Every year the world of cinema goes on a journey to see which films have accomplished the most. It all begins with various critics' association award ceremonies followed by the Golden Globes and then various guilds that award directors, screen actors and producers for their stunning achievements. At the end of all these award shows is the biggest ceremony of them all: the Academy Awards. \nNow in its 77th year, the 2005 Academy Awards ceremony is set to be one interesting event. The Oscars are comprised of 24 different categories ranging from every technical aspect of the film (editing, cinematography, etc.) to musical scores to various animated and live-action short films. The main categories rest in Best Picture, Best Director and the four Best Acting slots for both leading and supporting roles. \nIn preparation for the event, five Weekend reviewers have pooled their knowledge to predict the outcome of the six most talked about categories this year. To find out the who wins, catch the Academy Awards on Sunday beginning at 8 p.m. on the ABC network.
CHRIS WISNER\nBest Picture -- "The Aviator"\nIt's easily the best picture of the year because of its massive scale, moving storyline and brilliant performances from the entire cast. "The Aviator" is moviemaking at its finest and it shows through and through. On top of it all, it's definitely the most passionate undertaking director Martin Scorsese has taken since "Goodfellas."
Best Director -- Martin Scorsese, "The Aviator"\n"The Aviator" sees a return to form for Scorsese, echoing the distinct style found in his earlier Oscar-nominated gems. With the source material being so rooted in classic Hollywood cinema, handing the duties to Scorsese was the perfect choice because of his great love for this era of filmmaking. Expect Scorsese to finally walk out with the gold he deserved so long ago.
Best Actor -- Jamie Foxx, "Ray"\nWhile every actor turned in a simply amazing performance this year, Jamie Foxx became Ray Charles in "Ray." From the overall look to his upbeat swaying in front of the piano, Foxx has already conquered practically all the other big award ceremonies this year and now he's set to put the icing on the cake with an Oscar win.
Best Actress -- Annette Bening, "Being Julia"\nShe was overlooked the last time around for her amazing work in "American Beauty" and was even beat out by Hilary Swank. This year though, Annette Bening is in the perfect position to take home the Oscar. It's a close race to call, but my money is on Bening coming out on top.
Best Supporting Actor -- Morgan Freeman, "Million Dollar Baby"\nFreeman has deserved an Oscar every single time he's been nominated in the past but he keeps getting the shaft. There's no way Foxx is walking out with both Oscars this year and the rest of the nominees don't come anywhere close to Freeman's amazing acting ability.
Best Supporting Actress -- Cate Blanchett, "The Aviator"\nBlanchett's performance this year as Katharine Hepburn is simply dead-on. She captured every single characteristic of the classical Hollywood actress and the Oscars love to honor those who dedicate a role to previous acting legends, especially one as impressive as Hepburn's. Blanchett's performance is the best one out of this year's nominees.
TONY SAMS\nBest Picture -- "The Aviator"\nMartin Scorsese's "The Aviator" is a soaring epic, with strong performances and great technical aspects -- let alone being just a better movie than "Million Dollar Baby," which feels too grim to be the best picture of the year.
Best Director -- Clint Eastwood, "Million Dollar Baby"\nWill the Academy finally acknowledge Martin Scorsese's body of work as one of the greatest living American directors? Nope, but I hope I'm wrong. Eastwood picked up the Director's Guild Award, so I expect him to flutter away with the golden statuette.
Best Actor -- Jamie Foxx, "Ray"\nFoxx is the actor Hollywood loves right now in the performance everyone loved last fall. I don't feel like any other nominee particularly poses a threat, and with Ray Charles sweeping the Grammys posthumously, it'd only be fitting to cap it off with Foxx's performance.
Best Actress -- Imelda Staunton, "Vera Drake" \nGranted, Staunton is the dark horse, and Hilary Swank has been publicized through the roof. Though, Staunton has swept nearly every film critic's awards for her powerful, subtle performance in "Vera Drake," and will eke out the win.
Best Supporting Actor -- Morgan Freeman, "Million Dollar Baby"\nJilted by the Academy for "Driving Miss Daisy" and "The Shawshank Redemption," Freeman delivers a performance in "Million Dollar Baby" that clearly deserves to win the Oscar. It's about damn time, too.
Best Supporting Actress -- Cate Blanchett, "The Aviator"\nThe horserace is between Blanchett and Virginia Madsen from "Sideways." Either could win. Either would be fine. Only one will win though, and it'll be Blanchett for her indelibly casual turn as Katharine Hepburn.
MARK PERLMAN-PRICE\nBest Picture - "Million Dollar Baby"\nLooking over the list of nominees made me realize how weak this year's film selection was. Out of the other nominees, "Million Dollar Baby" probably received the most positive reviews/commentary and deservedly so. A disappointed (for not winning Best Director), yet moved Clint Eastwood, will have the last thank-you at the Oscars.
