By Rachel West, Sean Kelly and Shane McNeil
Best Adapted Screenplay
District 9 – Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
An Education – Nick Hornby
In the Loop – Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
Precious – Geoffrey Fletcher
Up in the Air – Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner
Rachel: It would be great to see Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell win for District 9. And Nick Hornby delivered a witty and insightful screenplay for An Education. But the award will likely go to Jason Reitman for Up in the Air. Up in the Air was an all-around enjoyable film, a little unremarkable, but still an intelligent script.
Will win: Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Should win: Nick Hornby, An Education
Sean: If Up in the Air wins any Oscars, it will be this one. I also wouldn’t mind if the screenplay for District 9 wins.
Will win: Up in the Air
Should win: District 9
Shane: Up in the Air was the early frontrunner and the AMPAS just seems to love Jason Reitman. This is their chance to do it despite my personal vendetta against the guy and my stance that Nick Hornby’s script was far superior and lasting.
Will win: Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Should Win: Nick Hornby, An Education
Best Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker – Mark Boal
Inglourious Basterds – Quentin Tarantino
The Messenger – Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman
A Serious Man – Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Up – Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Thomas McCarthy
Rachel: The Inglourious Basterd himself, Quentin Tarantino should pick up the Best Original Screenplay award. His best competition here is the Coen brothers’ A Serious Man, which doesn’t have enough accolades behind it to make it a serious challenge to Tarantino.
Will win: Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Should win: Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Sean: Tarantino spent well over a decade perfecting his script for Inglourious Basterds. If that film wins anything (other that Best Supporting Actor), it will be for its screenplay.
Will win: Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Should win: Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Shane: As much as this year is boiling down to Avatar vs. Hurt Locker, Quentin has remained the man in the shadows waiting to steal the show. I think he’ll come up short in the best picture race, but the writers will seize the opportunity to reward him here.
Will win: Inglourious Basterds
Should Win: Inglourious Basterds
Best Directing
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
James Cameron for Avatar
Lee Daniels for Precious
Jason Reitman for Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
Rachel: The latest thinking is that James Cameron could grab the award for Best Director while Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker claims the Best Picture statue. Bigelow should emerge triumphant here based on the love the Director’s Guild has shown her, and she has picked up virtually all the Film Critics’ Awards. It has got to feel good winning so many accolades in a category where your ex-husband, James “King of the World” Cameron is also nominated. Cameron’s Avatar Golden Globe and his Titanic Oscars will have to keep him company on March 7th, because he’ll be going home without the Best Director trophy.
Will win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Should win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Sean: Bigelow has been winning directorial awards left and right, including the director’s guild award (in which the winner traditionally also won the Oscar). That said, it’s a safe bet that Bigelow will win this Oscar no matter what.
Will win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Should win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Shane: It will not surprise me if they end up splitting director and picture this year, but with the DGA having tabbed Bigelow, I like her chances. It was the best film of the lot and it’s high-time a woman busted the door to the boys’ club down.
Will Win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Should Win: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
Rachel: I can barely come up with 5 films from 2009 that I think should be up for a best picture award, let alone 10. The Best Picture winner has to be The Hurt Locker. I saw it at TIFF 2008 and it’s a film whose images still haunt me almost 18 months later. It’s a smart, well-composed film on all accounts, without being too preachy about saving our troops. While Avatar isn’t terrible, it’s not remarkable in terms of directing, acting, or storyline, and an award for Avatar is merely awarding the state-of-the-art special effects.
Will win: The Hurt Locker
Should win: The Hurt Locker
Sean: As the Oscar race began, it seemed almost certain that Avatar was going to win, just like it did at the Golden Globes. However, the buzz started shifting more towards The Hurt Locker, as that film started winning more and more awards (including Best Picture at the BAFTAs). I finally managed to see The Hurt Locker recently and I have to say that it is impossible to even think about comparing it to Avatar – they are on two completely opposite ends of the spectrum. That said, I am going to follow the changing direction of the winds and pick The Hurt Locker to come out on top at Oscar night.
Will Win: The Hurt Locker
Should win: The Hurt Locker
Shane: Again, a Locker/Avatar split would not surprise me, but – as much of an achievement as Avatar was – it was not as strong a film from top to bottom as Hurt Locker. It doesn’t have the actors’ support and the script’s weakness all but kills any hope it has from the tech group.
Will Win: The Hurt Locker
Should Win: The Hurt Locker
I would like to point out to all my fellow MONDO writers that even though I didn’t submit my predictions and I have no way to prove it, I was totally right in each and every category. So, you know, if there were any prizes, I should get them.
That is all.