The 79th Academy Awards

While I believe that the Academy Awards has become a bloated, self-important ego festival that cares more for song, dance and fashion than film – it’s still the Academy Awards and technically the pinnacle of achievement in Hollywood. Yes it’s a warped place in the universe but it is built that way; housed in a plastic city that sells illusions – Los Angeles, Hollywood California. This being said, it is possible to guess who the Academy will favor based on how the political winds are blowing. Anyway, here’s Evil Chicken’s list for who should get the Oscar and who will get it.

Performance by an actor in a leading role: Who deserves it – Will Smith. Who will get it – Peter O’Toole. Why? He’s old Hollywood. The Academy loves that.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role: Who deserves it – Alan Arkin. Who will get it – Alan Arkin (with respect to Eddie Murphy). Why? Great actor, he’s due and he delivered an amazing performance in “Little Miss Sunshine”.

Performance by an actress in a leading role: Who deserves it – Kate Winslet. Who will get it – Meryl Streep. Why? Thinking like the academy thinks, it’s been a while since she got one.

Performance by an actress in a supporting role: Who deserves it – Abigail Breslin. Who will get it – Jennifer Hudson. Why? “Dreamgirls” is too cool a property to not give something to; as the academy thinks.

Best documentatry feature: Who deserves it – “Jesus Camp”. Who will get it – “An Inconvenient Truth”. Why? What’s more popular than global warming? To the Academy this was an important film – bank on it.

Adapted screenplay: Who deserves it – “Borat – Cultural learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhastan”. Who will get it – Borat; and justly so. Wa wa wee wa!

Original screenplay: Who deserves it – it’s a toss up for me. This is a tough one. “Little Miss Sunshine” or “Pan’s Labyrinth”. Both are amazing to behold. Who gets it – “Letters from Iwa Jima”. Why? Eastwood property.

Achievement in directing: Who deserves it – “United 93”. Who will get it – “Letters From Iwo Jima”. Why? This was a close one for me – it won’t be for the Academy. Clint Eastwood is a living legend and deserves the Oscar. “United 93”, however, takes you back to the exact moment of 9/11, and evokes the emotions that we have spent the last few years building scare tissue over.

Best motion picture of the year: Who deserves it – “Little Miss Sunshine”. Who will get it – “Letters From Iwo Jima”. Why? Eastwood.

Let us not forget the other categories that the Academy will bestow lauding upon… These are my guesses – what the Academy does who knows.

Best animated feature film of the year: “Cars”

Achievement in art direction: “Pan’s Labyrinth” or “Pirates of he Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”.

Achievement in cinematography: “Pan’s Labyrinth”

Achievement in makeup: “Pan’s Labyrinth”

Best Score: “Dreamgirls”

Best Song: Either nominated song from “Dreamgirls”

Sound editing: “Pirates of he Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”

Sound mixing: “Pirates of he Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”

Achievement in visual effects: This is another split for me; it’s either “Pirates of he Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” or “Superman Returns”.

We shall see what we shall see on 2/25/07.