It's a time for Thanksgiving!

Even though I am only half American and I live in Canada and I probably grabbing popcorn (for a Precious screening) instead having turkey dinner tonight, it is still a time of Thanksgiving.

...Because

The Oscars are about 100 days away.

Here are my updated predictions!

BEST PICTURE
The Hurt Locker
Precious
Nine
Up in the Air
A Single Man
UP!
Invictus
The Lovely Bones
An Education
Avatar

Best Director
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
Lee Daniels - Precious
Clint Eastwood - Invictus
Rob Marshall - Nine

Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis - Nine
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
Colin Firth - A Single Man
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Morgan Freeman - Invictus

Best Actress
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
Gabby Sidibe - Precious
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Saoirse Ronan - The Lovely Bones

Best Supporting Actor
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Alec Baldwin - It's Complicated
Matt Damon - Invictus
Christopher Waltz - Inglourious Basterds
Christian MacKay - Me and Orson Welles

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz - Nine
Judi Dench - Nine
Mo'Nique - Precious
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Julianne Moore - A Single Man

The Academy A-boreds!

It’s that time of year when week after week Oscar contenders are released into theatres. We soon discover which ones will factor and which ones won’t. There is seriously not enough time to see all the contenders as they are released back to back to back to back. However, this year is different.

I am incredibly bored by the Oscar race this year.

It feels considerably cooler in my opinion. The Best Picture race has expanded to 10 nominees, but is there really 10 rewarding pictures? I think the Academy will be stretched pretty thin to find 5 let alone 10. Will the Academy nominate Star Trek or Where The Wild Things Are?

It is still early, but usually we have clear favorites by this point. I can’t even think of who the potential Best Supporting Actor nominees could be? Who beyond Mo’Nique is considered other front runners? Will Avatar, The Lovely Bones, Nine and Invictus be the real deal or fizzle?

Here is what I do know at this point:

Amelia is completely out of the race. It’s the Australia of this year. And where was the promotional campaign? I am a movie buff and never even heard about this movie being released!

It’s seems as though Best Actress will be a race between Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep. But both their movies seem to have lost steam.

It’s seems as though Best Supporting Actress will break down thusly: Mo’Nique. Vera Framinga and Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air. And probably two of the NINE ladies. With outside shots being Mariah Carey for Precious, Julianne Moore for A Single Man and Susan Sarandon for The Lovely Bones.

It’s safe to say Up in the Air and A Single Man will factor into this race based on the buzz out of Toronto.

But come on Oscar race, you and I are old friends. Won’t you heat up a bit? Or won’t you at least give me advance screening passes to NINE!