Oscars Critic picks top film, actor winners in annual Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards, which airs Feb. 27 (8 p.m., ABC) and will be hosted by Anne Hathaway and James Franco, boils down to this:
Will the 5,970 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences vote to go with the old by honoring Tom Hooper’s traditional “The King’s Speech” with a best-picture Oscar or in with the new by celebrating David Fincher’s timely “The Social Network.”
It’s as simple as that.
At this writing, “The King’s Speech,” with 12 nominations, has a slight edge because most academy voters are older and feel comfortable with such a tried-and-true choice. Its chance to win was solidified by the Producers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild, which named it best picture, and the Directors Guild of America that honored Hooper with its top award.
“The Social Network,” which has eight nominations and is on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, appears slightly played out at this point, while “The King’s Speech” remains in theaters, seems fresh, and enjoys impressive grosses for an art-house offering.
The historical drama, produced by Harvey Weinstein, who’s famous for triumphant Oscar campaigns, enjoyed a coup earlier this month when Queen Elizabeth II, daughter of King George VI, attended a private screening. According to England’s The Sun, she described the film as “moving” and “enjoyable” and praised the performance by Colin Firth in the title role.
Even academy members are impressed when a title receives a royal endorsement. “The King’s Speech” was obviously a hit with the queen, who is seen as a child in the film.
Does that mean none of the other eight nominated films (all listed with the other categories) has a chance? Joel and Ethan Coen’s “True Grit,” presented by powerful mogul Scott Rudin (who also produced “The Social Network”), could be a surprise winner if the two favorites split the voting.
In addition, “The Fighter,” which Mark Wahlberg spent four years developing and training as a boxer to handle the extremely physical role, has been enjoying some positive buzz and could slip into the winner’s circle.
Both theories seem very long shots, since it has come down to a two-film race.
In the best-actor category, Firth seems a certain winner. The British actor, who was nominated in the same category last year for “A Single Man” (and lost to Jeff Bridges for “Crazy Heart”), delivers a heartfelt performance as a monarch hoping to find his voice on the eve of war when his subjects most want to hear him. He deserves to take home an Oscar.
In the best-actress category, things aren’t so crystal clear.
Like the best-picture race, this one comes down to a veteran favorite, Annette Bening (who was nominated three times previously) for the family drama “The Kids Are All Right,” going head-to-head with a younger talent, Natalie Portman, for the psychological chiller “Black Swan.”
Bening, as always, is wonderful, but her performance doesn’t compare to Portman’s. The 29-year-old actress devoted a year to studying ballet and creating an intensely artistic character whose impossible quest for perfection results in severe mental and emotional torment.
Portman is my choice, but you can never rule out a respected talent like Bening, whose happy, high-profile marriage to Warren Beatty helps to make her a Hollywood favorite.
In the supporting category, Christian Bale, who’s known for his dedication to creating edgy characters and for sometimes displaying his temper on the set, steals “The Fighter” from co-star Wahlberg (who has the title role). As the drug-addicted sibling who promises to clean up so he can help his brother train for a championship bout, Bale is bold, fearless and, at times, frightening.
He should carry the Oscar home, though he faces a considerable challenge from the terrific Geoffrey Rush, who previously won a best-actor Oscar for “Shine.” In “The King’s Speech,” he plays the Australian speech therapist who helps the British monarch conquer his stammer.
Predicting the supporting actress winner has some challenges this year.
Veteran Melissa Leo, whose credits include “Frozen River” and TV’s “Homicide: Life on the Street,” has the edge for her performance in “The Fighter,” which casts her as Wahlberg’s in-your-face mother. She has already received awards from the Critics Choice Movie Awards, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Golden Globes, which certainly make her the front-runner.
Helena Bonham Carter, whose credits range from “Fight Club” to “Alice in Wonderland,” can’t be counted out for “The King’s Speech.” She gives a wonderfully balanced performance as the wife of a royal who must help him deal with his stutter without embarrassing or belittling him in any way.
Hailee Steinfeld and Jacki Weaver, who are nominated for “True Grit” and “Animal Kingdom,” respectively, can be considered winners just for getting nominated. Amy Adams doesn’t seem destined to win for playing Wahlberg’s fiery girlfriend in “The Fighter,” but it’s a great accolade for the actress, whose credits range from the family favorite “Enchanted” to the intense drama “Doubt.”
In terms of direction, “The Social Network” towers over the competition.
In 121 minutes, Fincher, whose sterling credits include “Fight Club” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” tells a story about the past, present and future of a new way of communicating and the behind-the-scenes conflicts that led to legal battles, shattered relationships and personal attacks. It’s a thrill to watch.
Of course, Fincher must keep looking over his shoulder as Hooper continues to get accolades for “The King’s Speech,” which pales in comparison to “The Social Network” but seems destined to triumph. Too bad.
Perhaps the least respected talent is Christopher Nolan, who wrote, directed and produced “Inception,” which received a best-picture nomination and numerous technical nominations (the creative caper picture should sweep them). Nolan, whose credits include “Memento” and “The Dark Knight,” received a nomination for best original screenplay but was ignored in the directing category (and could have easily replaced David O. Russell for “The Fighter”).
