What It All Comes Down To

I haven't been keeping up with this as I should. I have mainly been using the site as a formal means of documenting my predictions to the public. Anyways, awards have been given out, and this year promises to be one of the craziest in years. Still, a consensus is forming, and I would like to show the top films competing for awards in each of the top 8 categories. I will present each film with my thoughts on the likelihood of a nomination. Then I will have the films that I see that stand a chance as well as a film that could come out of nowhere to garner a nomination on nomination day. So without further ado:

BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Slumdog Millionaire
Milk
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon

Revolutionary Road
Wall-E
Dark Horse: Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus van Sant, Milk
Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler

Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road
Dark Horse: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST ACTOR
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Sean Penn, Milk
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino

Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Dark Horse: Christian Bale, The Dark Knight

BEST ACTRESS
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
Dark Horse: Kate Beckinsale, Nothing But the Truth

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Josh Brolin, Milk
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder

James Franco, Milk
Dark Horse: Emile Hirsch, Milk

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married

Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Dark Horse: Vera Farmiga, Nothing But the Truth

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Wall-E
The Visitor
Happy-Go-Lucky

The Wrestler
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Dark Horse: In Bruges

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
The Dark Knight
Revolutionary Road

The Reader
Doubt
Dark Horse: Gomorrah