Tuesday, January 24, 2012

THE 2012 ACADEMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS PREDICTION GAME

Much like the American presidential elections or the Miss Universe pageant, I follow the Academy Awards race not because I care who wins, but because the getting there is so much fun to watch. 2012 holds some vestige of promise – unlike last year, there isn’t yet one definite winner. (In retrospect, it was always going to be The King’s Speech last year, as much as one might have wished for a The Social Network upset.) Annually, I submit myself to the fool’s errand of trying to pick the nominees – so here we go again.

This year, I humbly submit a play-along-at-home game. It works like this. Write down your 10 possible nominees for the main categories in order of likelihood. Your top choice receives 10 points, second 9, third 8, etc. For every nomination you get correct, you get that many points. Total ‘em up at the end and see if you can beat my score! (Spoiler alert: You probably can.)

BEST PICTURE

THE ARTIST (10)
HUGO (9)
THE DESCENDANTS (8)
THE HELP (7)
WAR HORSE (6)
MONEYBALL (5)
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (4)

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (3)
THE TREE OF LIFE (2)
BRIDESMAIDS (1)

BEST DIRECTOR

MICHEL HAZANAVICUS, THE ARTIST (10)
MARTIN SCORSESE, HUGO (9)
ALEXANDER PAYNE, THE DESCENDANTS (8)
WOODY ALLEN, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (7)
STEVEN SPIELBERG, WAR HORSE (6)

DAVID FINCHER, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (5)
TATE TAYLOR, THE HELP (4)
TERRENCE MALICK, THE TREE OF LIFE (3)
BENNETT MILLER, MONEYBALL (2)
GEORGE CLOONEY, THE IDES OF MARCH (1)

BEST ACTOR

JEAN DUJARDIN, THE ARTIST (10)
GEORGE CLOONEY, THE DESCENDANTS (9)
BRAD PITT, MONEYBALL (8)
GARY OLDMAN, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (7)
MICHAEL SHANNON, TAKE SHELTER (6)

MICHAEL FASSBENDER, SHAME (5)
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, J. EDGAR (4)
WOODY HARRELSON, RAMPART (3)
DEMIAN BICHIR, A BETTER LIFE (2)
RYAN GOSLING, THE IDES OF MARCH (1)

BEST ACTRESS

MERYL STREEP, THE IRON LADY (10
VIOLA DAVIS, THE HELP (9)
GLENN CLOSE, ALBERT NOBBS (8)
TILDA SWINTON, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (7)
MICHELLE WILLIAMS, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (6)

ROONEY MARA, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (5)
CHARLIZE THERON, YOUNG ADULT (4)
ELIZABETH OLSON, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (3)
KRISTEN WIIG, BRIDESMAIDS (2)
KIRSTEN DUNST, MELANCHOLIA (1)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER, BEGINNERS (10)
ALBERT BROOKS, DRIVE (9)
KENNETH BRANAGH, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (8)
JONAH HILL, MONEYBALL (7)
NICK NOLTE, WARRIOR (6)

BEN KINGSLEY, HUGO (5)
ARMIE HAMMER, J. EDGAR (4)
MAX VON SYDOW, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE (3)
GEORGE CLOONEY, THE IDES OF MARCH (2)
PATTON OSWALT, YOUNG ADULT (1)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

OCTAVIA SPENCER, THE HELP (10)
MELISSA MCCARTHY, BRIDESMAIDS (9)
BERENICE BEJO, THE ARTIST (8)
JESSICA CHASTAIN, THE HELP (7)
SHAILENE WOODLEY, THE DESCENDANTS (6)

JANET MCTEER, ALBERT NOBBS (5)
VANESSA REDGRAVE, CORIOLANUS (4)
CAREY MULLIGAN, SHAME (3)
JUDI DENCH, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (2)
SANDRA BULLOCK, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE (1)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, WOODY ALLEN (10)
MICHEL HAZANIVICUS, THE ARTIST (9)
TOM MCCARTHY, WIN WIN (8)
ANNIE MUMOLO & KRISTEN WIIG, BRIDESMAIDS (7)
WILL REISER, 50/50 (6)

ASGHAR FARHADI, A SEPARATION (5)
MIKE MILLS, BEGINNERS (4)
DIABLO CODY, YOUNG ADULT (3)
TERRENCE MALICK, THE TREE OF LIFE (2)
ABI MORGAN, THE IRON LADY (1)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

AARON SORKIN & STEVEN ZALLIAN, MONEYBALL (10)
ALEXANDER PAYNE, NAT FAXON & JIM RASH, THE DESCENDANTS (9)
JOHN LOGAN, HUGO (8)
TATE TAYLOR, THE HELP (7)
STEVEN ZALLIAN, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (6)

