My Oscar Ballot (Because This is How We Do It)

Bring Your Own Beer? Try, Bring Your Own Meat.
SuperBowl? SuperTuesday.
March Madness Brackets? Academy Award Brackets.


...California does it different. I learn more and more each day.

In celebration of Hollywood's biggest day, and because last year my Oscar brackets were a hell of a lot better than my hoops brackets-- damn straight I had Babel for Film Editing!-- here are my picks for the Oscars 2008.

The category I'm most excited for? Best Original Screenplay, where 3 women are nominated for the first time (Juno, Lars and the Real Girl, and The Savages). VERY inspiring!

BEST PICTURE
ATONEMENT
JUNO
MICHAEL CLAYTON
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
WILL WIN: THERE WILL BE BLOOD

ACTOR -- LEADING
George Clooney - MICHAEL CLAYTON
WILL WIN: Daniel Day-Lewis - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Johnny Depp - SWEENEY TODD THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
Tommy Lee Jones - IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH
Viggo Mortensen - EASTERN PROMISES

ACTOR -- SUPPORTING
Casey Affleck - THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
WILL WIN: Javier Bardem - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Philip Seymour Hoffman - CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR
Hal Holbrook - INTO THE WILD
Tom Wilkinson - MICHAEL CLAYTON

ACTRESS -- LEADING
Cate Blanchett - ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE
WILL WIN: Julie Christie - AWAY FROM HER
Marion Cotillard - LA VIE EN ROSE
Laura Linney - THE SAVAGES
Ellen Page - JUNO

ACTRESS -- SUPPORTING
WILL WIN: Cate Blanchett - I’M NOT THERE
Ruby Dee - AMERICAN GANGSTER
Saoirse Ronan - ATONEMENT
Amy Ryan - GONE BABY GONE
Tilda Swinton - MICHAEL CLAYTON

ANIMATED FEATURE
PERSEPOLIS
WILL WIN: RATATOUILLE
SURF’S UP

DIRECTING
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
JUNO
MICHAEL CLAYTON
WILL WIN: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
THERE WILL BE BLOOD

SCREENPLAY -- ADAPTED
ATONEMENT
AWAY FROM HER
THE DIVING BELL
AND THE BUTTERFLY
WILL WIN: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
THERE WILL BE BLOOD

SCREENPLAY -- ORIGINAL
WILL WIN: JUNO
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
MICHAEL CLAYTON
RATATOUILLE
THE SAVAGES