This Sunday at 7 p.m. on ABC, Billy Crystal will host the 84th Annual Academy Awards, doling out those illustrious gilded men to the most deserving players in Hollywood from the past year. To preview the ceremony, the Daily will take you through the six main categories (Best Supporting Actress and Actor, Best Actress and Actor, Best Director and Best Picture), enumerating the favorite frontrunners and the reprehensible snubs along the way. So, grab some popcorn and get prepared for the drawn out speeches and, if we're lucky, some wild waterworks. It's Oscar time!Best Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer is this year's Mo'Nique: after a career marked by bit parts and forgettable comedic appearances, Spencer has catapulted to overnight fame after her role in "The Help" (2011). Her portrayal of forthright maid Minny Jackson has garnered critical acclaim, resulting in the first major acting awards of Spencer's career. Having taken the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award, Spencer seems like a shoo?in for the Oscar a la Mo'Nique's triple crown run in 2009.
Not many expected Melissa McCarthy to reel in a nomination, especially considering her "Bridesmaids" (2011) character violates an Academy faux pas by defecating in a sink onscreen. Apparently, the Academy could not avoid the McCarthy bandwagon, though they may have overlooked some stunning performances. One of the biggest misses was Shailene Woodley, who flaunted her precocious acting chops in "The Descendants" (2011), meshing admirably with her counterpart, George Clooney. The 20?year?old Woodley will have to wait for her next big role to see a coveted Oscar nomination.Best Supporting Actor
The Best Supporting Actor category boils down to two 82?year?old foreign actors: the Canadian, Christopher Plummer, and the Swede, Max von Sydow. Despite the fact that both have had prolific careers and have been nominated for Academy Awards twice, neither man has ever won an Oscar. Unfortunately for von Sydow - who brilliantly portrayed the mute Renter in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" (2011) - Plummer's golden statuette is a bit longer overdue. In a banner year that also saw him play the Vanger patriarch in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2011), Plummer truly shone in "Beginners" (2010) as an elderly father who reveals to his son that he is gay. Expect him to complete the trifecta sweep of a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award and Academy Award.
On the other end of the emotional spectrum, this night of celebration will be one of misery for Albert Brooks. Normally known for his comedic roles, Brooks is garnering mass critical acclaim for his portrayal of ruthless gangster Bernie Rose in "Drive" (2011). But who ever heard of comedians being nominated for Oscars upon switching to more serious roles? Oh, that's right: Jonah Hill holds a nomination under identical circumstances for his part in "Moneyball" (2011). Sorry, Albert, though many can rightfully complain about the academy's overlooking of your achievement in "Drive," critics would be hard?pressed to deny the five current nominees a spot on the list.Best Actress
Ranging from up?and?comers like Rooney Mara ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo") to familiar staples like Glenn Close ("Albert Nobbs" (2011)), this year's Best Actress pool is one of the strongest in recent memory. The women's troupe is so strong, in fact, that Tilda Swinton was glaringly omitted from the lineup. Swinton took home the Best Supporting trophy several years ago for "Michael Clayton" (2007), but her latest role as a mother coping with the murderous ways of her son in "We Need to Talk About Kevin" (2011) may have been her most emotive and chilling performance yet.
Swinton definitely deserved the nod over Meryl Streep, whose over the top portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady" (2011) continues to gain acclaim, baffling average moviegoers. Alas, Streep's unmerited nomination proves that there is nothing she can do to lose Hollywood's unwavering support - she even managed to garner a nomination for "The Devil Wears Prada" (2008)!
Nonetheless, the story of the night will be the masterful ladies of "The Help." After watching Spencer scoop up Best Supporting Actress gold, stay tuned to see Viola Davis as she is crowned Best Actress for her rendering of Aibileen Clark. Davis, who could have just as easily seen a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her tear?inducing role in "Extremely Loud," hopes to ride the coattails of her SAG award to an Oscar victory. Her only true competition is Streep, Davis' former counterpart in the film that put her on the map, "Doubt" (2008). But fans also should not count out Michelle Williams, who has seen surging support for her depiction of Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn" (2011) following her Golden Globe win.Best Actor
Not many critics expected Mexican actor Demi??n Bicihr to get a Best Actor nod. But Bichir, who plays Carlos, an immigrant gardener scraping to get by in "A Better Life" (2011), certainly adds some low?budget flavor to a group of silverscreen juggernauts. Furthermore, Gary Oldman received a nomination purely out of professional respect. In one of the most egregious crimes in recent cinematic memory, Oldman had never been nominated for an Oscar until his latest role. His depiction of John le Carr?©'s famous protagonist, George Smiley, in "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (2011) is not even one of his best performances, much less the best performance of the year.
