Oscar Picks

Guess I might as well put out my Oscar picks before they actually pick the Oscars. These are the ones I'd choose, not the ones I necessarily expect to win. There's so much published on who the favorites are these days that almost everyone knows what to expect. It's not like the old days when you could pick up a few bucks due to widespread ignorance (people actually chose films they liked!).

I'll skip over categories where I haven't seen enough to have an informed opinion. As often happens, my picks in some categories will be faute de mieux.

Best Picture: Sideways

Best Actor: Jamie Foxx in Ray (it's an impersonation, but what an impersonation)

Best Actress: Catalina Sandino Moreno in Maria Full Of Grace

Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Haden Church in Sideways (though Jamie Foxx might have been better in Collateral than Ray)

Best Supporting Actress: Virginia Madsen in Sideways

Best Animated Feature: The Incredibles (should be Best Picture)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Sideways

Best Original Screenplay: The Incredibles (Eternal Sunshine was brilliant but cold)

Best Director: Alexander Payne for Sideways (are you starting to see a trend?--the way I see it, at least I've got something to root for, even if it's not gonna win)

Best Art Direction: Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events

Best Cinematography: A Very Long Engagement

Best Costume Design: The Aviator

Best Film Editing: Finding Neverland (can't get fauter in the faute de mieux sweepstakes)

Best Makeup: Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events

Best Original Score: Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events

Best Original Song: “Al Otro Lado Del Río” from The Motorcycle Diaries

Best Animated Short: Ryan

Best Live Short: Wasp

Best Sound Editing: The Polar Express

Best Sound Mixing: The Polar Express

Best Visual Effects: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban