2012 Academy Award Winners + My Thoughts.

I got 12/24 with my picks. Split right down the middle, holy crap that is bad. I think this is the worst I've ever done with my Oscar pics. Most of this is Hugo's fault. All and all, the show itself was pretty lackluster, but it did have some great moments. Billy Crystal was a very "meh" host to me, Chris Rock made me laugh harder in his two minutes presenting than Crystal did throughout the entire show.
My thoughts as always are printed in green.

Best Picture
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Help"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"
"The Tree of Life"
Predicted Winner: The Artist
Actual Winner: The Artist
Part of me really hoped that The Descendants would come out on top, but I knew it wouldn't.
Best Actor
Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"
Predicted Winner: Jean Dujardin
Actual Winner: Jean Dujardin

Best Actress
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"
Predicted Winner: Viola Davis
Actual Winner: Meryl Streep
This legitimately surprised me. I thought Viola had it in the bag. I suppose the Academy felt bad that Meryl hadn't won anything since the 80's.
Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
Predicted Winner: Christopher Plummer
Actual Winner: Christopher Plummer
I loved his acceptance speech. What a classy dude.


Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Predicted Winner: Octavia Spencer
Actual Winner: Octavia Spencer
She almost had me in tears, her and Jessica Chastain who looked so genuinely happy that Ocativa won.

Best Director
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
Predicted Winner: Martin Scorses: Hugo
Actual Winner: Michel Hazanavicius.
I suppose I shouldve known that the Best Pic winner would take home Best Director, but the Academy has surprised me here before.

Best Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
JC Chandor, "Margin Call"
Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, "Bridesmaids"
Predicted Winner: Midnight in Paris
Actual Winner: Midnight in Paris.
Of course Woody no showed.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
John Logan, "Hugo"
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, "The Ides of March"
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, "Moneyball"
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"
Predicted Winner: The Descendants
Actual Winner: The Descendants
I was so happy about this! I loved that movie.

Best Animated Feature
"A Cat In Paris"
"Chico & Rita"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"
Predicted Winner: Rango
Actual Winner: Rango

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Bullhead (Belgium)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)
Predicted Winner: A Seperation
Actual Winner: A Seperation

Original Score
"The Adventures of Tintin," John Williams
"The Artist," Ludovic Bource
"Hugo," Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse," John Williams
Predicted Winner: War Horse
Actual Winner: The Artist
This surprised me, mainly because I didn't find anything original about The Artist's score at all.
Best Original Song
"Man or Muppet," The Muppets; Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio," Rio; Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Lyric by Siedah Garrett
Predicted Winner: Man or Muppet
Actual Winner: Man or Muppet

Best Achievement in Art Direction
"The Artist"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"War Horse"
Predicted Winner: The Artist
Actual Winner: Hugo
I should've predicted Hugo to win more things, because this is the film that totally screwed my picks.


Best Achievement in Cinematography
"The Artist"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"
Predicted Winner: The Artist
Actual Winner: Hugo
See?

Best Achievement in Costume Design
"Anonymous"
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Jane Eyre"
"W.E."
Predicted Winner: The Artist
Actual Winner: The Artist

Best Documentary Feature
"Hell and Back Again"
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
"Pina"
"Undefeated"
Predicted Winner: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Actual Winner: Undefeated.
This surprised me, because you know, Paradise Lost got three innocent men out of prison.
Best Documentary Short Subject
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement?"
"God Is the Bigger Elvis"
"Incident in New Baghdad"
"Saving Face"
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"
Predicted Winner: Saving Face
Actual Winner: Saving Face

Best Achievement in Film Editing
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"
Predicted Winner: Hugo
Actual Winner: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Achievement in Makeup
"Albert Nobbs"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"The Iron Lady"
Predicted Winner: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Actual Winner: The Iron Lady
I beg to disagree..

Best Animated Short Film
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life
Predicted Winner: La Luna
Actual Winner: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Best Live Action Short Film
"Pentecost"
"Raju"
"The Shore"
"Time Freak"
"Tuba Atlantic"
Predicted Winner: The Shore
Actual Winner: The Shore

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
"Drive"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"
Predicted Winner: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Actual winner: Hugo
Again, Hugo got me. I always guess the big budget popcorn flicks in the sound categories. It worked against me here.


Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"
Predicted Winner: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Actual Winner: Hugo.
Hugo, putting me in my place yet again..

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Real Steel"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Predicted Winner: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Actual Winner: Hugo
One last time, just for good measure.