Picks for the 2012 Oscars

Once again my wife and I have our annual competition on picking the nominees for best picture.  And as usual I spend time researching and she mainly just guesses.  And a good number of the years she wins, like last year.  So once again we go at it, I have been told to mention that she guessed on her answers and that will remain in effect until she wins and then she planned it that way.

Visual Effects
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi

While this movie did not earn any of the major nominations in acting, it is supposed to be an amazing looking film that I think will win most if not all of the technical awards.

Sound Mixing
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Les Miserables

Another remake of the classic this time from the Broadway musical.  It's the only musical nominated in this category so it seems like a cinch to win..

Sound Editing
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi

Les Mis was not nominated in this category and best bet is to go with Life of Pi on a technical award.


Cinematography
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi

From what I understand this is a lock up for this category, and of course another technical award.

Makeup & Hairstyling
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Les Miserables

Last year it was only makeup, now they've added hairstyling.  All I can say is, it's about time!  My guess is that Anne Hathaway cut her hair for Les Mis so it seems like a good choice.  Also going against Hitchcock and The Hobbit should make this one an empty netter.

Costume Design
Chris - Anna Karenina
Adam - Anna Karenina

This is one of those type of movies that are made for these categories and everyone has it to win.

Production Design
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Anna Karenina

Was known as Art Direction last year.  The first time we have a different film.  My guess is that the wife is sticking to the technical logic of Life of Pi, I'm sticking with it following costume design.

Film Editing
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Argo

Life of Pi will win many of the technical awards, but I don't think on this one, my reasoning I will mention later.  Ok, I can't wait, I think Argo will win Best Picture.

Music Original Song
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Skyfall

This could go either way since Les Miz is a popular musical, but I think people want to keep awarding Adele and the James Bond franchise.

Music Original Score
Chris - Skyfall
Adam - Life Of Pi

Either my wife is going with the James Bond theory or just a guess.  I'm going with I think this is another technical award Life of Pi will win.

Writing Adapted Screenplay
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Argo

This is the only major, besides Best Picture, that Life of Pi is nominated for so it could have a chance.  My theory is that they want to award Argo since Ben Affleck didn't get the Best Director nomination and since it will win Best Picture.

Writing Original Screenplay
Chris - Moonrise Kingdom
Adam - Zero Dark Thirty

This one looks like a toss up that anyone could win.  My theory is that they don't want Zero Dark Thirty to go away empty handed so this is a safe award to give to a film that won't win anything else.

Short Film Animated
Chris - Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare
Adam - Paperman

This is one that I hope to be wrong, but everyone on the web is saying that Paperman will win.  My guess is that they are being snobbish towards The Simpsons since it's a TV show.

Short Film Live Action
Chris - Death Of A Shadow
Adam -Death Of A Shadow

These are the pure wild cards of the Oscars, glad that I won't lose any ground since last year the wife went three for four and I went zero for four.

Documentary Short Subject
Chris - Redemption
Adam - Inocente

Write one through five on five pieces of paper, put it into a bag and pull out one of the strips.  That is the best way to chose these films, no way to even begin to guess.

Best Animated
Chris - Brave
Adam -Wreck-it Ralph

Usually there is a clear front runner, not this year so who knows.  Adam Carolla had a voice in Wreck-it Ralph so that's good enough for me.

Best Documentary
Chris - How To Survive A Plague
Adam - Searching For Sugar Man

You never know, this was the only one I heard of and people on the web were predicting it.  Maybe it was the only one they heard of too.

Best Foreign Language
Chris - Amour
Adam - Amour

This is the first time in many years I was aware of the best foreign language films, even saw the Canadian War Witch.  But seeing how Amour was also nominated for Best Picture it should make it a shoe-in for Best Foreign.

Best Supporting Actress
Chris - Anne Hathaway
Adam - Anne Hathaway

This is one of the most obvious ones to pick, everyone says she has it.

Best Supporting Actor
Chris - Christoph Waltz
Adam - Tommy Lee Jones

This is the most competitive award out there.  No one knows who will win, but these two are the front runners.  One of them should win.

Best Actress
Chris - Jennifer Lawrence
Adam - Jennifer Lawrence

Another obvious one, no one else is even in the running.

Best Actor
Chris - Daniel Day-Lewis
Adam - Daniel Day-Lewis

If he doesn't win then we know that the ballots were sent to Venezuela to be counted.

Best Director
Chris - Steven Spielberg
Adam - Steven Spielberg

This will be the highest award that Lincoln will win and since Ben Affleck didn't get nominated.

Best Picture
Chris - Argo
Adam - Argo


When the nominees were first announced it looked like Lincoln would win.  Since then Argo has been winning everything so it looks like it will take the top prize.