PETER STRAUGHAN & BRIDGET O'CONNOR, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (5)
RICHARD CURTIS AND LEE HALL, WAR HORSE (4)
GEORGE CLOONEY, GRANT HESLOV & BEAU WILLIMON, THE IDES OF MARCH (3)
ERIC ROTH, EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (2)
LYNNE RAMSEY & RORY KINNEAR, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (1)

3 comments:

  1. BEST PICTURE

    The Artist (10)
    The Descendants (9)
    Hugo (8)
    The Help (7)
    Midnight in Paris (6)
    The Tree of Life (5)
    War Horse (4)
    Moneyball (3)

    The Ides of March (2)
    Bridesmaids (1)

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Michel Hazanavicius (10)
    Martin Scorsese (9)
    Alexander Payne (8)
    Woody Allen (7)
    Terrence Malick (6)

    Nicolas Winding Refn (5)
    David Fincher (4)
    George Clooney (3)
    Bennett Miller (2)
    Tate Taylor (1)

    BEST ACTOR

    Jean Dujardin (10)
    George Clooney (9)
    Brad Pitt (8)
    Michael Shannon (7)
    Gary Oldman (6)

    Michael Fassbender (5)
    Joey (4)

    BEST ACTRESS

    Meryl Streep (10)
    Viola Davis (9)
    Michelle Williams (8)
    Tilda Swinton (7)
    Anna Pacquin (6)

    Glenne Close (5)
    Rooney Mara (4)
    Charlize Theron (3)
    Kristen Wiig (2)
    Kirsten Dunst (1)

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Christopher Plummer (10)
    Albert Brooks (9)
    Jonah Hill (8)
    Nick Nolte (7)
    Ben Kingsley (6)

    Patton Oswalt (5)
    Andy Serkis (4)
    Kenneth Branagh (3)
    Max von Sydow (2)
    Uggie (1)

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Octavia Spencer (10)
    Berenice Bejo (9)
    Melissa McCarthy (8)
    Shailene Woodley (7)
    Jessica Chastain (6)

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    Midnight in Paris (10)
    Bridesmaids (9)
    Win Win (8)
    50/50 (7)
    A Separation (6)

    The Artist (5)
    Young Adult (4)
    Beginners (3)

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    The Descendants (10)
    The Help (9)
    Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (8)
    Moneyball (7)
    Hugo (6)

    Dragon Tattoo (5)
    Ides of March (4)

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Artist (10)
    The Descendants (9)
    Hugo (8)
    War Horse (7)
    The Help (6)
    Midnight in Paris (5)
    The Tree of Life (4)
    Moneyball (3)
    The Ides of March (2)
    Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1)

    (I'll do the rest later tonight)

    ReplyDelete
  3. BEST DIRECTOR

    Michel Hazanavicius (10)
    Martin Scorsese (9)
    Alexander Payne (8)
    Terrence Malick (7)
    Woody Allen (6)

    Steven Spielberg (5)
    Nicolas Winding Refn (4)
    Bennett Miller (3)
    George Clooney (2)
    Tate Taylor (1)

    BEST ACTOR

    Jean Dujardin (10)
    George Clooney - Descendants (9)
    Brad Pitt - Moneyball (8)
    Leonardo DiCaprio (7)
    Woody Harrelson (6)

    Ryan Gosling - Ides of March (5)
    Gary Oldman (4)
    Michael Shannon (3)
    Michael Fassbender (2)
    Ryan Gosling - Drive (1)


    BEST ACTRESS

    Meryl Streep (10)
    Tilda Swinton (9)
    Michelle Williams (8)
    Viola Davis (7)
    Glenn Close (6)

    Rooney Mara (5)
    Elizabeth Olsen (4)
    Anna Paquin (3)
    Charlize Theron (2)
    Kirsten Dunst (1)


    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Christopher Plummer (10)
    George Clooney - Ides (9)
    Jonah Hill (8)
    Albert Brooks (7)
    Ben Kingsley (6)

    Armie Hammer - J Edgar (5)
    Max von Sydow (4)
    Patton Oswalt (3)
    Kenneth Branagh (2)
    Andy Serkis (1)

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Octavia Spencer (10)
    Berenice Bejo (9)
    Jessica Chastain - Tree of Life (8)
    Shailene Woodley (7)
    Jessica Chastain - The Help (6)

    Melissa McCarthy (5)
    Sandra Bullock (4)
    Janet McTeer (3)
    Chloe Moretz (2)
    Vanessa Redgrave (1)


    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    The Artist (10)
    Beginners (9)
    Young Adult (8)
    Win Win (7)
    Midnight in Paris (6)

    50/50 (5)
    Bridesmaids (4)
    Drive (3)
    A Separation (2)
    The Guard (1)


    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    The Descendants (10)
    The Help (9)
    Moneyball (8)
    Hugo (7)
    Ides of March (6)

    Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (5)
    We Need to Talk About Kevin (4)
    The Skin I Live In (3)
    Dragon Tattoo (2)
    Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (1)

    ReplyDelete