Who wants to be a 'Slumdog Millionaire' predictor?

Want to be 100% right in your Oscar pool Sunday?

Well, probably not possible unless you strike up an affair with a PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant and get him or her to spill the beans. However, this year is pretty easy. You may not have to go that far. Those who spend more than five minutes fretting over this list should be drummed out of the prognostication business.

Nevertheless, if you're Oscar-challenged and not all that confident, here is the best possible way to triumph. Follow the ever-reliable predictions of Pete Hammond's "Notes on a Season," the reigning champ of The Envelope's Buzzmeter, where he outpointed everyone, including colleagues Tom O'Neil and Scott Feinberg. He also won that "Guru" thing at another site, so check out these predictions:

Best Picture: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Best Actor: Sean Penn

Best Actress: Kate Winslet

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz

Best Director: Danny Boyle

Best Original Screenplay: "Milk"

Best Adapted Screenplay: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Best Animated Film: "Wall-E"

Best Documentary Feature: "Man on Wire"

Best Foreign-Language Film: "Departures"

Best Cinematography: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Best Art Direction: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Best Costume Design: "The Duchess"

Best Song: "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire"

Best Musical Score: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Best Film Editing: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Best Sound Mixing: "The Dark Knight"

Best Sound Editing: "Wall-E"

Best Makeup: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Best Special Visual Effects: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Best Animated Short: "Presto"

Best Live-Action Short: "Toyland"

Best Documentary Short: "The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306"

Place your bets now. If you win, I get 10%. Best of luck.

-- Pete Hammond

(Photo courtesy Fox Searchlight)

Comments

[Paula R.]

I would actually love to see Richard Jenkins or Frank Langella pull off a dark horse win. Mickey Rourke is a scary looking freak and Sean Penn is probably the most self-absorbed jerk on the planet. If Penn does win, I am sure he will take the opportunity to Bush-bash and continue the Hollywood slobberfest over Barack Obama.

For the first time in nearly 35 years of watching the Oscars, I will not be watching. Filthy rich, out-of-touch with reality
celebrities in expensive gowns and jewels while most of the regular schmoes in this country are out of work is digraceful.

I wish everyone could see the Oscars for what they reall are:
a private club's ceremony where popularity trophies are given out.

[Evan]

What are the odds for Benjamin Button coming on empty? 0 out of 13? I believe is possible.

[T.T. Nowling]

I think Kate winslet will win for sure!!!! She was fab in "The Reader"!!!!!

[Gary]

SLUMDOG, Penn, Streep, Ledger, Davis, Boyle.

[slumdog]

slumdog millionaire may be a favourite but they have left the slum children, and the two young slum stars, living in filthy, tiny slums whilst this cast and director go on to awards ceremonies and to rake millions from the showing. they boast of sending two of the kids to school now and setting up a fond for the future but what they are coming home to is terrible and have been having to live there still after filming finnished. the film has enough money to have housed, schooled and changed the lives of all the slum children and extras in volved or at least to pledge it when they do. after all they got the city and slums as a free backdrop/ scenery, they should change that realworld slum scenery for proper housing, its so cheap in india and nothing compared ot the fortune this film is likely to gross. how could an actor or director go to their hotel when these children they used go back to skinny sick parents in the most abject, terrible conditions and how soon before they help. the boy star was crying for help, he should not have to cry and beg, though anyone would living like that, these people should have payed him his millions share and top work conditions as any adult actor enjoyed, this is child exploitation. see the damian grammaticus video report of the kids from the bbc website. theres no point celebrating the feelgood movie and the rise of the underdog when these people dont feel good and remain slumdogs. who wants to get up every day next to a cesspit or feed of a rubbish dump? how can anyon esit down to an expensive meal at the oscars to applaud this film when those in it are starving and ekeing out an existence bakc in india.

[Arunabh Das]

Slumdog will definitely win 5 oscars.

- Arunabh Das

[praven]

slumdog you rock

[dearmoviegoer]

I agree with all of the predictions minus 2 (although some of "the best of the year" are M.I.A.). I do think the actor award will regretfully go to Rourke, although Penn's performance will be remembered in times to come, and perhaps there may be an upset with supporting actress going to Davis. Otherwise, it will be a very predictable evening in many ways!

[Arunabh Das]

So I underestimated the number of Oscars that Slumdog would win. But the Academy was right-on-money!!

[Arunabh Das]

Hope Danny Boyle does a sequel - Arunabh Das

[vI]

Hammond got 20/24, 83.3%, mistakes being Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Animated Short and Documentary short. He got all the major ones nailed.