Oscars 2010: And the winners are …

Here are the winners! See how my predictions stacked up and some of my thoughts on the outcomes.

Overall, I felt the show was decent. I wasn’t awed by anything producer Adam Shankman did. I felt the duo of Martin and Baldwin was classy with their sarcastic humor. It was good because it didn’t try to do too much comically. I love Neil Patrick Harris too, but the musical opening was a waste considering that was the only musical element of the program.

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Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

• Woody Harrelson for The Messenger
• Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones
• Christopher Plummer for The Last Station
• Matt Damon for Invictus

Movie Muse Prediction: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (read post). A nice, humble speech from a much-deserved Oscar-winner.

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Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Up (Pete Docter)

• The Fantastic Mr. Fox
• The Princess and the Frog
• Coraline
• The Secret of Kells

Movie Muse Prediction: Up (read post) I watched this again last night and it just reinforces how superb of a film this was and how deserving it was to be included in the Best Picture category

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Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

“The Weary Kind” by T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham from Crazy Heart

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• “Down in New Orleans” by Randy Newman from The Princess and the Frog
• “Almost There” by Randy Newman from The Princess and the Frog
• “Loin de Paname” by Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas from Paris 36
• “Take it All” by Maury Yeston from Nine

Movie Muse Prediction: “The Weary Kind” by T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham from Crazy Heart (read post) As expected. The ceremony didn’t exactly do these nominees justice, but whatever.

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Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker

• Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
• Joel and Ethan Coen for A Serious Man
• Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman for The Messenger
• Bob Peterson, Pete Docter for Up

Movie Muse Prediction: Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker (read post). Part of me was beginning to think Quentin Tarantino would win this, but it just goes to show the respect “Locker” has.

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Best Short Film, Animated

Logorama (Nicolas Schmerkin)

• French Roast
• Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
• The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
• A Matter of Loaf and Death

Movie Muse Prediction: A Matter of Loaf and Death (read post) Hard to imagine Nick Park losing out, but he did. When Schmerkin said it took six years to make his film, however, he earned my respect, as vulgar and off as I felt the film was.

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Best Documentary, Short Subject

Music by Prudence (Roger Ross Williams, Elinor Burkett)

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• China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
• The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
• The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
• Rabbit a la Berlin

Movie Muse Prediction: China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province (read post) After I made my pick, I started to hear a lot about “Prudence,” but not so much as a trailer is online. Seems like a worthy film, however.

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Best Short Film, Live Action

The New Tenants (Joachim Back, Tivi Magnusson)

• The Door
• Instead of Abracadabra
• Kavi
• Miracle Fish

Movie Muse Prediction: The Door (read post) Heard this film wasn’t as good as it looked, but it had some talented actors and was the more interesting of all the premises.

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Best Achievement in Makeup

Star Trek (Barney Burman, Mindy Hall, Joel Harlow)

• Il Divo (Aldo Signoretti, Vittorio Sodano)
• The Young Victoria (Jon Henry Gordon, Jenny Shircore)

Movie Muse Prediction: The Young Victoria (Jon Henry Gordon, Jenny Shircore) (read post) I regretted this choice a few days after making it and of course I was right to think that. Star Trek was definitely worthy.

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Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

• Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for Up in the Air
• Neil Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell for District 9
• Nick Hornby for An Education
• Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armondo Iannucci, Ian Martin, Tony Roche for In the Loop

Movie Muse Prediction: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for Up in the Air (read post) Here was the biggest shock of the night. This was the one shot that Up in the Air had to win an award and it came home empty-handed despite going into award season as one of the favorites. I guess voters were most impressed with Fletcher’s adaptation, I just didn’t think it stood out.

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Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Mo’nique for Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

• Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air
• Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air
• Penelope Cruz for Nine
• Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart

Movie Muse Prediction: Mo’nique for Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire (read post) So much has been made of Mo’nique’s performance in the media during the season that I was glad she kept it short and sweet. A very deserving award of course.

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Best Achievement in Art Direction

Avatar (Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair)

• Sherlock Holmes (Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer)
• The Young Victoria (Patrice Vermette, Maggie Gray)
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Dave Warren, Terry Gilliam, Anastasia Masaro, Caroline Smith, Shane Vieau)
• Nine (Jon Myhre, Gordon Sim)

Movie Muse Prediction: Avatar (Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair) (read post) Glad that Avatar won. The imagining of this film was spectacular and credit was definitely due here.

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Best Achievement in Costume Design

The Young Victoria (Sandy Powell)

• Coco Before Chanel (Catherine Leterrier)
• Bright Star (Janet Patterson)
• Nine (Colleen Atwood)
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Monique Prudhomme)

Movie Muse Prediction: Nine (Colleen Atwood) (read post) One of my favorite acceptance speeches was Sandy Powell saying not enough credit goes to designers who make costumes for films that don’t involve musicals or dead monarchs. Amen.

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Best Achievement in Sound Editing

The Hurt Locker (Paul N.J. Ottosson)

• Avatar (Christopher Boyes, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle)
• Inglourious Basterds (Wylie Stateman)
• Star Trek (Mark Stoeckinger, Alan Rankin)
• Up (Michael Silvers, Tom Myers)

Movie Muse Prediction: Avatar (Christopher Boyes, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle) (read post) I thought the sound categories would all belong to the big blue giant, so when “Locker” swept, I knew that it would be in for a big night.

