The 81th Annual Academy Awards Predictions

It is time to be serious!

Here is my analysis for the upcoming 81st Academy Awards:

^ denotes 'this nominee is a dark horse'.
^^ denotes 'this nominee will win the Oscar (my official prediction)'.
^^^ denotes 'this nominee should win the Oscar'.
^^^^^ denotes 'this nominee should and will win the Oscar (my official prediction)'.

BEST PICTURE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ^
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ^^^^^

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) ^^^^^
Stephen Daldry (THE READER)
David Fincher (THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON) ^
Ron Howard (FROST/NIXON)
Gus Van Sant (MILK)

BEST LEADING ACTOR
Richard Jenkins (THE VISITOR)
Frank Langella (FROST/NIXON)
Sean Penn (MILK) ^
Brad Pitt (THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON)
Mickey Rourke (THE WRESTLER) ^^^^^

BEST LEADING ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway (RACHEL GETTING MARRIED) ^
Angelina Jolie (CHANGELING)
Melissa Leo (FROZEN RIVER)
Meryl Streep (DOUBT) ^^^
Kate Winslet (THE READER) ^^

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin (MILK)
Robert Downey Jr. (TROPIC THUNDER)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (DOUBT) ^
Heath Ledger (THE DARK KNIGHT) ^^^^^
Michael Shannon (REVOLUTIONARY ROAD)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams (DOUBT)
Penelope Cruz (VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA) ^^
Viola Davis (DOUBT) ^^^
Taraji P. Henson (THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON)
Marisa Tomei (THE WRESTLER) ^

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
FROZEN RIVER
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY ^
IN BRUGES
MILK ^^
WALL.E ^^^

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ^
DOUBT ^^^
FROST/NIXON
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ^^

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT ^
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ^^^^^

BEST FILM EDITING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT ^
FROST/NIXON
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ^^^^^

BEST ART DIRECTION
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ^^
THE DARK KNIGHT ^^^
THE DUCHESS ^
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
AUSTRALIA
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ^
THE DUCHESS ^^^^^
MILK
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST MAKEUP
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ^^^^^
THE DARK KNIGHT ^
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ^
DEFIANCE
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ^^^^^
WALL.E

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Jai Ho" (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) ^^^^^
"O Saya" (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE)
"Down To Earth" (WALL.E) ^

BEST SOUND
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT ^
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ^^
WALL.E ^^^
WANTED

BEST SOUND EDITING
THE DARK KNIGHT ^
IRON MAN
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ^^
WALL.E ^^^
WANTED

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ^^^^^
THE DARK KNIGHT ^
IRON MAN

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
BOLT
KUNG FU PANDA ^
WALL.E ^^^^^

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX (Germany)
THE CLASS (France) ^
REVANCHE (Austria)
DEPARTURES (Japan)
WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Israel) ^^^^^

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
THE BETRAYAL - NERAKHOON
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD ^
THE GARDEN
MAN ON WIRE ^^^^^
TROUBLE THE WATER


I hope the Academy chooses wisely! Good luck to the nominees!