Here are my predictions for tonight's Academy Awards Show.

BEST PICTURE

I predict "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" to win, although I'm not completely sold on it due to the overwhelming support for "Slumdog Millionaire." Both are great movies and would be worthy of the win. If "The Reader" wins, it'll be because of nothing more than politics on the part of the Weinstein Brothers.

My order:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Slumdog Millionaire
Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Reader

BEST DIRECTOR

I think Danny Boyle is going to win Best Director. He's also my pick for who should win this award. All of the directors nominated did a great job, but "Slumdog Millionaire" was something that I'd never seen before.

My order:
Danny Boyle
David Fincher
Gus Van Sant
Ron Howard
Stephen Daldry

BEST ACTOR

I predict Brad Pitt to win this award. I'm once going against the grain a little bit here, but I think Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn are going to cancel each other out, leaving the third pick, which also happens to be a very Oscar worthy performance, as well as an Oscar friendly name and face, coming in to steal the award.

BEST ACTRESS

I predict this is the year that Kate Winslet finally wins the award. I haven't seen the other movies, so I could be off. There's a lot of buzz around Anne Hathaway as well, so I wouldn't be surprised if she came in for the prize.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Heath Ledger had better win this award, or I may turn off the television. There's no way that Robert Downey JR will win, as great as his performance was. Josh Brolin was pretty good in "Milk," but I don't know that it was attention worthy enough to give him the Oscar. I predict a Heath win. Since this is one of the first awards given out, I think that we'll know a lot about what kind of awards show this is going to be.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

The only performance I've seen was Taraji Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," so I don't have a lot to go on. I'm predicting Viola Davis winning this year.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

I haven't seen most of these movies, so it's hard to predict, but I have a feeling that "Milk" is going to win.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

This is "Slumdog's" award to lose. It was a sharp screenplay that offered all kinds of twists and turns. It should and will win.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

"Wall-E" has this one locked up, but I preferred "Kung Fu Panda." But "Wall-E" WILL win this award. This is one of the locks of the night.

Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Haven't seen any of these...so...shot in the dark...Oh, "Presto," I saw that one...I predict "This Way Up" to win. The magic cursor has spoken.

BEST ART DIRECTION

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" should win this one. It was pretty amazing in the art direction.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

"Batman" should win this one, but I don't think it will. I think "Slumdog" is going to take this one. "The Dark Knight" felt like an old David Lean movie set in the city. Not an easy accomplishment to pull off. The rest are kind of "meh."


BEST COSTUME DESIGN

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" should and will win this one.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

The only one I've even heard about is "Man on Wire," so I'm predicting that it'll win. Plus, it's the only one that has any sort of buzz around it.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Magic cursor, do your job. Ummm...Let's go with "The Final Inch."???!!!!?????

BEST EDITING

"Slumdog Millionaire" should and will win this one. The movie was perfectly edited. It's actually one of the best edited movie's I've seen in quite a while.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

I predict "The Class" will win this one. But I've also heard a lot about "Waltz with Bashir," so who knows?

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

Hard to root against a movie called "Toyland," eh?

BEST MAKEUP

"Benjamin Buttons" should and will win this award. Heath's make up in "The Dark Knight" was great, also.


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

I'm going to go with "Slumdog Millionaire" on this one, though I did like the score in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" as well.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

I predict "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire," even though I don't know that much about it.

BEST SOUND EDITING

"The Dark Knight" should and will win this award.

BEST SOUND MIXING

"The Dark Knight" should and will win this award, but I could see "Wall-E" sneaking in there.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

I predict "Benjamin Button" to win this award, though the "Dark Knight" and "Iron Man" were also very well done.