Directing - Martin Scorsese, "The Aviator"\nContinuing the theme that the Oscars are not entirely about specific performances, but rather about the movie industry as a whole, I think Scorsese will finally earn the Best Director nod for a film that probably wouldn't rank in his top five. This award will be more of a recognition of his greater works like "Raging Bull" and his amazing career as a whole. It's virtually fact that the Academy gives Oscars to older people who have never won before.
Best Actor - Jamie Foxx, "Ray"\nThe experts and a Golden Globe win have made Foxx the front-runner for Best Actor, but what really put him in that position was his incredible performance. Foxx has removed his name from being associated with movies like "Booty Call" and "The Players Club," and has now established himself as one of the premier actors in Hollywood.
Best Actress - Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby"\nThis is one of those movies that everyone in Hollywood loves and could inexplicably sweep the Oscars. Whether that happens or not, this is a category it will probably take anyway. Swank has an uncanny ability for playing men or being in a position that is traditionally associated with males (i.e. boxing) and she has received rave reviews for her performance.
Best Supporting Actor - Clive Owen, "Closer"\nIf everyone in the Academy watched all the performances in this category and really examined them, then Owen's should be a hands-down favorite. In a movie focused entirely on dialogue and character development rather than action, Owen does a superb job playing both a charming husband and a crazed, jealous man.
Best Supporting Actress - Sophie Okonedo, "Hotel Rwanda" \nArguably the weakest category this year, I'd say it's a toss up between Okonedo and Portman. "Hotel Rwanda" is critically acclaimed for its moving nature and being based on a true story, which earns it major sentiment points. The bottom line is I think "Hotel Rwanda" won't receive many awards overall, and I tend to believe the Academy will think they owe it to them to give them at least one major award, but that's also more of a Grammys type thing to do.
TT UMPHRESS\nBest Picture - "Million Dollar Baby"\n"Ray" and "Finding Neverland" are token nominations and "Sideways" has lost most of its steam in the past month. So it's a two-way race between "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Aviator." "The Aviator" may have more nominations in the technical categories, but "Million Dollar Baby" is the stronger movie, so it will pick up the Best Picture Oscar. Also, Clint Eastwood will be repaid for not winning with "Mystic River" last year.
Best Director - Alexander Payne, "Sideways"\n"Sideways" has lost a lot of its momentum since winning the Golden Globe. However, the Academy will acknowledge the efforts of the film's director by skipping over Scorsese and Eastwood to give the Oscar to Payne.
Best Actor - Jamie Foxx, "Ray"\nFoxx won this Oscar the day that "Ray" was released. We can look forward to another great acceptance speech from the man who brought Ray Charles to life on Oscar night.
Best Actress - Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby"\nExcluding Kate Winslet (whose film was too ignored to make her a likely candidate to win), Swank is the only nominee with a lot of name recognition nominated in this category. She will also carry her film's momentum as well as her Golden Globe win en route to her second Oscar.
Best Supporting Actor - Morgan Freeman, "Million Dollar Baby"\nIn what is the most wide open acting category, Freeman's performance in "Million Dollar Baby" will give him his first Oscar. He will carry through on the momentum of "Million Dollar Baby" as Best Picture to win this award.
Best Supporting Actress - Natalie Portman, "Closer"\nPortman's performance as Alice was her breakout role in becoming an "adult" actress (no pun intended). She was the strongest of the four actors in her film as well. She will be rewarded with her first Oscar in her first nomination.
DOUG EVANS\nBest Picture - "Million Dollar Baby"\nThis movie is not lacking in any aspect. Every performance, every line of dialogue and the cinematography among everything else is impeccable. Clint Eastwood knows how to make a winner.
Best Director - Martin Scorsese, "The Aviator" \nPartly restitution for all his wonderful work in the past, partly because it was a great movie, Scorsese will win best director. He has finally hit the mark and the Academy will recognize it this time around, putting, in the Academy's eyes, his shortcomings to rest.
Best Actor - Jamie Foxx, "Ray" \nFoxx is a shoe-in for this one. He learned all Ray Charles' songs, played his own piano and put in enormous amounts of work to star in arguably the best biopic role of the year.\n \nBest Actress - Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby"\nThis rematch of the 1999 best actresses once again has Annette Bening coming in a close second. Swank's heartbreaking performance in "Million Dollar Baby" solidifies her place as an A-list actress and will earn\nher a second best actress Oscar.
Best Supporting Actor - Thomas Haden Church, "Sideways" \nThis breakout role from the co-star of the once popular television show "Wings" will earn Church Oscar gold. He displays a natural humanity uncharacteristic of a comedic star, and the fact that he is able to be humorous and pathetic at the same time shows that this performance was not a fluke.
Best Supporting Actress - Virginia Madsen, "Sideways" \nMadsen's long absence from mainstream cinema is highly questionable after such a flawless performance in "Sideways." She is perfect as the beautiful waitress who is out of your league but would never hesitate to give you the time of day.
