Oscar Nominations = Pie in the Sky Wishing and Hoping

The Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow morning!

Even though fuck the Oscars, really, it's also sort of interesting and exciting only insomuch as it's important to others and thus interesting to discuss. Particularly because this year I've seen more movies than any year previous.

So I thought I'd make a list not of my predictions because hell if I know, but rather a list of what I'd really love to see happen tomorrow morning.  What would be fair and right, if Hollywood had those words in its vocabulary.

Best Foreign Language:

My favorite foreign films of last year were Planet of Snail, Polisse and Kid With a Bike.  None of these made it onto the short list of nine films that have a hope of being nominated. I'm not sure they were even eligible.

Of those nine films I've only seen four, the best of which is already the favorite to win (Amour).  As long as none of the four I've seen are passed over for The Intouchables (which was good, not great) I'll be happy.

Best Documentary:

My favorite documentary of 2012 was The Invisible War, an emotional, maddening, tragic, informative, and ultimately influential film about rape in the military that actually lead to changes in policy after it was shown to a few senators on Capitol Hill.   Thankfully, this film is on the short list of 15 docs that have a chance of a nomination.

I'll be happy with any nomination list that includes The Invisible War.  And I hate to begrudge any documentary's success since I'm such a passionate appreciator of the genre.  That said, I don't understand the rallying around Bully.  That film took on such a monumentally important topic and turned it into a mediocre film, at best.   The subject deserved much better.  I also wasn't blown away by Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God nor did I love Detropia like I was hoping to. Ethel is another doc garnering fanfare I can't quite understand.  Good films, but not of the caliber of the remainder of the list - standouts like How To Survive a Plague, The House I Live In and The Impostor.

I did not see This Is Not A Film, and I am ashamed for every passing day that continues to be true.  I wish they'd show it somewhere before the awards.

Best Animated Feature:

Didn't see enough of these to care, beyond loving Wreck-It Ralph and being total underwhelmed by Frankenweenie.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Beasts of the Southern Wild please! Please! If not that, Lincoln. If not that, anything but Silver Linings Playbook.

Best Original Screenplay:

Take This Waltz? Would never happen, but a girl can dream.

Best Supporting Actress:

Pulling for Ann Dowd to make it onto the list. Compliance all the way.  Is Anette Bening eligible for Ginger & Rosa? I guess that is next year.

It would be pretty awesome if they nominated Nicole Kidman for The Paperboy since it would show a funny side of the Academy that I didn't think existed before.  'Cause surely nobody would want to legitimately recognize that movie or her performance in any serious way, right? I mean.

Best Supporting Actor:

I would be pretty jazzed if Javier Bardem got recognized for Skyfall.  Beyond that I've got to keep rooting for Beasts of the Southern Wild. I think Dwight Henry has a chance.

Best Actress:

Quvenzhane Wallis from Beasts of the Southern Wild was great, of course, and I would be tickled to see a nomination just because I think the film deserves as many accolades as it can collect.  That said, I also think it's a bit silly to revere the performance of a six year old.  She was great, yes, and I fully expect her to have a storied career. But I'd probably owe most of her greatness to the director.

From there, I'd say Marion Cotillard from Rust and Bone, and Emayatzy Corinealdi from Middle of Nowhere. 

Or how about just anyone except Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook.

Best Actor:

I'm good as long as DDL and Joaquin make it in.

Best Director:

In my dreams, Sarah Polley for Take This Waltz.   Venturing back to the world of the even remotely possible though?  It's all about the Andersons.  PT and Wes.

Obviously Benh Zeitlin for Beasts.  Obviously.

Best Picture:

I will be just delighted if Beasts of the Southern Wild makes it into the final list.