The night the STARS align...

One of Ben's favorite nights of the year is here! Tonight the 82nd Annual Academy Awards are on! When I was younger my parents would have an annual Oscar party, guests would come with filled out ballots making their best predictions for the winners. The party was complete with prizes for the person who got the most right and even a prize for the worst ballot. We thought we'd have a scaled down get together tonight we've all made our guesses early, here are our predictions:

Mandy:

I had a different approach for voting, I voted for who I wanted to win, not who I thought would win. One example, I voted Christopher Plummer for Best Supporting Actor in The Last Station. I haven't seen the movie but I have been a fan of Christopher Plummer's since seeing him as Captain VonTrapp in my favorite movie The Sound of Music. Ben has since told me he'll never win, but one can wish!

(Too see our predictions up close, click on the photo and it will enlarge.)

Ben:

Even though I really like watching the Oscar's, I do think they are kind of dumb. Most of the time I don't really think their choices mirror the best cinema of the year, then there is the whole how do you judge art thing... but every year I get excited to watch. Anyway when someone I like wins, then I like the Oscars. Anyway for my in-laws Oscar party here is my ballot. I've seen most of the major contenders except The Blindside (is that film really considered a major contender?) and Precious: BOTNPBS. My votes go to who I think is going to win because I'm gunning for whatever prize Mandy's parents are offering. I sure hope in the category of Picture and Actress that I am wrong. For the record I want The Hurt Locker to win best picture and Carey Mulligan for An Education. What would be the best is if my new friend and favorite author Nick Hornby won for best adapted screenplay but that will never happen.