Making Picks

Tomorrow night one of the leading contenders from 2009 will be crowned Best Picture, joining a long line of Oscar winners. Oscar winning films, no matter what they are, become the source of debate in subsequent years. Did they deserve to win? Did they hold up? What's the greatest Academy Award film of them all?

Looking back through 50 years of winners, it's easy to see the changing cultural tastes and moods in the films selected as the year's best. Fifty years ago, in 1959, "Ben-Hur" was honored as Best Picture. The film is still considered a classic and it's 11 Oscar wins is still somewhat of a benchmark of success.

Forty years ago, in 1969, "Midnight Cowboy" took the top prize. The film, which starred Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, was representative of the era but probably wouldn't resonate with many under the age of 30.

Thirty years ago, in 1979, the tough to watch "Kramer vs. Kramer" took the top prize. Though the settings and costumes are of a different era, the tale of dysfunctional family, fatherhood and sacrifice still ring true.

Twenty years ago, in 1989, "Driving Miss Daisy" claimed the top prize. The eminently quotable film, starring Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman, is still a beautiful tale of unlikely friendship.

And 10 years ago, in 1999, "American Beauty" claimed the top prize. The film is representative of the darker cultural shift that has continued to pervade films as it focused on the fractured behind-the-scenes world of the fading American dream.

Now, a new set of films will be honored. I've listed my picks below.

Will win is in bold, should win is in italics:

Best Picture
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Up In the Air
Up
Precious
The Blind Side
An Education
District 9
Inglorious Basterds
A Serious Man

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Jason Reitman, Up In the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up In the Air
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Colin Firth, A Single Man

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harelson, The Messenger
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Matt Damon, Invictus

Best Supporting Actress
Mo’Nique, Precious
Anna Kendrick, Up In the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up In the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Penelope Cruz, Nine

Best Original Screenplay
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, The Messenger
Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter and Thomas McCarthy, Up

Best Adapted Screenplay
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up In the Air
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Nick Hornby, An Education
Neil Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche and Armando Iannucci, In The Loop

Other Winners:
Best Animated Film: Up
Best Documentary: The Cove
Best Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd, The Hurt Locker
Best Editing: Bob Murawski and Chris Innis, The Hurt Locker
Best Foreign Film: The White Ribbon, Germany
Best Original Song: The Weary Kind, Crazy Heart
Best Score: Michael Giacchino, Up
Best Costume Design: Sandy Powell, The Young Victoria
Best Makeup: John Henry Gordon, Jenny Shircore, The Young Victoria
Best Art Direction: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair, Avatar
Best Visual Effects: Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosebaum, Richard Baeham and Andy Jones, Avatar

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