Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005
Oscars, posted at 10:11 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com I had a dream last night that I won a Grammy. Seriously. But it was with my family. Maybe it was some sort of family band grammy. I think it's because I'm excited about the Oscars and I miss my folks a bit.Here are my hopes for the Oscars on Sunday:
1. Chris Rock is really funny.
2. Anything other than Million Dollar Baby wins best picture, a film whose appeal and acclaim I struggle to understand. I'd be thrilled with either The Aviator (a well-made film that does a lot of things well, even if flawed) or Sideways (I wasn't wowed by it at first, but it's really stuck with me, aging like wine in my mind) getting the trophy.
3. Sophie Okendedo wins Best Supporting Actress. She's the type of unknown whose career would really be helped by an Oscar, and her performance was very, very good in a movie (Hotel Rwanda) that was unjustly ignored.
4. Kate Winslet suprises everyone and beats out Hilary Swank for Best Actress. Winslet is excellent in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and an Oscar would help the film get some attention it deserves. For my money, it was the second best film of 2004.
5. I'm rooting for Morgan Freeman and Jamie Foxx in the Actor categories. Freeman has never won, and, while this role isn't his best ever, he deserves to have an Oscar on his shelf. Foxx was very, very good in Ray. I do not want Thomas Haden Church winning Best Supporting Actor; I'm not convinced he's not just a bad actor playing a bad actor.
6. Eternal Sunshine should take Best Original Screenplay. I'd like to see Best Adapted Screenplay go to The Motorcycle Diaries or Sideways.
My predictions, though, are different from my hopes. I predict a Million Dollar Baby sweep for Picture, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Adapted Screenplay. Cate Blanchett (who was really good) will win Best Supporting Actress, Foxx will win Best Actor, and Scorsese will win Best Director.
We're doing a $5 pool at work and having a party. Maybe I'll win myself some $$$ with these predictions.