Now it time to give myself props. I nailed my Academy Award predictions. Yes, I know it didn’t take a genius to know that Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker were going to win best actor and best actress. Jennifer Hudson was a safe choice too. However, not everyone was sure that Martin Scorsese would win for best director and that The Departed would win as best picture. I predicted the upset foreign language film win for The Lives of Others over Pan’s Labyrinth, and that Happy Feet would be the most popular mode of transportation over Cars as best animated film. I also predicted the screenplay wins for Little Miss Sunshine and The Departed. I did think that if Eddie Murphy were bested for best supporting, it would be Mark Wahlberg, and not Alan Arkin. Not that I mind Arkin’s win, a terrific performance in a career filled with terrific performances.
Hopefully, the Academy Awards will be more unpredictable next year. My first nomination suggestion for 2007 goes to Chris Cooper for his brilliant work as FBI traitor Robert Hanssen, who sold America’s secrets to the Russians, in Breach.