October Oscar Predictions

It is now October, and we are finally past the point of buzz. Wishful thinking films (Rachel Getting Married, Happy-Go-Lucky) are popping up in theaters, and the festival circuit has presented us with two unforeseen contenders (Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler). Now is when Oscar season starts, and when it becomes interesting.

Best Picture

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
*Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Revolutionary Road
The WrestlerBest Director

Danny Boyle, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Jonathon Demme, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
*David Fincher, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Christopher Nolan, THE DARK KNIGHT
Gus Van Sant, MILK
Best Actor

Richard Jenkins, THE VISITOR
Frank Langella, FROST/NIXON
Sean Penn, MILK
Brad Pitt, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
*Mickey Rourke, THE WRESTLER

Best Actress

Anne Hathaway, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Sally Hawkins, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Angelina Jolie, CHANGELING
*Kristen Scott-Thomas, I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG
Kate Winslet, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Best Supporting Actor

*Josh Brolin, MILK
James Franco, MILK
Heath Ledger, THE DARK KNIGHT
Michael Shannon, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Michael Sheen, FROST/NIXON

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
*Viola Davis, DOUBT
Rosemarie Dewitt, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Marisa Tomei, THE WRESTLER
Debra Winger, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

Best Original Screenplay

*Dustin Lance Black, MILK
Mike Leigh, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Jenny Lumet, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Robert D. Siegel, THE WRESTLER
Andrew Stanton, WALL-E

Best Adapted Screenplay

*Simon Beaufoy, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Justin Haythe, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Peter Morgan, FROST/NIXON
Eric Roth, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
John Patrick Shanley, DOUBTBest Cinematography

Javier Aguirresarobe, THE ROAD
*Roger Deakins, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Claudio Miranda, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Wally Pfister, THE DARK KNIGHT
Harris Savides, MILK

Best Art Direction

*Donald Graham Burt, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Nathan Crowley, THE DARK KNIGHT
Guy Dyas, DEFIANCE
Catherine Martin, AUSTRALIA
Kristi Zea, REVOLUTIONARY ROADBest Film Editing

Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Chris Dickens, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
*Steven Rosemblum, DEFIANCE
Pietro Scalia, BODY OF LIES
Dylan Tichenor, DOUBT

Best Costume Design

Catherine Martin, AUSTRALIA
*Michael O'Connor, THE DUCHESS
Ann Roth, DOUBT
Jacqueline West, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Albert Wolsky, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Best Original Score

David Hirschfelder, AUSTRALIA
James Newton Howard, DEFIANCE
*Thomas Newman, WALL-E
Rachel Portman, THE DUCHESS
John Williams, INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

Best Original Song

"The Call" from THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
"Rock Me, Sexy Jesus" from HAMLET 2
"All Dressed In Love" from SEX AND THE CITY
"Down To Earth" from WALL-E
*"The Wrestler" from THE WRESTLER
Best Sound Editing

*The Dark Knight
Defiance
Iron Man
Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
WALL-E

Best Sound Mixing

Australia
*The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace
WALL-E

Best Make-Up

Fionagh Cush, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Peter Robb-King, THE DARK KNIGHT
*Toni G, THE ROAD

Best Visual Effects

Eric Barba, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
*Alexander Chaliovsky, IRON MAN
Nathan Madsuda, WALL-E

Best Foreign Language Film

The Class, dir. Laurent Cantet (France)
No One's Son, dir. Arsen Anton (Croatia)
Perro Como Perro, dir. Carlos Moreno (Colombia)
Three Monkeys, dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey)
*Waltz With Bashir, dir. Ari Folman (Israel)

Best Documantary Film-Feature

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, dir. Alex Gibney
*I.O.U.S.A., dir. Patrick Creadon
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, dir. Mirina Zenovich
Standard Operating Procedure, dir. Errol Morris

Best Animated Feature

Kung Fu Panda
The Tale of Desperaux
*WALL-E