The frontrunners for Best Director used to be married to each other. Kathryn Bigelow looks to become the first woman to win this Oscar for the low-budget “Hurt Locker,” while James Cameron’s big-budget “Avatar” was groundbreaking. Adam Spunberg likes Bigelow, but don’t count out Quentin Tarantino.
The nominees for Best Supporting actress include last year’s winner (Penelope Cruz), two women from “Up in the Air” (Vera Farminga and Anna Kendrick), and Maggie Gyllenhaal. But it’s Mo’Nique’s performance as an abusive mother in “Precious” which has critics buzzing and is Marla Seidell’s pick to win.
The nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay include films that are different from their previously produced material – such as adding a new character (Up in the Air), expanding a short film (District 9), or playing off a TV show (In the Loop). Jeremy Martin says Jason Reitman is the favorite for “Up in the Air.”
The Best Film Editing Oscar has a high correlation with the Best Picture winner, so it’s no surprise that the favorites are Best Picture contenders Avatar, The Hurt Locker, and Inglourious Basterds. While Avatar is favored in this category, Steve Neumann says an Inglourious upset is possible.
Lee Daniels’ film “Precious” continues to gain buzz, and might become a big winner on Oscar night. What impact could this movie about a 300-pound abused African-American girl in Harlm have on Hollywood? Lauren Mattia takes a closer look.
Lee Daniels’ new film “Precious” generated buzz at Sundance this year and formally entered the Oscar race. Our new blogger Lauren Mattia reviews this unique film starring Gabourey Sidibe (pictured right) and discusses who might hold precious Oscar gold.
