It's Academic - The Oscars Winners Are Chosen

After spending five days last week in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and environs, it took me awhile to get back in the groove of blogging. However, given that the Academy Awards ceremony is Sunday night, I thought I'd shake a little tinsel off and give my take on the winners. Now hear this -- I said my take, my choices, not my predictions. The Academy with its eclectic membership can be hard to predict except in the most obvious cases.

Diana and I have seen most of the major films of this season without waiting for the DVDs to come out having had more time in our retirement. Here is how I would have voted if I were a member of the Academy. To see how far off the mark I might end up being, I have ranked the other nominees from top to bottom.

Best Picture-

There Will Be Blood

No Country for Old Men

Michael Clayton

Atonement

Juno

Best Female Actor -

Marion Cotillard La Vie en Rose

Cate Blanchette Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Julie Christie Away From Her

Laura Linney The Savages

Ellen Page Juno

Best Male Actor -

Daniel Day-Lewis There Will Be Blood

Tommy Lee Jones No Country for Old Men

George Clooney Michael Clayton

Viggo Mortensen Eastern Promises

Johnny Depp Sweeney Todd

Best Director -

Paul Thomas Anderson There Will Be Blood

Coen Brothers No Country for Old Men

Jason Reitman Juno

Tony Gilroy Michael Clayton

Julian Schnabel The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Supporting Male Actor

Javier Bardem No Country for Old Men

Philip S. Hoffman Charlie Wilson's War

Tom Wilkinson Michael Clayton

Hal Holbrook Into the Wild

Casey Affleck The Assassination of Jesse James...

Supporting Female Actor -

Ruby Dee American Gangster

Cate Blanchette I'm Not There

Tilda Swinton Michael Clayton

Amy Ryan Gone Baby Gone

Saoirse Ronan Atonement

Who knows how close I will be? I am just an American movie goer.