Oscar Predictions 2006

Here are my predictions for the nominations in major categories for the 2006 Academy Awards:


BEST PICTURE
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
DREAMGIRLS
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
THE QUEEN

BEST DIRECTOR
Bill Condon, DREAMGIRLS
Clint Eastwood, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Stephen Frears, THE QUEEN
Alejandro González Iñárritu, BABEL
Martin Scorsese, THE DEPARTED

BEST ACTOR
Leonardo DiCaprio, THE DEPARTED
Ryan Gosling, HALF NELSON
Peter O’Toole, VENUS
Will Smith, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

BEST ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, VOLVER
Judi Dench, NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren, THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet, LITTLE CHILDREN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jackie Earl Haley, LITTLE CHILDREN
Eddie Murphy, DREAMGIRLS
Jack Nicholson, THE DEPARTED
Brad Pitt, BABEL
Michael Sheen, THE QUEEN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Adriana Barraza, BABEL
Cate Blanchett, NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson, DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi, BABEL

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Guillermo Arriaga, BABEL
Iris Yamashita, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Michael Arndt, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Peter Morgan, THE QUEEN
Pedro Almodovar, VOLVER

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Alfonso Cuarón, Timothy J, Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, CHILDREN OF MEN
William Monahan, THE DEPARTED
Bill Condon, DREAMGIRLS
Todd Field, Tom Perrotta, LITTLE CHILDREN
Patrick Marber, NOTES ON A SCANDAL

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
DAYS OF GLORY (Algeria)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS (Germany)
PAN’S LABYRINTH (Mexico)
VOLVER (Spain)
WATER (Canada)

ANIMATED FEATURE
CARS
HAPPY FEET
MONSTER HOUSE

ORIGINAL SCORE
Gustavo Santaolalla, BABEL
Danny Elfman, CHARLOTTE’S WEB
Clint Mansell, THE FOUNTAIN
Philip Glass, NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Alexandre Desplat, THE QUEEN

Nominations will be announced at 8 am (5 am Pacific) on January 23.