Oscar fallout, 2009 edition

Damn, I suck.

OK, so my predictions weren't that off, but once again, I let me love of dark horses cloud my more cynical (and accurate) impulses.

Out of my seven "official" predictions, I called Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay, one less right than last year.

For Best Supporting Actress, I picked Viola Davis to win, and if I remember correctly, she was the frontrunner when Oscar season began. I'm not sure what elevated Penelope Cruz ahead of her, but no hard feelings. I know I'll be renting "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" the earliest chance I get.

For Best Original Screenplay, I went with the wild card of "Frozen River." I'm not really sure why, but I do love the upsets.

It was that spirit that led me to pick Gus Van Sant over Danny Boyle, the obvious choice in a "Slumdog" year. Oh well, I did the same last year, and odds are high I'll repeat this next year.

See you then.

One final note: boo to voters for not picking "Waltz with Bashir" for Best Foreign Language Film. It's a unique moviegoing experience, and while I haven't seen "Departures," I feel a bit robbed.