The 83rd Annual Academy Awards aired Sunday Night, February 27th, 2011. Below were my predictions for the winners in the major categories. The actual winners were filled in after the Oscars were announced.
There were no real surprises this year. Anne Hathaway did her best, but to no avail, next to lifeless co-host James Franco, who appeared as if he hadn’t even shown up for rehearsal and couldn’t care less that he was there. Next year, Academy, give us a comedian. The speeches were nothing special, though who would’ve thought that of the two, Melissa Leo would’ve out “bat-shitted” Christian Bale? Meanwhile, after batting under .500 in my predictions last year, I rebounded nicely by scoring 16/24 correctly and regained my family Oscar pool crown.
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PREDICTIONS:
Best Picture:
Predicted: The King’s Speech
Possible Upset: The Social Network
Oh, Wouldn’t it be Fun if it Won: Black Swan or Inception
Winner: The King’s Speech
Best Director:
Predicted: David Fincher for The Social Network
Possible Upset: Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech
Winner: Tom Hooper
Best Actor:
Predicted: Colin Firth for The King’s Speech
Possible Upset: Javier Bardem for Biutiful
Winner: Colin Firth
Best Actress:
Predicted: Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Possible Upset: Jennifer Lawrence for Winter’s Bone
Winner: Natalie Portman
Best Supporting Actor:
Predicted: Christian Bale for The Fighter
Possible Upset: Geoffery Rush for The King’s Speech
Winner: Christian Bale
Best Supporting Actress:
Predicted: Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Possible Upset: Amy Adams for The Fighter
Winner: Melissa Leo
Best Foreign Language Film:
Predicted: Biutiful
Possible Upset: In a Better World
Winner: In a Better World
Best Animated Feature:
Predicted: Toy Story 3
Possible Upset: The Illusionist
Winner: Toy Story 3
Best Documentary Feature:
Predicted: Inside Job
Possible Upset: Restrepo
Winner: Inside Job
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Predicted: Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network
Possible Upset: Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini for Winter’s Bone
Winner: Aaron Sorkin
Best Original Screenplay:
Predicted: David Seidler for The King’s Speech
Possible Upset: Christopher Nolan for Inception
Winner: David Seidler
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…and now on to the important stuff…
…the Rules for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards Drinking Game:
Take a shot when:
- Someone thanks their “agent, spouse, parents, or kids.”
- They cut off a person’s acceptance speech unceremoniously with the “exit” music.
- James Franco makes out with Anne Hathaway.
- Anne Hathaway smiles too hard.
- Somebody needlessly and awkwardly mentions something political as a presenter or winner. Chug if they mention anything about the Jasmine Revolution sweeping the Middle East.
- A winner says something to the effect of, “I can’t believe I won with all these other talented/wonderful people I was up against.”
- There is a completely unnecessary music/dance number.
- They honor the people who died last year.
- Somebody gets a standing ovation.
- Somebody makes a joke about the show’s length.
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Check out the winners in my annual alternatives to the Oscars, The Davies.
Enjoy! Wagering on the Oscars is encouraged. And please drink irresponsibly…I mean responsibly!
Predictions, commentary and drinking rules by David H. Schleicher
The Schleicher Spin 
* I’d like to see Inception win for Best Picture.
* I like Colin Firth, and would love to see him win because he’s a great actor who has remained under the radar for years because of his understated performance.
* Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress would be quite something to see since she came out of nowhere and her performance was compelling!
Dianne – if Inception wins (which I WOULD LOVE), I’ll eat my shoe. Jennifer Lawrence is definitely the ingenue darkhorse in that race that most predict only Annette Bening could upset Natalie Portman (who seems a shoe-in). –DHS
can’t wait to see the results!
with regards to the drinking game rules: so basically we just chug for the duration of the show…let me know if i’ve got that right!
Megan – you got it! –DHS
I’m with you on almost all of these. But if Melissa Leo is upset (she’s the pick I’m least confident in), I’m guessing it’s Hailee Steinfeld who does it.
Cheers! Looks like you have some hard drinking in front of you.
Forrest – you might be right, but Amy Adams (who has been thrice nominated) is the only one no one is talking about. This category loves an upset, and I think she would be the biggest upset…but yeah, probably not likely. –DHS
Hi, David, I’m looking forward to James Franco and Anne Hathaway. I personally hope they make you eat crow! heeheeheehee. It’s one thing to predict the award winners, quite another to predict host behavior. Who would have predicted that incredible opening Billy Crystal did that included him trussed up like Hannibal Lecter? (smile) So, I’m looking forward to the Franco & Hathaway show….. I hope you don’t have to work on Monday. Cinda
Cinda – oh, how I miss REAL hosts like Billy Crystal. –DHS
My favorite Oscar moment:
Tom Hooper’s most personal thanks went out to his mother, who attended a reading of the stage version of “The King’s Speech” in 2007 …
“She said, ‘Tom, I think I’ve found your next film.’ ” Hooper said to laughs … “The moral of the story is: Listen to your mother.”
Why on Earth was I not drunk for this? Why on Earth have I NEVER been drunk for this? So stupid…
Aiden – seriously, dude, where have you been? –DHS
The show was a dud, but I don’t blame James Franco and Anne Hathaway. With the exception of the opening montage, the writing was dull, dead, and painfully unfunny. Betty White, Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, Bob Hope, Mae West, and W.C. Fields couldn’t have gotten laughs from this junk.
As for predictions, it looks like I just beat you (17/24), but it really should have been higher because, against my better judgment, I voted against Melissa Leo. After seeing her crass and disingenuous acceptance speech I think many voters wish they had voted against her as well.
Once again, everyone needs to stop being so hard on James Franco. Of the best actor nominees he deserved to win (but only because Ryan Gosling inexplicably wasn’t nominated and Edgar Ramirez wasn’t eligible). And if you think I just have an unnatural love for Franco, it might not be entirely untrue, but that didn’t stop me from trashing his performance in “Howl.”
Jason – I had always liked Melissa Leo until her acceptance speech. I told everyone they should’ve given it to poor Amy Adams. –DHS
I picked 16/24, so we’re in the same company. I was greatly disappointed that the young Miss Steinfeld lost.