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Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

The Hurt Locker (Paul N.J. Ottosson, Ray Beckett)

• Avatar (Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Tony Johnson)
• Inglourious Basterds (Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti, Mark Ulano)
• Star Trek (Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson, Peter J. Devlin)
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Geoffrey Patterson)

Movie Muse Prediction: Avatar (Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Tony Johnson) (read post)

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Best Achievement in Cinematography

Avatar (Mauro Fiore)

• The Hurt Locker (Barry Ackroyd)
• Inglourious Basterds (Robert Richardson)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Bruno Delbonnel)
• The White Ribbon (Christian Berger)

Movie Muse Prediction: The Hurt Locker (Barry Ackroyd) (read post) Avatar stole one back from “Locker” here. Gotta give credit to a man who does lighting for film taking place in a world that doesn’t exist.

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Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

Michael Giacchino for Up

• James Horner for Avatar
• Hans Zimmer for Sherlock Holmes
• Alexandre Desplat for Fantastic Mr. Fox
• Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders for The Hurt Locker

Movie Muse Prediction: Michael Giacchino for Up (read post) With exception this winner, I did not like the interpretive America’s best dance crew-style for Best Score. The dancers were incredibly athletic, but with the exception of the little narrative dance for Giacchino’s piano theme that’ll melt your heart, it was meh.

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Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Avatar (Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones)

• District 9 (Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros, Matt Aitken)
• Star Trek (Robert Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh, Burt Dalton)

Movie Muse Prediction: Avatar (Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones) (read post) This was the prime example of justice at the Oscars. This had to happen.

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Best Documentary, Features

The Cove (Louie Psihoyos, Fisher Stevens)

• Food, Inc.
• The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
• Burma VJ
• Which Way Home

Movie Muse Prediction: The Cove (read post) I need to see this.

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Best Achievement in Editing

The Hurt Locker (Chris Innis, Bob Murawski)

• Avatar (John Refoua, Stephen E. Rivkin)
• District 9 (Julian Clarke)
• Inglourious Basterds (Sally Menke)
• Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire (Joe Klotz)

Movie Muse Prediction: The Hurt Locker (Chris Innis, Bob Murawski) (read post) This was the one technical award I definitely felt “Locker” deserved, so I was glad to see it happen.

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Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

The Secret in their Eyes (Argentina)

• The White Ribbon (Germany)
• A Prophet (France)
• Ajami (Israel)
• The Milk of Sorrow (Peru)

Movie Muse Prediction: A Prophet (France) (read post) Entertainment Weekly said this would happen: “Secret” would snake up and take out both “Prophet” and “Ribbon.” Well done there, EW.

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Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

• Colin Firth for A Single Man
• George Clooney for Up in the Air
• Morgan Freeman for Invictus
• Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker

Movie Muse Prediction: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (read post). After the standing ovation Jeff got, this was clearly an award he deserved. If he’s truly that beloved in Hollywood and known as such a great guy, then kudos.

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Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

• Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia
• Carey Mulligan for An Education
• Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
• Helen Mirren for The Last Station

Movie Muse Prediction: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (read post) Bullock’s heartfelt and smart speech won me over. I think she belonged up there. She gave the best performance of her life and it clearly effected people. You can’t shoot someone down for all the other films they make even if they make mostly bad ones. That said, I wouldn’t have minded Streep winning.

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Best Achievement in Directing

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

• James Cameron for Avatar
• Jason Reitman for Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
• Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

Movie Muse Prediction: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (read post) Avatar lovers are going to take Barbara Streisand’s emphasis on first woman director winning and say that that was the only reason it won. What you have to do here is understand that Bigelow won for her execution of the craft whereas Cameron would’ve won for his imagination. Those are two totally different criteria for voting. Clearly we know which way the voting went.

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Best Motion Picture of the Year

The Hurt Locker

• Avatar
• The Blind Side
• Up in the Air
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
• An Education
• Up
• A Serious Man
• District 9

Movie Muse Prediction: The Hurt Locker. Based on the way the ceremony went, this was inevitable. It was also deserved. When a little film does big things, it deserves recognition. Maybe Avatar will be more remembered in years to come, but it shouldn’t. “Locker” is about making the best movie you can from a small-potatoes but great idea.

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Movie Muse Prediction Total: 14/24 Correct.

Eh. At least I got the big ones.

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Awards Breakdown

• The Hurt Locker: 6 Awards (Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Editing)
• Avatar: 3 Awards (Visual Effects, Cinematography, Art Direction)
• Up: 2 Awards (Animated Feature, Original Score)
• Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire: 2 Awards (Best Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay)
• Crazy Heart: 2 Awards (Best Actor, Original Song)
• Inglourious Basterds: 1 Award (Best Supporting Actor)
• The Blind Side: 1 Award (Best Actress)
• The Young Victoria: 1 Award (Costume Design)
• Star Trek: 1 Award (Make Up)