Oscar nods announced

For the first time ever, I saw the announcement of the nominations for the Academy Awards while it was happening - at 5:30 a.m. pst. It happened to be on while I was at the gym this morning, on CNN, and I couldn't keep from watching.

Lucky for me, they made the experience very visual so I didn't need the volume. The biggest surprise to me was the nomination of not five, but 10 movies for the best picture category. It seems a little bit like cheating for the Academy to include 10 movies instead of narrowing it down more. But at the same time, I guess the longer list gives an opportunity for more movies to claim an Oscar nod. After all, Disney Pixar's "Up" is nominated and animated movies rarely ever make make it into the best picture category. I have seen four of the nominated movies - "Up," "Up in the Air," "Avatar" and "The Blind Side." Three other of the movies are on my list of movies to see soon, "District 9," "Hurt Locker" and "An Education." The only one on the list I don't want to see is "Precious" since I've read some reviews that mention the graphic and disturbing content in it.

I thought "Invictus" would get a nod, especially since there were 10 pictures instead of 5. But it didn't get one, even though Morgan Freeman was nominated for a best actor and Matt Damon was nominated for best supporting actor for their performances in it.

With so many nominees in the category, it's hard to say what movie will win. Of the movies I've seen, my guess is "Avatar" for the groundbreaking technology or "Up in the Air" for its timely storyline about unemployment and the human connection.

As for the other categories, my votes are as follows:

Best actor - George Clooney, "Up in the Air." It was the best performance I've ever seen from Clooney.

Best actress - Helen Mirren, "The Last Station." She's just amazing in everything I've ever seen her in so I am sure she is great in this, though I haven't seen it yet.

Best supporting actress - I am torn between Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, but I think Farmiga gets the edge for her performance in "Up in the Air" for her monologue about what she wants in a man.

Best animated feature film - "Up" is the best cartoon I've seen in years. It made men I know cry when they saw it. Enough said.

Best art direction - It's got to go to "Avatar" which created a whole new world of cinema.

Best cinematography -This will probably also go to "Avatar" since it's shot amazingly.

Best directing - Though I am partial to Jason Reitman, of "Up in the Air," I think James Cameron will get the win for "Avatar."

Of course, we won't know the results until March. But for now, check out the other categories and nominations at the Oscar Web site.

Win some, lose some with Golden Globe predictions

Back when the Golden Globe nominations were announced, I made a few picks for my choices and best guesses of who would win in some categories. I was right on with some of my picks, way off on others, and there was at least one big shocker of the evening.

Since I wrote about my picks, I've actually seen a few more of the nominees, including "Avatar," "Invictus" and "Up in the Air." I feel all three of those films deserved the nominations they received, but as dramas in the same category they couldn't all win.

All three of those movies were nominated in the best motion picture - drama category, along with three other films. I thoroughly enjoyed all three of the films for different reasons. "Invictus" got me because it really is a story about inspiration and I spent a semester in South Africa. Morgan Freeman was great as Nelson Mandela at a time when the country was in a major transition. "Avatar" got me because it was just brilliant technology and looked like nothing I'd ever seen before. "Up in the Air" was just full of brilliant dialogue and acting. I connected with the story on a personal level.


Tonight, the Hollywood Foreign Press went with brilliant technology over a great story. "Avatar" won and I think it was deserved.


I picked Sandra Bullock to win for best performance by an actress in a motion picture - drama. She took the category. I haven't seen any of the other performances nominated, but Bullock pulled off the best acting I've seen from her to date in "The Blind Side."


I saw three of the movies in which actors were nominated for best actor motion picture - drama, including Morgan Freeman in "Invictus," George Clooney in "Up in the air," and Tobey Maguire in "Brothers. Freeman embodied Mandela and Clooney was able to portray heartbreak in just a look as Ryan Bingham. Maguire had the weakest performance of the three. The winner, however, was Jeff Bridges, as a washed up singer/songwriter in "Crazy Heart."


The biggest shocker of the night was the winner for best motion picture - musical or comedy. I saw three of the nominees, "It's Complicated," "Julie and Julia," and "Nine. I thought for sure "Nine," being an artsy musical, would take the category. At the least, I thought it would be "Julie and Julia" or "It's Complicated," with Meryl Streep at the helm. I had just finished saying, "The Hangover will never win," when the envelope was opened and "The Hangover" won. I thought the movie was hilarious, but I'm not sure it was better than all the other movies in the category.


For best performance by an actress in a motion picture - musical or comedy, I saw three of the movies, including both of the vehicles for which Meryl Streep was nominated. Though I'd only seen two of the movies at the time, I thought Meryl Streep would win for "Julie and Julia," or Marion Cotillard would win for "Nine," which I haven't seen yet. Streep deserves it for taking on Julia Child's persona onscreen.


I still haven't seen any of the movies for which best actors in a musical or comedy were nominated. I thought Daniel Day Lewis would get it for "Nine," but Robert Downy Jr. took it for "Sherlock Holmes."


When it came to animated films, I thought "Up" would win and I am glad it did. When I wrote about the nominees, I said it made me laugh and it made me cry. But more than that, it made a few men I know do the same thing and I think that's proof enough that it deserved the win.


So when I picked U2 for best song, I kind of knew they probably wouldn't win. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've heard the song "The Weary Kind" in trailers for the movie "Crazy Heart." It's catchy and recognizable and seems totally suitable for the movie.


I really wanted "Dexter" to win for best television series -drama. The season that recently ended was the best won yet. The writers out do themselves every year and I can't believe they made me like a serial killer. The Golden Globe, however, went to "Mad Men," which I have never seen. Still, Michael C. Hall and John Lithgow, took home Globes for their performances last season so at least they were recognized for the crazy work they do.


I watch four of the five TV shows nominated for best musical or comedy so I was a little torn when I chose my top pick. Of "30 Rock," "Glee," "Modern Family" and "The Office," I went with "Modern Family" because it is new and fresh. I also estimated that it made me laugh harder this season than any other show. "Glee" won and I really like that show, too, so it's not so bad. For


For best performance by an actress in a TV comedy or musical, I really wanted to see Tina Fey win for "30 Rock" or Lea Michele on "Glee." But I can understand why Toni Collette got the nod for "United States of Tara." After all, as a woman with multiple personality disorder, she is really play four characters, not just one.


For my final prediction, it seems like the Hollywood Foreign Press agreed with me that Alec Baldwin just gets better as Jack on "30 Rock" each season. He's in perfect form for this season as a man who has reconnected with his unavailable high school crush.


The rest of the winners are online.