Here’s a quick rundown of my picks for tonight’s Oscars. I’m running a pool with my friends and I have it set up includes a point system. Each category gets their nominees ranked in reverse order. The top choice gets the most points in the category. The bottom choice gets a 1. Once all the awards are given, the points are tallied and the winner gets the money.

Here are my picks.

Best Picture

9 – Argo

8 – Life of Pi

7 – Les Miserables

6 – Lincoln

5 – Zero Dark Thirty

4 – Silver Linings Playbook

3 – Django Unchained

2 – Beasts of the Southern Wild

1 – Amour

 I feel like Argo is a good bet. It’s the favorite to win. So I ranked it at the top. My personal preference is Silver Linings Playbook. I thought it was great and I’m glad it got a nomination. I wouldn’t be surprised if Les Mis or Life of Pi get the Oscar though. 

Best Actor, Leading Role

5 – Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln

4 – Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook

3 – Hugh Jackman – Les Miserables

2 – Joaquin Phoenix – The Master

1 – Denzel Washington – Flight

I feel bad for the other nominees. This was a great year for the category but Daniel Day-Lewis is a lock for Best Actor. He became Lincoln and while the other nominees were phenomenal, no one matches DDL. He’s the greatest actor working today. It’s kind of a shame because Bradley Cooper came out of no where with his performance in Silver Linings Playbook.

Best Actress, Leading Role

5 – Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

4 – Naomi Watts – The Impossible

3 – Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty

2 – Emmanuelle Riva – Amour

1 – Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild

Jennifer Lawrence was great and watching her work made me extremely eager for the future of her career. I would like to see Naomi Watts get the win though, not only because her performance was amazing but because I think The Impossible really should have gotten the Best Director nomination over Beasts of the Southern Wild.

Best Actor, Supporting Role

5 – Robert De Niro – Silver Linings Playbook

4 – Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master

3 – Alan Arkin – Argo

2 – Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained

1 – Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln

I really admire Robert De Niro for taking charge of such a well written role and turning out another Oscar-worthy performance despite having acting tenure.

Best Actress, Supporting Role

5 – Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables

4 – Sally Field – Lincoln

3 – Amy Adams – The Master

2 – Helen Hunt – The Sessions

1 – Jacki Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook

 Anne Hathaway is the favorite to win and I’ll be shocked if it’s awarded to anyone other than her. She was truly heartbreaking and moving, everything the role called for.

Best Director

5 – Ang Lee – Life of Pi

4 – David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook

3 – Steven Spielberg – Lincoln

2 – Benh Zeitlin – Beasts of the Southern Wild

1 – Michael Haneke – Amour

I’m still surprised by how much I enjoyed Life of Pi. And I can’t wait to watch it on Blu-Ray. It’s a beautiful film and Ang Lee did a terrific job directing.

Best Original Screenplay

5 – Zero Dark Thirty – Mark Boal

4 – Django Unchained – Quentin Tarantino

3 – Amour – Michael Haneke

2 – Flight – John Gatins

1 – Moonrise Kingdom – Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola

 I want Django Unchained to win. I really do. But I’m playing the odds and choosing Zero Dark Thirty simply because I think it’ll win. I don’t want it to though. I liked the movie, but I wasn’t a fan of the script. I loved The Hurt Locker for it’s strong subtext and characterization and Zero Dark Thirty did not deliver on those fronts at all. It was a very good look at modern history, but it left me feeling empty.

Best Adapted Screenplay

5 – Silver Linings Playbook – David O. Russell

4 – Lincoln – Tony Kushner

3 – Argo – Chris Terrio

2 – Life of Pi – David Magee

1 – Beasts of the Southern Wild – Lucy Alibar, Behn Zeitlin

This year was great for adapted screenplays. I want Silver Linings and Lincoln to win equally as much. I actually would prefer it if Lincoln won. It was a very strong script with dialogue reminiscent of Sorkin.  

Best Animated Feature Film

5 – Brave

4 – Wreck-It Ralph

3 – ParaNorman

2 – Frankenweenie

1 – The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

I am a die-hard Pixar fanboy and I hope this year will cleanse them of the Cars 2 fiasco of last year. Brave was a good movie, however I fully admit they still weren’t on their game. I have’t seen Wreck-it Ralph, but I won’t be surprised if it goes home with the statue tonight. 

Best Foreign Language Film

5 – Amour

4 – Kon-Tiki

3 – En kongelig affaere

2 – No

1 – Rebelle

I didn’t watch any of the foreign language nominees this year. But, like everyone, I think the best picture nomination makes Amour more than a safe bet. 

Best Cinematography

5 – Life of Pi

4 – Lincoln

3 – Anna Karenina

2 – Django Unchained

1 – Skyfall

 Life of Pi was too beautiful to deny the Cinematography Oscar. I’m pretty confident the Academy will agree with me.

Here are the rest:

Best Editing

5 – Argo

4 – Life of Pi

3 – Lincoln

2 – Zero Dark Thirty

1 – Silver Linings Playbook

Best Production Design

5 – Lincoln

4 – Les Miserables

3 – Life of Pi

2 – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

1 – Anna Karenina

Best Costume Design

5 – Les Miserables

4 – Lincoln

3 – Anna Karenina

2 – Snow White and the Huntsman

1 – Mirror Mirror 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

3 – Les Miserables

2 – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

1 – Hitchcock

Best Original Score

5 – Life of Pi – Mychael Danna

4 – Argo – Alexandre Desplat

3 – Skyfall – Thomas Newman

2 – Lincoln – John Williams

1 – Anna Karenina – Dario Marianelli 

Best Original Song

5 – Skyfall – Adele, Paul Epworth

4 – Les Miserables – Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schlonberg

3 – Chasing Ice – J. Ralph

2 – Life of Pi – Mychael Danna, Bombay Jayshree

1 – Ted – Walter Murphy, Seth MacFarlane

Best Sound Mixing

5 – Les Miserables

4 – Life of Pi

3 – Skyfall

2 – Argo

1 – Lincoln

Best Sound Editing

5 – Life of Pi

4 – Argo

3 – Zero Dark Thirty

2 – Django Unchained

1 – Skyfall

Best Visual Effects

5 – Life of Pi

4 – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

3 – The Avengers

2 – Prometheus

1 – Snow White and the Hunstman

Best Documentary, Features

5 – Searching for Sugarman

4 – The Invisible War

3 – 5 Broken Cameras

2 – How to Survive a Plague

1 – The Gatekeepers

Best Documentary, Short Subjects

5 – Kings Point

4 – Mondays at Racine

3 – Open Heart

2 – Redemption

1 – Inocente

Best Animated Short Film

5 – Paperman

4 – The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare

3 – Head Over Heels

2 – Fresh Guacamole

1 – Adam and Dog

Best Live Action Short Film 

5 – Curfew

4 – Asad

3 – Buzkashi Boys

2 – Henry

1 – Dood van een Schaduw