And who’s the most overlooked in the Oscar race? Academy voters turned a cold shoulder to singer-turned-actor Justin Timberlake. He perfectly captures the rapid-fire manner of Napster founder Sean Parker and deserves to have been in the supporting group.
Maybe next year.
Below are all of the Oscar nominations.
My choices for who should win are marked in boldface, except in categories where I haven’t seen all of the pictures and performers.
And the nominees are+
Best Picture
“Black Swan,” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, producers
“The Fighter,” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, producers
“Inception,” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, producers
“The Kids Are All Right,” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, producers
“The King’s Speech,” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, producers
“127 Hours,” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, producers
“The Social Network,” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Cean Chaffin, producers
“Toy Story 3,” Darla K. Anderson, producer
“True Grit,” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, producers
“Winter’s Bone,” Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, producers
Best Actor
Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”
James Franco in “127 Hours”
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech”
Best Actress
Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech”
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”
Animated Feature Film
“How to Train Your Dragon,” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
“The Illusionist,” Sylvain Chomet
“Toy Story 3,” Lee Unkrich
Art Direction
“Alice in Wonderland,” production design: Robert Stromberg; set decoration: Karen O’Hara
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1,” production design: Stuart Craig; set decoration: Stephenie McMillan
“Inception,” production design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; set decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
“The King’s Speech,” production design: Eve Stewart; set decoration: Judy Farr
“True Grit,” production design: Jess Gonchor; set decoration: Nancy Haigh
Cinematography
“Black Swan,” Matthew Libatique
“Inception,” Wally Pfister
“The King’s Speech,” Danny Cohen
“The Social Network,” Jeff Cronenweth
“True Grit,” Roger Deakins
Costume Design
“Alice in Wonderland,” Colleen Atwood
“I Am Love,” Antonella Cannarozzi
“The King’s Speech, Jenny Beavan
“The Tempest,” Sandy Powell
“True Grit,” Mary Zophres
Directing
“Black Swan,” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter,” David O. Russell
“The King’s Speech,” Tom Hooper
“The Social Network,” David Fincher
“True Grit,” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Documentary (Feature)
“Exit Through the Gift Shop,” Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
“Gasland,” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
“Inside Job,” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Restrepo,” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
“Waste Land,” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley
Documentary (Short Subject)
“Killing in the Name,” Jed Rothstein
“Poster Girl,” Sara Nesson and Mitchell W. Block
“Strangers No More,” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
“Sun Come Up,” Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
“The Warriors of Qiugang,” Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon
Film Editing
“Black Swan,” Andrew Weisblum
“The Fighter,” Pamela Martin
“The King’s Speech,” Tariq Anwar
“127 Hours,” Jon Harris
“The Social Network,” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
Foreign Language Film
“Biutiful” (Mexico)
“Dogtooth” (Greece)
“In a Better World” (Denmark)
“Incendies” (Canada)
“Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” (Algeria)
Makeup
“Barney’s Version,” Adrien Morot
“The Way Back,” Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
“The Wolfman,” Rick Baker and Dave Elsey
Music (Original Score)
“How to Train Your Dragon,” John Powell
“Inception,” Hans Zimmer
“The King’s Speech,” Alexandre Desplat
“127 Hours,” A.R. Rahman
“The Social Network,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Music (Original Song)
“Coming Home” from “Country Strong,” music and lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light” from “Tangled,” music by Alan Menken, lyric by Glenn Slater
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours,” music by A.R. Rahman, lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
“We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3,” music and lyric by Randy Newman
Short Film (Animated)
“Day & Night,” Teddy Newton
“The Gruffalo,” Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
“Let’s Pollute,” Geefwee Boedoe
“The Lost Thing,” Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
“Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary),” Bastien Dubois
Short Film (Live Action)
“The Confession,” Tanel Toom
“The Crush,” Michael Creagh
“God of Love,” Luke Matheny
“Na Wewe,” Ivan Goldschmidt
“Wish 143,” Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite
Sound Editing
“Inception,” Richard King
“Toy Story 3,” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
“Tron: Legacy,” Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
“True Grit,” Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
“Unstoppable,” Mark P. Stoeckinger
Sound Mixing
“Inception,” Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
“The King’s Speech,” Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
“Salt,” Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
“The Social Network,” Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
“True Grit,” Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
Visual Effects
“Alice in Wonderland,” Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1,” Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
“Hereafter,” Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
“Inception,” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
“Iron Man 2,” Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
“127 Hours,” screenplay by Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy
“The Social Network,” screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
“Toy Story 3,” screenplay by Michael Arndt; story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
“True Grit,” written for the screen by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
“Winter’s Bone,” adapted for the screen by Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini
Writing (Original Screenplay)
“Another Year,” written by Mike Leigh
“The Fighter,” screenplay by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson;
story by Keith Dorrington, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson
“Inception,” written by Christopher Nolan
“The Kids Are All Right,” written by Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg
“The King’s Speech,” screenplay by David Seidler