Big Daddy Gouda

Those of you who’ve been reading this site since its inception know that every year on the Friday before The Academy Awards, I do my annual Oscar predictions for the top 6 awards: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress. As always, my goal is 4 out of 6 correct.

And here…we…go.

BEST PICTURE:I’ve seen all five contenders for the night’s top award. Without a doubt the Oscar should and WILL go to my favorite pic, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

BEST DIRECTOR:90 percent of the time, The Best Director award goes hand in hand with the Best Pic award. I expect this year to be no different. Expect Danny Boyle to walk away with the prize for Slumdog.

BEST ACTOR:This is a two horse race between previous winner Sean Penn for his portrayal of gay politician Harvey Milk and the comeback kid, Mickey Rourke for his comeback roll as washed up wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson. Rourke and Penn have split most of the pre-show awards with Rourke taking home the Golden Globe while Penn snagged the Screen Actors Guild award. This could go either way. That being said, I’m going with Rourke. The Academy loves a comeback, and while some say just being nominated is Rourke’s recognition, I’m going to take it one step further and say he squeaks out the win for The Wrestler.

BEST ACTRESS:Kate Winslet will win for The Reader. She’s been nominated six times in the past and lost everytime. She’s due and I’m thinking the full frontal nudity will push her over the edge.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: In the night’s most dramatic moment, a moment that will go do in OSCAR history, Heath Ledger will win this award for his portrayal of  The Joker in The Dark Knight. This is as close to a sure thing as you can get.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:Hmm. This one I really have no clue. I’m leaning toward Amy Adams for her portrayal of a naive nun in DOUBT, but I’m thinking Penelope Cruz will most likely take the award for Vicky Christina Barcelona. I haven’t seen it but I hear she’s great. So I’ll go with her.

So there you have it: Slumdog, Danny Boyle, Rourke, Winslet, Ledger and Cruz.

10. MILK- Sean Penn at the top of his game. Followed step by step by James Franco and Josh Brolin. Three Oscar worthy performances in the same movie get this film on my list.

9. ROLE MODELS - The funniest movie I saw this year. And that’s saying a lot in a year that brought great comedies like Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder and the underrated Step Brothers.

8. VALKYRIE - The scientologist pulled it off. Give him a compelling story with a great script and an excellent director, Brian Singer of X-Men fame, and Tom Cruise can still pull in a good performance. Though I couldn’t help giggle when Cruise emphatically screamed “Heil Hitler!”

7. WALL-E- Better than Finding Nemo. Nuff said.

6. APPALOOSA- I’m a sucker for a Western. Ed Harris is one of my favorite actors but Viggo Mortensen, aka, Aragorn from LOTR , steals the movie as Harris’ fast as lightening gun slinging partner.

5. THE DARK KNIGHT- You will never forget The Joker’s disappearing pencil trick. All I remember from this film is the mesmerizing scenes with Heath Ledger’s Joker. A stylish crime thriller where the good guy happens to be the Batman and the villain happens to be a demented clown. Sounds cheesy on paper but up on the big screen it was nearly perfect in its execution.

4. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON- Forrest Gump is one of my favorite films of all time. Think of Benjamin Button as Forrest’s older, wiser brother. Better looking, a little more depressing, but just as much fun to spend two and a half hours with.

3. THE WRESTLER- As a life long wrestling fan I’ve been waiting my whole life for a film to come along that actually “gets it” when it comes to the “sport”. Up to this point movies made about wrestling have been crap because the directors don’t get it. They play it as if the sport is real. As if the outcome is not pre-determined. The Wrestler (ahem) pulls no punches. You’re in the locker room as the wrestlers rehearse their matches. You see them popping the steroids. You see them having heart attacks because of all the damage they do to their body. If you are a wrestling fan you know that’s about as real as it gets when it comes to the world of professional wrestling. The movie is perfect because it’s not about the sport. It’s about a man who does the sport for a living: Randy “The Ram” Robinson, brilliantly played by Mickey Rourke in a career capping performance. When he tells his daughter he’s just a “used up piece of meat”, your heart breaks because Rourke’s performance up to that point leads you to believe that very thing.

2. GRAN TORINO- Clint Eastwood’s 4th Masterpiece of the last decade behind Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby and Letters From Iwo-Jima. Eastwood plays a grizzled Korean War Veteran. He drinks, he’s a mean son of a bitch, he’s a racist and you love him! The movie is all things: Funny, moving and tragic.

1. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE – Watching this feel good story was the most fun I had at the theater this year. The simple story about a man from the slums who goes on India’s version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Not for riches, but to find his childhood sweetheart. The movie is told in flashbacks and while some scenes are so heartbreaking you can barely watch, you’ll be richly rewarded at the films conclusion. And by all means, don’t get up and leave as the closing credits role. Stay for the dancing.