet, Yves Darondeau
Murderball - Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro
Street Fight - Marshall Curry
Nick’s pick – March of the Penguins - Luc Jacquet, Yves Darondeau
Winner - March of the Penguins - Luc Jacquet, Yves Darondeau
Best Documentary, Short Subjects
God Sleeps in Rwanda - Kimberlee Acquaro, Stacy Sherman
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin - Corinne Marrinan, Eric Simonson
The Life of Kevin Carter - Dan Krauss
The Mushroom Club - Steven Okazaki
Nick’s pick – nil because I've seen none of the titles nominated
Winner - A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin - Corinne Marrinan, Eric Simonson
Best Short Film, Animated
Badgered - Sharon Colman
The Moon and the Son - John Canemaker, Peggy Stern
The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello - Anthony Lucas
9 - Shane Acker
One Man Band - Mark Andrews, Andrew Jimenez
Nick’s pick – nil because I've seen none of the titles nominated
Winner - The Moon and the Son - John Canemaker, Peggy Stern
Best Short Film, Live Action
The Runaway - Ulrike Grote
Cashback - Sean Ellis, Lene Bausager
The Last Farm - Rúnar Rúnarsson, Þórir Snær Sigurjónsson
Our Time Is Up - Rob Pearlstein, Pia Clemente
Six Shooter - Martin McDonagh
Nick’s pick – nil because I've seen none of the titles nominated
Winner - Six Shooter - Martin McDonagh