Musings on the Academy Awards or How I Learned to Stop Worrying about Predictions and Love the Oscars

by Tony Dayoub

First Entry - 3:51pm: I've got my Filet Mignon ready to grill, Champagne chilling in the fridge, and will be checking in from time to time today. I will update the blog on random thoughts regarding the countdown to the Oscars. I'll also strive to keep a tally on how wrong I was on my Oscar predictions from my last entry. So keep checking in, and feel free to respond with your own thoughts.

Second Entry - 9:10pm: First upset of the night would have to be Golden Compass winning Best Special Effects over Transformers. Could it have been a case that Transformers' effects were too good to even be recognized as effects?


Third Entry - 10:30pm: Nice to see The Bourne Ultimatum get one for editing. Well deserved, but I thought it was a long shot.

Fourth Entry - 10:35pm: Honorary Oscar winner, production designer Robert Boyle... never heard of him before tonight. But whoa, what a list of credits, North By Northwest, The Birds, Fiddler On The Roof. And at 98 he is still clear as a bell.

Fifth Entry - 10:57pm: How great was it that Jon Stewart let Marketa Irglova from Once come out again to finish her speech that got cut off?

How my predictions panned out (9 for 13):

Actor in a Leading Role - Daniel Day-Lewis There Will Be Blood

Actor in a Supporting Role - Javier Bardem No Country For Old Men

Actress in a Leading Role - Marion Cotillard La Vie en Rose - She really deserves it, and looked cute and humble accepting it.

Actress in a Supporting Role - Tilda Swinton Michael Clayton - Very happy at the suprise in this category. And she gave a witty speech also.

Animated Feature Film - Ratatouille

Directing - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen No Country For Old Men

Documentary Feature - Taxi To The Dark Side - Wrong on this one.

Foreign Language Film - Austria The Counterfeiters

Music (Score) - Dario Marianelli Atonement - Well, Atonement had to win for something.

Music (Song) - "Falling Slowly" Once

Best Picture - No Country For Old Men

Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Joel Coen and Ethan Coen No Country For Old Men

Writing (Original Screenplay) - Diablo Cody Juno - Bloggers can make it, too!!!