81st Academy Awards (for 2008): Predictions and Winners

by HELEN GEIB

edited February 23 to add the winners

This post lists our predictions for who will win – and our picks for who should win - the Oscar in the categories of best picture, animated feature, director, actress, actor, supporting actress, supporting actor, original screenplay, and adapted screenplay. We also call out some films and people overlooked in the nominations. Title links are to Commentary Track reviews (title linked at first nomination only). Post will be updated with the winners list after the broadcast.

BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Helen
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire – Geoff, Rishi, Tom, James

Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire – Geoff, Helen, Rishi, James; Milk – Tom

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Overlooked: The Wrestler, The Dark Knight

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E – all

Who should win: Kung Fu Panda – Helen; Wall-E – Rishi, Tom, James

Winner: Wall-E

Overlooked: Sword of the Stranger

BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Helen, Tom, James
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant for Milk
Stephen Daldry for The Reader
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire – Geoff, Rishi

Who should win: Boyle – Geoff, Helen, Rishi, James; Fincher – Tom

Winner: Boyle

Overlooked: Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight, Darren Aronofsky for The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie for Changeling
Melissa Leo for Frozen River
Meryl Streep for Doubt
Kate Winslet for The Reader - all

Who should win: Winslet – Geoff; Hathaway – Rishi; Leo – Tom

Winner: Winslet

Overlooked: Michelle Williams for Wendy and Lucy, Emily Mortimer for Transsiberian

BEST ACTOR
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn for Milk – Geoff, Helen, Tom, James
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler - Rishi

Who should win: Rourke – Geoff, Helen, Rishi, Tom; Jenkins – James

Winner: Penn

Overlooked: Leonardo DiCaprio for Revolutionary Road, Chiwetel Ejiofor for Redbelt

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams for Doubt
Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona – Geoff, Rishi
Viola Davis for Doubt – Tom
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Helen
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler – James

Who should win: Tomei - Geoff, Helen, Rishi, Tom

Winner: Cruz

Overlooked – Rosemarie DeWitt for Rachel Getting Married, Hiam Abbass for The Visitor

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin for Milk
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight - all
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road

Who should win: Ledger – all

Winner: Ledger

Overlooked: Aaron Eckhart for The Dark Knight, Brandon Walters for Australia

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Courtney Hunt for Frozen River
Mike Leigh for Happy-Go-Lucky
Martin McDonagh for In Bruges
Dustin Lance Black for Milk – all
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon (story by Stanton and Pete Docter) for Wall-E

Who should win: McDonagh - Geoff, Helen; Stanton/Reardon – Rishi, Tom, James

Winner: Black

Overlooked: Charlie Kaufman for Synecdoche New York, Nick Schenk and Dave Johannson for Gran Torino

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Eric Roth (story by Roth and Robin Swicord) for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – James
John Patrick Shanley for Doubt
Peter Morgan for Frost/Nixon
David Hare for The Reader
Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire – Geoff, Helen, Rishi, Tom

Who should win: Beaufoy – Geoff, Helen, Rishi, James; Shanley – Tom

Winner: Beaufoy

Overlooked: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight