2011 OSCARS: Director, Picture

Well, here we go … the final categories. Who will win big?

BEST DIRECTOR

• Darren Aronofsky — Black Swan
• David O. Russell — The Fighter
• Tom Hooper — The King’s Speech
• David Fincher — The Social Network
• Joel Coen and Ethan Coen — True Grit

Thoughts: This is a genuine, hard-to-call horse race between Tom Hooper and David Fincher. The King’s Speech will reign on Oscar night, and normally the Best Director award goes to the director of the Best Picture winner. My sentiments are with Fincher though, a career director who finally deserves recognition.

Who Will Win: Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech

Who Should Win: David Fincher, The Social Network

BEST PICTURE

• Black Swan — Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin
• The Fighter — David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg
• Inception — Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan
• The Kids Are All Right — Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray
• The King’s Speech — Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin
• 127 Hours — Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson
• The Social Network — Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin
• Toy Story 3 — Daria K. Anderson
• True Grit — Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
• Winter’s Bone — Anne Rossellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin

Thoughts: I’m not a fan of the 10-nominee field for Best Picture. The simple reason is that numbers six through 10 can be eliminated almost immediately. How to do that? Well, if a movie doesn’t get nominated for Best Director, then there is virtually no chance it will win Best Picture, and Best Director only has five nominees. The King’s Speech has earned the right to be the top pick here, but perhaps there will be an upset from The Social Network. My choice is Winter’s Bone.

Who Will Win: The King’s Speech

Who Should Win: Winter’s Bone

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

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