The King's Speech and The Social Network will pick up Best Screenplay Oscars at the Academy Awards
Nathan Swank
February 25th, 2011
By Nathan Swank
The movies for 2010 are rounding their last moment of recognition with the 2011 83rd annual Academy Awards airing Sunday, February 27. For the first time in recent memory, The Academy has mostly gotten the nominees right, besides a minimal amount of Oscar Snubs. And although I loved INCEPTION and BLACK SWAN, this is a battle between THE KING’S SPEECH vs. THE SOCIAL NETWORK – two very deserving films that many are saying is a heart vs. head fight for the win.
Overall, unlike last year, we should hopefully see the Oscar go to a nice variety of recipients throughout the night. Without further adieu, I present a surefire way to win your Oscar pool (I promise to try to do better than last year). We will begin with the less popular categories. I suggest using Documentary Short, Live-Action Short and Animated Short as tiebreakers, which your guess is as good as mine, therefore absent from my predictions.
But if you must have something then: Documentary Short Subject– STRANGERS NO MORE, Animated Short Film– DAY & NIGHT, Live Action Short Film– THE CONFESSION. Onto Part 1:
Documentary Feature: EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, GASLAND, INSIDE JOB, RESTREPO, WASTE LAND
INSIDE JOB – After recently viewing WAITING FOR SUPERMAN, I can easily say it was clearly snubbed from a nomination. While I haven’t seen all the nominees, WAITING FOR SUPERMAN is better than the few I did see. All the documentaries have been praised this year but I’ve heard the most about INSIDE JOB. EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP could be an upset just because it would be an interesting acceptance speech.
Foreign Language Film: BIUTIFUL, DOGTOOTH, IN A BETTER WORLD, INCENDIES, OUTSIDE THE LAW
BIUTIFUL – IN A BETTER WORLD has gotten some praise but Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu has been nominated before for directing BABEL in 2006. The Academy clearly likes him and as the only film with two nominations, I’m thinking it will pull off the win.
Sound Editing: INCEPTION, TOY STORY 3 , TRON: LEGACY, TRUE GRIT, UNSTOPPABLE
INCEPTION – With a different theme for each layer of dream levels complimenting the amazing effects within a newly created world, sound played an impactful part.
Sound Mixing: INCEPTION, THE KING’S SPEECH, SALT, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, TRUE GRIT
INCEPTION – The film played almost as an opera. On a side note, if I was gutsy I would pick THE KING’S SPEECH – Words and silence were never so important to be heard. The public and radio microphone sound were detrimental in making this picture work and the sweeping classical music combined with the final speech is what makes this film evoke tears.
Visual Effects: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1, HEREAFTER, INCEPTION, IRON MAN 2
INCEPTION – The other nominees were fun but INCEPTION created new things yet to be seen on screen.
Makeup: BARNEY’S VERSION, THE WAY BACK, THE WOLFMAN
THE WOLFMAN – History has shown aging doesn’t usually win against creature films and most films about werewolves do the trick. While the film was poor the makeup was great.
Original Song: “Coming Home” COUNTRY STRONG, “I See the Light” TANGLED, “If I Rise” 127 HOURS, “We Belong Together” TOY STORY 3
127 HOURS – Frankly, I’m not too sure about this one and am probably wrong. Personally, I like “If I Rise” and would like to see 127 HOURS win at least one award. Randy Newman could get it for TOY STORY 3 but while I like the song, I can’t stomach his voice.
Original Score: John Powell, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON; Hans Zimmer, INCEPTION; Alexandre Desplat, THE KING’S SPEECH; A.R. Rahman, 127 HOURS; Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
THE SOCIAL NETWORK – Hanz Zimmer has been around forever with countless nominations and one win already. So although I absolutely loved INCEPTION’s score it will not win. This is another battle between our top two contenders. The Academy will use this spot for a hip pick choosing Reznor and Ross over THE KING’S SPEECH.
Film Editing: BLACK SWAN, THE FIGHTER, THE KING’S SPEECH, 127 HOURS, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
THE SOCIAL NETWORK – The fact that the film consists mostly of conversation but it moves briskly with excitement is a testament to the pacing and editing.
Costume Design: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, I AM LOVE, THE KING’S SPEECH, THE TEMPEST, TRUE GRIT
THE KING’S SPEECH – Period pieces nearly always wins in the costume department so ALICE IN WONDERLAND will just miss with its unique vision.
Cinematography: BLACK SWAN, INCEPTION, THE KING’S SPEECH, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, TRUE GRIT
TRUE GRIT – Although I liked it, I do not share the infatuation that the Academy and public seem to have with this film. With 10 nominations, it’s bound to win one (unfortunately probably more). So the western film will likely beat out the other four nominees who I believe to be more deserving.
Art Direction: ALICE IN WONDERLAND, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1, INCEPTION, THE KING’S SPEECH, TRUE GRIT
ALICE IN WONDERLAND – These are all great nominees. And although INCEPTION created most of its world via props and set I would be wrong to choose against Tim Burton who nearly always wins this category.
Animated Feature Film: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, THE ILLUSIONIST, TOY STORY 3
TOY STORY 3 – It’s Pixar, meaning it is clearly better than everything else. Being also nominated for Best Picture makes this an easy call.
Adapted Screenplay: 127 HOURS, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, TOY STORY 3, TRUE GRIT, WINTER’S BONE
THE SOCIAL NETWORK – The story about computer programming and betrayal is complex, interesting and entertaining, a definite triple threat.
Original Screenplay: ANOTHER YEAR, THE FIGHTER, INCEPTION, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, THE KINGS SPEECH
THE KING’S SPEECH – No coincidence that the two films that win Screenplay are the same ones battling for Best Picture. But by the definition of “original” it will be ridiculous when INCEPTION doesn’t win.
Read Part 2 of our Oscar Predictions here.
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