Ryan Gosling could have easily supplanted either Bichir or Oldman, but critics have been disconcertingly dismissive of Gosling's stoic performance in "Drive." He did not even obtain a Golden Globe nomination for it, instead receiving a nomination for his other dramatic role in "The Ides of March" (2011). The only plausible rationale for snubbing Gosling in both awards shows is that his "Drive" character has very little dialogue or emotion. But ironically enough, Oscar favorite Jean Dujardin will most likely take top prize for his part in the silent film "The Artist" (2011)!
In any other year, George Clooney might have garnered his second Oscar for his performance in "The Descendants." But the Academy is consistently enraptured by novelty and eccentricity, so the formerly unknown Frenchman, Dujardin, should go home with the precious britannium man.
Best Picture
The Best Picture category is the biggest tossup of the major groups. With nine acclaimed films, one might think the Academy covered all of its bases. But "Drive" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" are two glaring absences from the list. Either of these films could have readily replaced "War Horse" (2011) or "Extremely Loud," a pair of melodramatic works that never lived up to the hype they generated. Perhaps the most egregious snub, however, is "50/50" (2011). Considering the Academy's surprising affinity for comedies this year, the mixture of wit and poignancy in "50/50" should have been enough to solidify a spot in the year's top nine.
As with the next category, the Best Picture Oscar will fall into the hands of "The Artist" or "The Descendants." These two films have jockeyed for the top prize after successful Best Picture runs at the Golden Globes ("The Artist" won for Best Comedy or Musical and "The Descendants" won for Best Drama).
"The Descendants" is more moving, as it follows a man's personal journey to connect with his children and come to terms with the misdeeds of his comatose wife. "The Artist," however, is more unique and, thus, may be more appealing to Academy voters. Filmed entirely in black and white, "The Artist" pays homage to the era of silent film, portraying the romance of an aging silent film star and a blossoming actress. The film itself is mostly silent and has dazzled audiences since its debut at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
The dark horse in the Best Picture race is "Moneyball." Rather than fall victim to classic sports movie cliches, "Moneyball" featured fantastic performances from Hill, Brad Pitt and Philip Seymour Hoffman, a fluid, nuanced script written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin and adept directing by Bennett Miller. "Moneyball" is the total package, but Hollywood seems too entranced by "The Artist" and "The Descendants" to facilitate an upset champion.Best Director
The Best Director category features three old?timers with Oscar history: Woody Allen ("Midnight in Paris" (2011)), Martin Scorsese ("Hugo" (2011)) and Terrence Malick ("Tree of Life" (2011)). The gold statue, however, will probably be gifted to one of the two younger guns, Alexander Payne ("The Descendants") and Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist"). Though Scorsese won at the Golden Globes, most foresee "The Artist" and "The Descendants" locking horns in both the Best Picture and the Best Director categories. Unfortunately for Payne, Hazanavicius' work is favored in both regards. Do not feel too bad for Payne, though; he already has a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar glistening on his mantle for "Sideways" (2004).
The true losers on Sunday will be David Fincher and Nicolas Winding Refn. After first watching their respective works, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "Drive," omitted from the Best Picture category, they find themselves out of the running for Best Director as well. Both men rightfully deserved a nomination, but in the extremely competitive Best Director race, only five directors earned bids.
Of those five, expect Hazanavicius to win his first Oscar. He has an outstanding rapport with his two "The Artist" leads, having directed Dujardin and B?©r?©nice Bejo in two other feature films, Not to mention, Hazanavicius and Bejo are married with two children. So, for the French filmmaker and his two leads, a night of raucous merriment and unforgettable victories should be in store.
