Oscar Favorites Really Are Likely Winners

All of the Oscar favorites tonight really are likely winners.
Melissa Leo seems a cinch to grab the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Fighter.
And, also from The Fighter, Christian Bale is a sure bet as Best Supporting Actor.
It's hard to see how the Oscar will be denied to Colin Firth for Best Actor for The King's Speech as he has won every other major award.
And everyone seems to agree that Natalie Portman will win for Swan Lake.
If there are upsets tonight, there will be two, at most: Annette Bening may win for The Kids Are All Right, thus besting Natalie Portman. Bening is overdue for an Oscar. And, director David Fincher may win for The Social Network and top Tom Hooper for The King's Speech.
But after all is said and done, many feel it will be a night for the favorites, across the broad -- no surprises.
BTW: I'm delighted that the Academy has chosen two young, vibrant, attractive hosts: Anne Hathaway and James Franco. I love them both. And yes, I'll be watching.

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The REAL Story Behind The Oscars

I don't usually get involved in the perennial Oscar brouhaha but this year presents us with an unusually fine crop of flicks to choose from.
And apparently a huge controversy is brewing in Hollywood that's pitting traditionalists against those who feel that Tinseltown desperately needs to reach out to new generations.
You know what I'm talking about -- and yes, I'm talkin to YOU.
It's the battle between The King's Speech and The Social Network.
On one hand we have a movie that would seem to be as current as the medium you're presently using and as up-to-the-minutes as today's headlines.
On the other we have a costumed, British-accented, faux highbrow drama detailing the supposed backstory of something that happened more than 70 years ago.
Hey, we know that Hollywood has always had a royal love affair with all things British. The town -- and the industry -- that was created by scrappy ethnic hucksters has always wanted to appear classier than it actually is. So, The King's Speech would appear to have a lock on the Oscar, right?
Well, wait a digital nanosecond.
The Social Network is a fast-paced, sexy, captivating tale peppered with fresh lingo and no small share of lithe and attractive young bodies. And, all of the action swirls around smarts, cash, business and high-tech deals -- shifting from the Halls of Ivy to the sun and phrenetic pleasures of Silicon Valley. It's hip. I's hot. It's happening.
Insiders tell me that The King's Speech still has to be considered a favorite. It's a safe bet and it's also a feel-good crowd pleaser. And Hollywood has been known to play it safe. Playing it safe is, after all, good for business. And during times like these nobody likes to take risks.
Still . . . with ten movies now nominated the field would appear to be more open.
Will that leave room for a flick like True Grit to emerge?
I doubt it.
But I will tell you this: As far as I'm concerned, True Grit IS the year's Best Picture.

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Full 2011 Oscar Nominations List

Here is the list of the 2011 Oscar nominations announced this morning:

Best Picture
“Black Swan”
“The Fighter”
“Inception”
“The Kids Are All Right ”
“The King’s Speech”
“127 Hours”
“The Social Network”
“Toy Story 3″
“True Grit”
“Winter’s Bone”

Best Direction
Darren Aronofsky for “Black Swan”
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for “True Grit”
David Fincher for “The Social Network”
Tom Hooper for “The King’s Speech”
David O. Russell for “The Fighter”

Best Actor
Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
James Franco in “127 Hours”
Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”

Best Actress
Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech”

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech”
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

Animated Feature
“How to Train Your Dragon”
“The Illusionist”
“Toy Story 3″

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The King's Speech Leads 2011 Oscar Field

“The King's Speech,” a British drama detailing the efforts of 1940s British monarch King George VI to overcome a persistent stammer, lead the 2011 Oscar field with 12 nominations. “True Grit,” the old west remake about a young girl's brave quest to track down her father's killer, followed with 10 nominations.
The sci-fi thriller “Inception” and the Facebook drama “The Social Network” received eight nominations each.

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2011 Oscar Nominations - More Nominees!

Best actor nominees include James Franco, Colin Firth and Javier Bardem.
Best actress nominees include Annette Bening (”The Kids Are All Right”), Michelle Williams (”Blue Valentine”), Nicole Kidman (”Rabbit Hole), Jennifer Lawrence (”Winter’s Bone”), and Portman (”Black Swan”).
Best supporting actress nominees include Amy Adams (”The Fighter”), Helena Bonham Carter (”The King’s Speech”), Melissa Leo (”The Fighter”), Hailee Steinfeld (”True Grit”) and Jacki Weaver (”Animal Kingdom).
Best supporting actor nominees include Christian Bale (”The Fighter”), John Hawkes (”Winter’s Bone”), Mark Ruffalo (”The Kids Are All Right”), Geoffrey Rush (”The King’s Speech”) and Jeremy Renner (”The Town”).

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Oscar 2011 'Best Picture' Nominees Announced

The Oscar nominations have just been announced for Best Picture of the Year and there are really no big surprises.
The nominees are The King's Speech, The Black Swan, The Social Network, The Kids Are All Right, True Grit, Toy Story 3, Winter's Bone, 127 Hours, Inception and The Fighter.
At this point, The Social Network must be considered the favorite.

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Golden Globe Winners: Social, King's, Fighter, Swan

As I indicating on this blog just the other day, The Social Network is shaping up as the movie to beat in this year's Oscar sweepstakes.
The Oscar nominees haven't even been announced yet but that has stopped The Social Network from blazing a trail to Hollywood's most coveted prize. Last night at the Golden Globes, The Social Network once again picked up a bunch of awards.
Besides best drama, "The Social Network," about the founding of Facebook, won for David Fincher's direction, Aaron Sorkin's script and the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Other winners in various categories included The King's Speech, The Black Swan, The Kids Are All Right and The Fighter.
Here's a complete list of all the Golden Globe winners:

MOTION PICTURES
Best Picture, Drama: "The Social Network."
Best Picture, Musical or Comedy: "The Kids Are All Right."
Best Actor, Drama: Colin Firth, "The King's Speech."
Best Actress, Drama: Natalie Portman, "Black Swan."
Best Director: David Fincher, "The Social Network."
Best Actress, Musical or Comedy: Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right."
Best Actor, Musical or Comedy: Paul Giamatti, "Barney's Version."
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, "The Fighter."
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, "The Fighter."
Best Foreign Language: "In a Better World."
Best Animated Film: "Toy Story 3."
Best Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, "The Social Network."
Best Original Score: "The Social Network."
Best Original Song: "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," (written by Diane Warren), "Burlesque."
TELEVISION:
Best Series, Drama: "Boardwalk Empire," HBO.
Best Actor, Drama: Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire."
Best Actress, Drama: Katey Sagal, "Sons of Anarchy."
Best Series, Musical or Comedy: "Glee," Fox.
Best Actor, Musical or Comedy: Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory."
Best Actress, Musical or Comedy: Laura Linney, "The Big C."
Best Miniseries or Movie: "Carlos," Sundance Channel.
Best Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Claire Danes, "Temple Grandin."
Best Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Al Pacino, "You Don't Know Jack."
Best Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jane Lynch, "Glee."
Best Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Chris Colfer, "Glee."

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'The Social Network': Is This The Film To Beat?

More and more it seems like that Facebook movie, The Social Network is turning out to be the film to beat in the awards races this year.
It all makes sense since Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was recently named Time magazine's Person of the Year and 2010 seems to have been the Year of  Facebook.
Now, The Social Network has just won the Critics' Choice award for best picture and three other prizes.
An overwhelming favorite of film critics, The Social Network has also won top honors from several critics groups, including those in New York and Los Angeles as well as the National Society of Film Critics. It's up for six Golden Globe Awards Sunday night.
This movie is a sensation.

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