Oscar Nomination Predictions

UPDATE - I achieved 78% accuracy. Not great for a pregnancy test, but pretty good for Oscar predictions. If you factor in my runners-up, I had 88% accuracy. Wheeee!



Whether or not there's an Oscar ceremony on February 24, the time has come to make my predictions for who'll be nominated - because no matter what, Oscar noms are tomorrow morning. Here's what I think'll happen in the big eight categories.



Best Picture
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
runner-up - Into the Wild
I wish - 300


Best Director
PT Anderson - There Will Be Blood
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Sean Penn - Into the Wild
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joe Wright - Atonement
runner-up - Ridley Scott - American Gangster
I wish - Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd

Best Actor
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington - American Gangster
runner up - Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
I wish - Simon Pegg, Hot Fuzz

Best Actress
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley - Atonement
Ellen Page - Juno
runner-up - Laura Linney, The Savages
I wish - Amy Adams, Enchanted

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Max von Sydow - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton
runner-up - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
I wish - Tommy Lee Jones, No Country for Old Men

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Catherine Keener - Into the Wild
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
runner-up - Ruby Dee, American Gangster
I wish - Kelly MacDonald, No Country for Old Men

Best Original Screenplay
Brad Bird, Ratatouille
Diablo Cody, Juno
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Tamara Jenkins, The Savages
Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl
runner-up - Judd Apatow, Knocked Up

Best Adapted Screenplay
PT Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Christopher Hampton, Atonement
Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Sean Penn, Into the Wild
runner-up - Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Wilson's War

So, we'll see.

my Oscar noms - incomplete until 8:30 AM

Movie Madness: Juno

I have been wanting to see Juno, mostly to find out for myself if all the rave reviews I've heard are true - at least, true to me. Everyone I know who's seen it keeps going on and on about the dialogue, how sharp and spot-on it is, and I'm here to tell you that... for the most part, it is. I think that at times, it was a little contrived. Yes, Juno is a tough little cookie, and yes, her rapid-fire speech and all the dialogue throughout the movie are both great. But sometimes I thought "People don't really talk like that." Kids don't say "wizard" when they mean "cool." And because of this, I didn't fully immerse myself in the movie. There were things I just couldn't get over. Nonetheless, it was a great movie. I never looked at my watch during the whole thing, which is a rarity for me. And the cast was great. I was really rooting for Jennifer Garner, who hasn't gotten a lot of mention, but she was terrific.

In summary: if the dialogue had been just a titch more believable, Juno would have gotten a straight-up A. As it is, the movie gets -

Juno - A-

American Gladiators

If you're not watching American Gladiators, you kind of suck. This show is awesome. Some of the competitors are weenies, but some of them are FIERCE.

My favorite Gladiator is Krush... she's in the front row with the dark swingy stacked haircut. My least favorite is Toa... is that guy even Samoan? Or Hawaiian? Or... anything but ust white?

American Gladiators - A-

BRIDAAAAAL SHOOOOWWW!

Oh yes, I'm getting married soon, but did you know that I'm also a maid of honor in a wedding in October? Wheeee! I love being a bridesmaid, and this wedding is extra fun - all of the cool things about planning a wedding, since now I'm "in the know," but none of the pressure, since it's not my wedding. Thanks, EJ! So I went with EJ and Mom of EJ to a bridal show this afternoon, to watch a fashion show and check out some vendors. Some stuff was cool - good photographers, a delicious bite of lemon cake, lovely gowns on display... but then there were the doves. Yes, dove release is still a possibility at your wedding, but the latest and greatest trend is lace doves, with some extra wispy feathers that "complement the lace on a bride's dress." And sure enough, there were lace doves on display at the bridal show - except they were wild-eyed and insane. EJ said they looked rabid.

Next week is Bridal World, which, from what I understand, is a whole world of bridal junk. Wooey wip wip!

bridal shows - B
rabid doves - D+

Friendship Bracelets

I've been thinking about friendship bracelets a lot lately. I remember that I used to wear about a gazillion at a time, especially when I was in elementary school. But I think I should start making them again. I don't do anything crafty, except for scrapbooking, and that's not something you can take with you on a plane or on a car trip, and you can't give the finished products to friends. Well, I suppose you can, but they can't wear it.

I could never do anything fancy - just something like the ones pictured here, but none of the patterns or spelling out names or anything like that. But I need something to do with my hands while I'm watching TV or sitting at the airport - and please, no dirty comments.

friendship bracelets - B

Thank You, Britney

For days, I've been sayin "I need to blog again," but I don't really need to recap Christmas or New Year's, and nothing else is going on that I felt I could craft into a well-spun story. And I was looking back over my blog from months past and thinking, "Damn, I used to be funny... what happened? Where's my joy and inspiration? Why can't I think of anything to write about?"
And then Britney Spears went and locked herself and her baby in a room and wouldn't give the kid over to K-Fed and now is on a 72-hour mental health lockdown. So, thanks, Britney.

Britney's meltdown - B-
Britney's meltdown acting as the catalyst for me to get off my lazy tookus and blog again - A+!