Oscars Predictions: Royals, Ballerinas and Facebook

For some, this weekend will be a weekend like any other. But for other Philadelphians, this is the Sunday they’ve waited a whole year for. It’s the Oscars. The Gay Super Bowl. There will be watching parties. But at these parties, there will be no jerseys. People will dress up. Instead of chips ‘n’ dip, they’ll bring nominee-inspired food (like Winter’s Boneless Ribs, Cheesy True Grits, or—what I’m bringing—The Kids are All White Bean Dip). They’ll drink bottles of champagne. They’ll fill out ballots. They’ll catcall and shhh! each other.

And they’ll devour every moment. Every dress. Every speech. Every horrible musical number. And secretly wish that James Franco was her (or his) boyfriend or Anne Hathaway was his (or her) girlfriend.

So whether you’re attending some soiree or simply sitting in a Snuggy on your sofa, here are my picks for the winners. Also, I’m pleased to announce the results from our first Philly Post Oscars poll. (Thanks to everyone who participated!)

Best Picture
My Pick: The King’s Speech
Readers’ Pick: The King’s Speech
In the last few weeks, the familiar King’s Speech (TKS) has gained a lot of momentum (hell, even the Queen gave her approval). So after two years of edgier choices—No Country for Old Men and The Hurt Locker—I will agree with Philly Post readers and say that TKS will likely win. But, too bad. For me, The Social Network is a far more current, relevant, and exciting film.

Actor in a Leading Role
My Pick: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Readers’ Pick: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
I would love to see James Franco win. (I mean, the man was in every scene.) But readers and I agree that it’s time to honor Colin Firth for TKS—and for last year’s A Single Man.

Actress in a Leading Role
My Pick: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Readers’ Pick: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Poor Annette Bening, the also-ran of Best Actresses (at least it’s not Hilary Swank this year). But Natalie Portman’s tortured body and remarkable performance are too much to overcome.

Actress in a Supporting Role
My Pick: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Readers’ Pick: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
If you had asked me a few weeks ago, I would have most assuredly agreed with readers on this one: Melissa Leo, all the way. But since the launch of her odd self-promotional campaign, she’s been forced to defend it rather than discussing her performance. Politics, politics, politics. So, I am picking Hailee Steinfeld. True, her performance is not nearly as flashy (or scenery-chewing) as Leo’s. But for a performer of any age, it is her strong performance that supports all of True Grit. And really, the Oscars love an upset.

Actor in a Supporting Role
My Pick: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Readers’ Pick: Christian Bale, The Fighter
The man is obviously a self-possessed asshole, but Bale’s physical transformation in The Fighter was astonishing. Let’s hope he can fight off Geoffrey Rush and the TKS freight train.

Animated Feature Film
My Pick: Toy Story 3
Readers’ Pick: Toy Story 3
One of the few certainties of the night: Toy Story 3. With a 99 percent on RottenTomatoes, it should have also been a real contender for Best Picture.

Directing
My Pick: David Fincher, The Social Network
Readers’ Pick: Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan; Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech (Tie!)
As you can tell, the jury is still out for this category. While readers couldn’t decide between Aronofsky and Hooper, I am pulling for Fincher.

Biggest Oscar Snub or Surprise: No nomination for Christopher Nolan as director of Inception. Without a doubt, the biggest Oscars nomination shocker (for me and readers) was the omission of Christopher Nolan. After being overlooked for his work on the brilliant Dark Knight, it’s a travesty that this would happen again.