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SALT LAKE CITY — The 85th Academy Awards are on Sunday and it's time to start speculating. The field is pretty vast this year and fairly wide open as to what films and which actors will take home that coveted golden statuette.
Here are all of the nominees for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director. Along with the nominees we have our predictions of the winners and also who are the dark horses.
So, let's get started.
Best Picture ============
And the nominees are:
Amour (PG-13)
Argo (R)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (PG-13)
#picturepoll
Academy Awards: Best Picture Oscar Winners from Nelson Carvajal on Vimeo.
Django Unchained (R)
Les Miserables (PG-13)
Life of Pi (PG)
Lincoln (PG-13)
Zero Dark Thirty (R)
Prediction: Argo
"Argo" has taken the awards season by storm. Once considered a long shot it appears the Ben Affleck directed film is now the frontrunner for the night's biggest prize.
Dark Horse: Beasts of the Southern Wild
"Beasts of the Southern Wild" caught audiences at Sundance last year off guard and it is now nominated for best picture. The film is poignant, sad, beautiful and inspiring. It's a long shot that "Beasts" could take Best Picture, but stranger things have happened.
Best Actor ==========
And the nominees are:
Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Play Book
Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
#actorpoll
Prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis
While all of these men gave fine performances, it's tough to compete with Daniel Day-Lewis. It seems every time he's in a movie he is the Academy Award favorite, and there's a reason, he eats up every moment he's on screen and his performance in "Lincoln" is no different.
Dark Horse: Bradley Cooper
The chances of Bradley Cooper beating out Day-Lewis are slim, but if anyone could pull the upset it would likely be Cooper. His role in "Silver Linings Playbook" is different from just about anything else he's done.
Best Actress ============
And the nominees are:
Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva - Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild
#actresspoll
Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence has been on top of nearly every award so far and there's a solid chance she'll stay on top on Sunday night. The young actress gave a commanding performance and proved she's more than just "The Girl on Fire."
Dark Horse: Quvenzhane Wallis
Wallis is only 10 years old and "Beasts of the Southern Wild" was her fist-acting gig ever. She is amazing in the film and commands the screen and your attention. Young actors are often nominated for their powerful roles, but it's rare they actually win.
Supporting Actor ================
And the nominees are:
Alan Arkin - Argo
Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
#supactorpoll
Prediction: Alan Arkin
Alan Arkin is one of my personal favorites. I just love watching him work. Even if a movie isn't great he's usually a bright spot. His role in "Argo" is a joy and he could very well take home the award like he did for his role in "Little Miss Sunshine."
Dark Horse: Christoph Waltz
The odds of Christoph Waltz winning his second Academy Award are slim, but if anyone could snatch it away rom the rest of the field it's probably Waltz.
Supporting Actress ==================
And the nominees are:
Amy Adams - The Master
Sally Field - Lincoln
Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables
Jacki Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook
#supactresspoll
Prediction: Amy Adams
This is Amy Adams fourth Academy Award nomination and it's a very good chance it will be her first win. Her "The Master" co-stars, Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, are also nominated, but she has the best chance at winning.
Dark Horse: Jacki Weaver
People aren't quite as familiar with Jacki Weaver as they likely are the rest of the nominees, but she could possibly steal the award much like Melissa Leo did in another David O. Russell film, "The Fighter."
Director ========
And the nominees are:
Michael Haneke - Amour
Benh Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild
Ang Lee - Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg - Lincoln
David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
Prediction: David O. Russell
David O. Russell was nominated for his directing work in 2010's "The Fighter" but ultimately lost out to Tom Hooper and his work on "The King's Speech."
#directpoll
Dark Horse: Benh Zeitlin
No one really knows much about Benh Zeitlin but his direction of "Beasts of the Southern Wild" was moving and beautiful. "Beasts" is Zeitlin's first feature and he is now up for directing's biggest honor against names like Spielberg, Lee and Russell.
Who do you think is going to win, and who are you hoping will win? Let us know on the comment boards, Facebook or send me an email.
