Made in Richmond

Time for the 2008 Oscar pick ‘em. Here’s what I’m thinking…

1. Actor in a leading role: Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood

2. Actor in a supporting role: Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men

3. Actress in a leading role: Julie Christie - Away From Her

4. Actress in a supporting role: Amy Ryan - Gone, Baby, Gone

5. Animated feature: Persepolis

6. Art direction: Sweeney Todd

7. Cinematography: Atonement

8. Costume design: Sweeney Todd

9. Directing: The Cohen Bros. - No Country For Old Men

10. Documentary feature: Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience

11. Documentary short: Sari’s Mother

12. Film editing: There Will Be Blood

13. Foreign language film: Katyn

14. Makeup: Pirates of the Caribbean - At World’s End

15. Music (score): Atonement

16. Music (song): That’s How You Know (from Enchanted)

17. Best picture: No Country For Old Men

18. Short film (animated): My Love

19. Short film (live action): At Night

20. Sound editing: Transformers

21. Sound mixing: Transformers

22. Visual effects: Pirates of the Caribbean - At World’s End

23. Writing (adapted screenplay): Atonement

24. Writing (original screenplay): Juno

And you?

Ross, Susan, Justin, and I are in a battle to the death. Whoever gets the most Oscar picks correct wins food-my favorite kind of reward. Picks aren’t due until tomorrow at 10am but I’m doing this now because I am, well, WORKING at 10am. Justin has devised some genius points system that causes the skin around my skull to almost split because my brain doesn’t understand it. He works for Capital One, so I figure he knows what he’s doing in the whole math/statistics arena.

We are required to pick for all 20-something categories. Some of my picks are based on my actual experiences with the movies or my understanding of the award show trends. The rest will be pulled out of my bottom. So, here we go, here we go now…

1. Actor in a Leading Role: Forest Whitaker-The Last King of Scotland
2. Actor in a Supporting Role: Mark Wahlberg-The Departed
3. Actress in a Leading Role: Hellen Mirren-The Queen
4. Actress in a Supporting Role: Jennifer Hudson-Dreamgirls
5. Animated Feature Film: Cars
6. Art Direction: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
7. Cinemtography: Children of Men
8. Costume Design: Dreamgirls
9. Directing: The Departed
10. Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth
11. Documentary Short: The Blood of Yingzhou District
12. Film Editing: United 93
13. Foreign Language: Pan’s Labyrinth
14. Makeup: Pan’s Labyrinth
15. Music (Score): Babel
16. Music (Song): Love you I do from Dreamgirls
17. Best Picture: The Departed
18. Short Film (Animated): No Time for Nuts
19. Short Film: (Live Action): Binta and the Great Idea
20. Sound Editing: Blood Diamond
21. Sound Mixing: Dreamgirls
22. Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
23. Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Notes on a Scandal
24. Writing (Original Screenplay): Little Miss Sunshine

Some of these selections are who I think *should* win and who I think *will* win. I had to put some of the shoulds in there because maybe me putting it out there will help them out. I’m not really concerned about doing well on this poll, though. My contribution to the winner are pigs and a blanket which I love making/eating/eating all of them.