Revisiting the Academy Awards, 2009

 


As some of you know, I have been a frequent guest host on the Music City Drive In Movie podcast this summer. We've been looking at movies since 2000, re-nominating the Academy Awards. That got me thinking about the actual fields of the awards themselves. In a new weekly series, I'll be looking back at the last 40 years of Oscars and reviewing the choices at Best Picture, Best Director and the four acting categories.

2009:

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

About: This was the first year the Academy expanded the field and The Hurt Locker won the top prize. There are some great films in this group, but the standout for me was Up In The Air, which is my pick.

Best Director:
* Jason Reitman
* Kathryn Bigelow
* James Cameron
* Quentin Tarantino
* Lee Daniels

About: Bigelow got the win here, but I'm going with Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds, which I think is his masterpiece.

Best Actor:
* Jeremy Renner
* George Clooney
* Colin Firth
* Morgan Freeman
* Jeff Bridges

About: Bridges got the win, and I like him as an actor, but I'm going with Clooney here. He was GREAT in Up In The Air.

Best Actress: 
* Sandra Bullock
* Carey Mulligan
* Meryl Streep
* Helen Mirren
* Gabourey Sidibe

About: Bullock got the win for The Blind Side. Some good options here, but I'm sticking with Bullock.

Best Supporting Actor:
* Christoph Waltz
* Matt Damon
* Woody Harelson
* Christopher Plummer
* Stanley Tucci

About: Waltz was the winner here, and he was fantastic. I'm sticking with that!

Best Supporting Actress:
* Anna Kendrick
* Vera Farmiga
* Maggie Gyllenhaal
* Penelope Cruz
* Mo'Nique

About: Mo'Nique won here. She gives a good performance but this is a loaded category. I'm going with Kendrick here, as I thought she should have won.

That's a wrap on 2009, check back next week for 2010.

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