Oscars Forecast 2012: Her Campus Predicts the Winners

The award show to end all award shows is here once again to heap praise upon the rich and really, really, ridiculously good looking people of Hollywood.  The red carpet is being shampoo-vacced as we speak, to be ready for the glitziest and most glamorous night of the year.  The 2012 Academy Awards air live this Sunday (February 26^th) at 7pm on ABC (and for the pre-show red carpet coverage for all you fashion junkies E! will be starting coverage bright and early at 1.30pm). I must say even though award shows all seem to blur into one another at this point in the awards season, as the gowns meld into one shiny, dangerously low-cut affair after the other, and the presenting of awards banter grows staler than a day-old slice of Sadler pizza, the Oscars are still the mother of all award shows and so it is with eager anticipation that I await this Sunday’s telecast of the best way to celebrate a fantastic year in film and I hope you will do the same!
 
Here is a rundown of the nominees in the 5 most important categories of the night and who I predict (in bold) is most likely to walk away with a new shiny gold man to add to their collection, and why (below each section).
 
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
 
Most Likely to Win: 
Octavia Spencer has swept the Golden Globes, the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards and the BAFTAs, it’s very unlikely that this lovely lady will walk away empty handed for her portrayal as a sassy black maid in the 1960s racially charged South.
Dark Horse: Melissa McCarthy could possibly sneak in a win for her hilarious, raunchy, and daring performance in 2011’s smash hit comedy, Bridesmaids.
 
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
 
Most Likely to Win:
Christopher Plummer is a for sure bet, like Octavia he’s also swept this red carpet season collecting statues like candy.  This award is not only for his touching performance as a gay man finally allowing himself to explore his sexuality in his golden years, but can also be seen as a sort of lifetime achievement award for all the wonderful roles he’s brought to life these many decades (Captain Von Trapp!)
Dark Horse:  Max Von Sydow gives a wonderfully subtle performance in the mostly disappointing movie adaptation of the best-selling novel, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. And like Plummer Sydow has been in the acting game a long time and might be awarded the statue for being overdue.
 
Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Viola Davis, The Help
Glenn Close (W&M alum represent!), Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
 
Most Likely To Win:
Viola Davis gives a powerful and moving performance as Aibileen, a black maid who faces adversary in the South in the 1960s.  Davis has never really had the spotlight she deserves in her fantastic acting career and now it is her time to shine.
Dark Horse: Meryl Streep yet again proves she is one of if not the best actresses of our generation as the fiery former Prime Minister of the UK, good ol’ Maggie Thatcher.  This may be a close one, although my odds favor Davis, Streep may just collect a little golden man for undoubtedly being the best part of The Iron Lady (plus this is her 17^th (!) Oscar nomination people and she’s only won 2 Oscars, you would think she is due for a third sometime soon.)
 
Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
 
Most Likely to Win:
Jean Dujardin, this really is a tough call in perhaps the tightest race of the night, but I have to go with the absolutely charming and almost completely silent performance by Frenchman Jean Dujardin as a down on his luck silent film star.  If you haven’t seen this heart-warming film yet, go now! You will walk out the theatre with a smile on your face and this is due in large part to Monsieur Dujardin.
Dark Horse (except not really in this case): George Clooney is almost neck and neck with Dujardin, both have won their fair share of awards and critical acclaim this awards season.  George has given what some critics call the best performance so far in his career and he seems to be an old favorite of the Academy.  But I’m giving this one to Dujardin by a hair for his once in a lifetime performance (also George already has one!)
 
Best Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Extremely Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
 
Most Likely To Win:
 The Artist has been the critic’s darling this awards season and has been scooping up awards right and left, I would be very surprised if this enchanting little film doesn’t win. Seriously, you need to go see it.
Dark Horse: Hugo has also received rave reviews like The Artist for its references to the history of film and its general charm and innocence and may just pull an upset.  Also it’s a Martin Scorsese film, enough said.
 
Tune in this Sunday at 7pm to find out if my predictions are stunningly accurate or laughably wrong!