is out this week. I remember last year they had Charlie Theron, Naomi Watts, and Jennifer Connelly on the cover. And this year, they have Finding Neverland's star Depp and Winslet. I think this seals both's nominations for sure since except for Connelly, whoever on the EW cover haven't missed the oscar the last few years.

I don't subscribe to EW, so I don't know what movies they are predicting yet. They have a "For your consideration" for each category, and that's usually worth noting.

It'll be interesting to see what they predict. I know they are usually right on most things.

They're usually very close, but they missed a few last year:

Best Actor - 4/5

They picked Russell Crowe over Johnny Depp

Best Actress - 3/5

The had Nicole Kidman and jennifer Connelly in their picks and left out Samantha Morton and Keisha Castle-Hughes (who didn't miss that one?).

Best S. Actor - 4/5

They included Albert Finney, left out Djimon Hounsou.

Best S. Actress - 4/5

They included Scarlett Johansson, left out Shohreh Aghdashloo.

Best picture - 4/5

They included Cold Mountain, left out Seabiscuit.

Best director - 4/5

They included Anthony Minghella, left out the guy from City Of God - can't remember his name.

God Kate is beautiful!

Their predictions:

Best Picture
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Sideways

For your consideration: Maria Full of Grace

Best Actor
Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda
Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland
Leo DiCaprio, The Aviator
Jamie Foxx, Ray
Paul Giamatti, Sideways

For Your Consideration: Jeff Bridges, The Door in the Floor

Best Actress
Annette Bening, Being Julia
Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace
Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby
Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine

For Your Consideration: Julie Delpy, Before Sunset

Best Supporting Actor
Thomas Haden Church, Sideways
Jamie Foxx, Collateral
Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby
Clive Owen, Closer
Peter Sarsgaard, Kinsey

For Your Consideration: James Garner, The Notebook

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, The Aviator
Laura Linney, Kinsey
Virginia Madsen, Sideways
Natalie Portman, Closer
Kate Winslet, Finding Neverland

For Your Consideration: Sharon Warren

Best Original Screenplay
The Aviator
Eternal Sunshine
Hotel Rwanda
The Incredibles
Kinsey

For Your Consideration: Dan Harris

Best Adapted Screenplay
Closer
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
The Motorcycle Diaries
Sideways

For Your Consideration: Friday Night Lights

Best Director
Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby
Marc Forster, Finding Neverland
Alexander Payne, Sideways
Martin Scorsese, The Aviator
Zhang Yimou, House of Flying Daggers

For Your Consideration: Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

And the 25 movies to see before Oscar night:

1. Sideways
2. The Aviator
3. Finding Neverland
4. Million Dollar Baby
5. Closer
6. Kinsey
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
8. Ray
9. Vera Drake
10. Hotel Rwanda
11. Maria Full of Grace
12. Before Sunset
13. Being Julia
14. Collateral
15. The Incredibles
16. The Motorcycle Diaries
17. The Door in the Floor
18. Kill Bill Vol. 2
19. Imaginary Heroes
20. House of Flying Daggers
21. Bad Education
22. A Very Long Engagement
23. The Sea Inside
24. The Woodsman
25. The Phantom of the Opera

Well, I love the Entertainment Weekly Oscar Issue. It's my Bible. LOL
Well, I wouldn't go that far.


It comes to my door tomorrow around 3 and I love reading it and that is why I have resisted reading any of the predictions posted in the above post.

I did read the posted 25 movies to see before Oscar night though...

From the top 18, I have seen 17 of them and all the rest I have on my 'Plan to See' List. All of them. And I think I will be able to catch all of them except maybe Imaginary Heroes (though I saw a trailer and I wanna c it).

I can catch The Door in the Floor on DVD and the movies I plan on seeing in January are...

The Merhcant of Venice
A Very Long Engagement (foreign)
House of Flying Daggers (foreign)
Bad Education (foreign)
The Woodsman
Elecktra
The Sea Inside (foreign)
The Chorus (foreign)

Looks like I'm gonna be readin alot! :wink:

they are ALL (except Elektra) playing around my area, so it matter how fast I can catch them before they go out.

Okay, I really need to see Sideways and Million Dollar Baby. Anyone know when they're going wide or if they are? I don't think they're playing near me now.

where do you live?

Well, I saw Sideways over two months ago at this point, but there's probably somewhere it's playing around you. An art house cinema, perhaps?

I wouldn't count on catching Million Dollar Baby for a few weeks, considering it's only on about 100 theatres right now.

They're both going wide on January 28, according to BOM.
Million Dollar Baby - 1,500+
Sideways - 1,200

I live in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. I'll check some of the art theaters. I might just wait until they go wide, since it's easier that way, but I really want to see them.

Okay I found a couple of theaters where it's playing at from Hollywood.com. I might go check it out.

EW normally gets one category completely right, but this year, every one of their predictions looks solid to me.

I completely agree. It looks like they are almost dead on to the perfect safe bets.

I read the issue today from cover to cover. They had an interesting little article on how the nominations are determined and it was quite a good read. It gives you a different perspective on predicting nominees.



Leo and Foxx are shoe-ins. With Neverland's up again down again buzz (which is up again) Depp has almost secured his nod.
With so many serious performances and real-life based roles, I think Paul Giamatti will sneak in.

