Best guesses for Oscar wins

At one point in my life, Oscar night meant nothing more than settling in on the couch, watching the red carpet and calling friends about fashion missteps and award show surprises. Even then, when there was nothing on the line, I was hesitant to make extensive predictions about winners. No Oscars pool for me! A printable ballot? A waste of paper, thank you very much. Part of the fun of the night was changing my mind right up until the envelope was opened, and "predicting" anything stripped me of that unalienable right.

Fast forward, and now I have no choice. So I offer up to you, my best Oscar guesses. This is where my thoughts are at this exact moment in time, and I can make no promises that there might not be a switch or two come Sunday. Take a gander, let me know what you think in the comments.

Best Picture: "The King’s Speech."

Best Actor: Colin Firth. (If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. It’s his time!)

Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush. (He’s just so Oscar-ly.)

Best Actress:The best campaign out there has been for Annette Bening, and I’m going with her, too.

Supporting Actress: This is a tough category. I do think Melissa Leo’s glitzy ad campaign detracted from how good she really is, so she’s out. My best guess: a “surprise” winner in Jacki Weaver, from “Animal Kingdom.”

Director: Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech.”

Writing, adapted screenplay:Aaron Sorkin,“The Social Network.”

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For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Animated Feature: "Toy Story 3."

Documentary: “Inside Job.”

Foreign language:“Biutiful.”

Music, original score: “The King’s Speech.”

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