MR. WILL-W.'S EARLY OSCAR PREDICTIONS - OCTOBER 2010

Although not quite as formula-based as my girl Sasha predictions are over at Awards Daily, Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven is known to have picked an Oscar winner or two in the past.  Even though the big day isn't until Sunday, March 5, 2011, I will break down for you who I feel is in-contention for a nomination in the major categories.   Obviously, there are a few contenders which I have not seen yet, so I have denoted these with an asterisk.  The names in bold are the contenders I feel have the greatest chance of winning the actual Oscar.  Selections are subject to change and I'll probably re-jig this again closer to the end of the year.

Still from Black Swan

BEST PICTURE

• The Town
• Black Swan
• Inception
• The Kids Are All Right
• The Social Network
• 127 Hours
• Rabbit Hole
• Toy Story 3
• Blue Valentine
• The King's Speech

*Hereafter (review to be posted Wednesday), Made in Dagenham, True Grit, Fair Game and Love and Other Drugs

Still from The King's Speech

BEST ACTOR

• James Franco - 127 Hours
• Colin Firth - The King's Speech
• Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
• Leonardo DiCaprio - Inception
• Robert Duvall - Get Low

*Jeff Bridges - True Grit and Matt Damon - Hereafter

Still from Rabbit Hole

BEST ACTRESS

• Natalie Portman - Black Swan
• Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
• Hilary Swank - Conviction
• Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
• Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right

*Anne Hathaway - Love and Other Drugs, Sally Hawkins - Made in Dagenham, Naomi Watts - Fair Game

Still from The Social Network

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Jeremy Renner - The Town
• Sam Rockwell - Conviction
• Tom Hardy - Inception
• Andrew Garfield - The Social Network
• Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech

*Sean Penn - Fair Game, Matt Damon - True Grit, Josh Brolin - True Grit

Still from The Kids Are All Right

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Juliette Lewis - Conviction
• Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
• Dianne Wiest - Rabbit Hole
• Julianne Moore - The Kids Are All Right
• Barbara Hershey - Black Swan

Christopher Nolan directing Inception

BEST DIRECTOR

• Ben Affleck - The Town
• Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
• Christopher Nolan - Inception
• Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan
• David Fincher - The Social Network

*The Coen Brothers - True Grit