As for the 5th slot... I think it's between Cheadle and Eastwood, and contrary to what some think is flying under the radar, I think Hotel Rwanda and Cheadle are flying high on Oscar buzz right now.




I am giving in to predicting Kate for Best Actress.
the only questionable one now is Moreno, though many are saying she is the Castle Hughes spot this year, the point of the Castle Hughes spot was to be unpredicted and now everyone is predicting Moreno.
I think there is a lsight chance that Julie will get in there and a slighter chance for Uma to take that spot.




Here is another category that have sure bets, 3 of them (Church, Freeman, Owen)
I think everyone is starting to get on the Foxx double nominee bandwagon and I think alot of academy members might too, but there is some caution on the bumper of that wagon. For now, I'll go with it.
While, I think Sarsgaard would be my pick and prediction as a safe bet there is also...
Freddie Highmore from the Neverland bandwagon (not headed by Jackson, mind you)
Alan Alda from the Aviator bandwagon (or air-wagon)

I don't think those 2 are strong enough themselves to overcome the three roles Sarsgaard will be nominated for (Glass, Garden St., Kinsey) but their respective bandwagons are gaining alot of steam (remember John C. Reilly?)




I think this category is dead on. Those have been my predictions for a long time. And I, too, think if anyone else, Sharon Warren will sneak in there. Her predicament (Ray being her first acting gig) can be seen as good or bad. some might be impressed and nominate her and others might not see her as someone who has carried much weight as the other 5 women have in regards to acting history.




I'm not sure about Hotel Rwanda... that could be the toss up nod.
I think Sunshine will finally bring Kauffman Oscar glory.




there is alot of movies that could sneak in here. They might snub Closer and The Motorcycle Diaries can be replaced easily. But Sideways is a lock to win anyway.




At this point these are the nominess, with the only threat being Hotel Rwanda, as simple as that. This is it! There is NO way Maria Full of Grace can sneak in here.




I highly disagree with Zhang's prediction. the other four are shoe-in and I don't think Gondry will get it either. I do think it will be either Hackford, Mann, or Nichols.

In all and in my opinion, I think they got 36/40 nods

Good analysis. I don't think EW's "For Your Consideration" is same as alternative. FYC is the film or performance or screenplay that they are pushing for and hoping to bring more visibility to it, and that means they don't think highly of their chances right now.

I actually have Yimou in my BD predictions as well, mainly because he made two critically-acclaimed films that were released in the U.S. this year, one of which is ineligible, and that pushes the vote to concentrate on House of Flying Daggers for Yimou. Also, after missing the predictions for Talk to Her and City of God, I was pretty sure that EW wasn't going to miss to mention this year's hottest foreign director.

Which means that there are going to be some great surprises

One thing I can pretty much guarantee. The Best Picture noms won't match the Best Director noms 5:5

Depp might easily be snubbed this year, just like Nicole Kidman was left out for Cold Mountain last year. However, at the moment. I'd give him the edge. I do think that Javier Bardem, despite the movie's failure still has a good chance of being nominated. Eastwood is out, really, I have yet to see him being nominated for anything. Bridges won't get it because the competition in this category is really touch this year. DiCaprio and Foxx are the only locks at the moment. Cheadle is also receiving tons of buzz, so I'd say he is in. Then it's down to Depp and Giamatti. Well, both can miss out and we shouldn't count out Liam Neeson. Personally, I expect Giamatti to miss out because he has been also snubbed in the past (like for last year's American Splendor) and to be replaced with either Neeson or Bardem




Staunton, Benning, Swank and Winslet are all close to locks in my opinion. The 5th slot will be between Catalina Sandino Moreno, Julie Delpy and Uma Thurman. I'd give the edge to Delpy at the moment because I don't think that the Academy will nominate a young, first-time actress for the Best Actress oscar twice in a row. As for Thurman, well, she'd deserve it, but as of recently, Delpy is getting more critical acclaim and considering that Thurman wasn't recognized for the more hyped first Volume, I fear the same will happen again.




Garner has no chance whatsoever (unfortunately). This might be the category where EW will get all 5 right. They all seem good to me. As Raffiki has said, Chruch, Freeman and Owen are locks while I consider Foxx being very very close to a lock. This leaves the 5th spot open. For some reason I don't believe in Alda's nom maybe because I have yet to see any acclaim for it. It will come down to Carradine and Saarsgard and while I hope that Carradine can pull it off, I give the edge to Saarsgard.




I agree. Portman, Linney, Blanchett and Madsen are locks and Winslet is close. Warren can sneak in, but I think that'll only happen if Ray is nominated for Best Picture as well.




Not much to say here, however, if Hoztel Rwanda gets a nod here chances are good, it'll get a Best Picture nod as well.




Sideways and Finding Neverland are locks, others are not, but I still agree with that line-up. Maybe A Very Long Engagement can sneak in. (I think it's adapted)



Maria full of Grace won't get it for certain. Since I don't think EW will get that many right, I am pretty sure that they'll miss out on one and, surprise surprise, my pick is Ray. I still believe in either Eternal Sunshine or Hotel Rwanda beating it.




Zhang IS possible. Don't forget City of God's director. Don't forget Almodovar for Talk to Her! However, I think that Michael Mann will get it. There is also an outside chance for Almodovar to get it again. As for the others , I agree.

Yes! Johnny Depp looks so much better that way. Kate looks a bit uncomfortable, though.