I rarely watch the Oscars. Most of the time it’s because I’m someplace with no cable, but really it’s because I find them boring. I just wanna know who wins and be done with it! I don’t care who’s wearing who and I cheer when the actors are told to shut up during their way too long acceptance speeches. Although, hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin give anyone 2 good reasons to watch this year.
Anyway, everyone’s got films they’re rooting for, so I figured I’d share my picks for the Oscars – In the categories people REALLY care about. Honestly, who has arguments over who should have won best sound mixing? Sorry, but it’s the truth.
You can find the full list of all the nominations here.

Lead Actor – Colin Firth
I don’t think Colin Firth gets as much credit as he deserves, especially for his performance in A Single Man. Jeff Bridges is a close runner up and he may be the one to take the award home anyway. Who should NOT win: George Clooney and Morgan Freeman. Love ‘em both, but come on, not this year, not in these films.
Lead Actress - Gabourey Sidibe
Tough role for any actress, let alone a newcomer. She has my respect for making acting seem effortless and turning in a powerful performance. Who should NOT win: Meryl Streep. Have you seen Julie and Julia?
Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz
Waltz controlled every scene he was in and from the first minute he made you hate his character’s guts, but also respect his intelligence. He’s a sure thing for this award. Who should NOT win: Matt Damon.
Supporting Actress - Mo’Nique
Again, with such a strong role and performance by Mo’Nique, all the other nominees pale in comparison. Who should NOT win: Penelope Cruz.

Directing - Quentin Tarantino
Maybe this is his year. You can’t deny his ability to cast and direct his actors pitch perfectly. Who should NOT win: James Cameron. If he wins Best Director, I’m gonna kick my foot through my TV.
Best Picture – Inglourious Basterds
With 10 films nominated this year, there was a lot to pick from, but this is the one I could watch over and over again. What films should definitely NOT win: Avatar, The Blind Side, Up, and Up in the Air.
Visual Effects - District 9
You might be thinking, wait, what about Avatar? Well, very simply, I hated Avatar with all my being. But simply hating a movie does not justify not giving it an award. I honestly feel District 9 deserves the Visual Effects Oscar because it’s effects were invisible to the viewer. On the other hand, while watching Avatar I was consciously aware at all times that what I was seeing were computer generated images.
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Alright, so those are the ones I think people care most about. If you wish to continue on, here’s a simple list of my other picks.
Animated Feature Film - Up
Art Direction - The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Cinematography - Inglourious Basterds
Costume Design - Nine
Documentary Feature - The Cove
Film Editing - District 9
Music (Original Score) - Sherlock Holmes
Sound Editing - The Hurt Locker
Sound Mixing - Star Trek
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - District 9
Writing (Original Screenplay) - Inglourious Basterds

I’ll agree with most of your picks – except Visual Effects. As much as I loved District 9, and even though it did have awesome Special FX, Avatar destroyed all other competition. There is no way that award doesn’t go to Avatar.
Also, is it just me or are the sound categories almost always impossible to predict the winner?
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