Lets get something out of the way.  There are complaints thrown at the Oscars every year.  Complaints of certain movies getting snubbed, others being nominated when they shouldn't.  But at the end of the day, it's the freaking Academy Awards people.  Studios don't list SAG awards or Satellite Awards on their DVD cases.  Golden Globes are only advertised for movies that didn't win any Oscars.  Sometimes Oscar nominations are listed before actual Golden Globe wins.  The Oscars are classy, rich with heritage, and they are the movie award that everyone wants to win (even if they don't want to admit it).

But that isn't the purpose of this article.  No, no, the purpose is to inform and discuss.  One of the great things the Academy Awards do is open people's eyes to films otherwise overlooked by the masses.  I know many people who had never even heard of Slumdog Millionaire until it tore up the Oscars a few years back.  And so, for this post I'm talking about the post that can etch a film into movie history forever.  I'm talking about Best Picture.

The be all, end all award.  Out of all the movies that come out in a year, the one that wins this is put on a pedestal above all others.  Even if it ages poorly in the years to come or beats out a film everyone else expected to win, The Best Picture winner becomes part of a legacy and is given a claim that no one else can have for that year.  This is consistently the most debated award every year, and that is part of its beauty.  It gets people talking about movies, not just superficially, but in a deep critical manner.  Unfortunately some of its prestige was lost last year when the category was expanded to 10 nominees instead of 5.  It's the equivalent of giving every tee-ball team a trophy at the end of the summer, regardless of how they did.  Anyway, here are the nominees.

Inception: I loved Inception.  I loved it enough to write a post saying how I loved it.  It's not only visually mind-blowing and action packed but emotionally deep and philosophically grounded.  I fear that too many people have started to write this off as a simple summer blockbuster or have gotten too caught up with the "logic" of the dream world (the point of the dream world is that there is only so much "logic" in it).  That all being said, I do not expect Inception to win best picture what so ever.  Why?  

The Best Picture usually goes to a movie with a very strong human element, involving broken emotions and strong inter-personal conflict.  I'm not saying Inception doesn't have that.  It does.  However, only two of the characters are truly grounded in this (DiCaprio and Cillian Murphy).  While each character has some tie-in, some hint of depth, it's not a true dramatic ensemble peace.  I don't think it should be, but ultimately, I feel that is part of what the Academy looks at.  Also (and probably more importantly), they are often unimpressed by big budget action films, more specifically of a Sci-Fi nature.  Sci-Fi (or fantasy for that matter) and Oscars rarely mix (except costume design, sound design, etc).  I suppose if LOTR: Return of the King won in its day, Inception has some chance, but as much as I love Inception, it's no Return of the King.

Black Swan: The little art-house film that became a sleeper hit.  Black Swan will certainly carry a strong cult following in years to come.  Why?  Outside of the gripping direction, tight story, and great performances, it's a very niche title.  How many  psychological horror movies revolving around ballet dancers do you know of?  Exactly.  Between its graphic content and its dark nature, it's definitely not a movie for everyone, but that doesn't mean it's not a very well made film, a film that would certainly catch the eye of the Academy.

The movie has very strong characters, huge internal conflict, and despite clearly not being made for the masses, it proved to be a huge hit.  All of these are things that win Oscars.  Does that mean the Black Swan will win?  It is a possibility.  In this case it comes down to whether or not there is a better movie it's competing against.  Consider this a contender, if not a very strong one.

The Fighter:  Who doesn't love a true story?  The Fighter is based off the famous boxer Mickey Ward, telling the tale of his career.  The performances are great (Christian Bale might finally win himself an Oscar for this), its direction is good.  All around it's a very competent film.  Yet this is traveled territory, not just in sports movies but in boxing movies.  It was just 5 years ago that we had Cinderella Man, a fantastic movie starring Russell Crowe as a down and out boxer during the Depression.  Despite its greatness, the best award it got nominated for was best supporting actor.  I can't help but feel (and I believe critics would agree) that this is one of those bottom five nominees.    It's a recommendable movie, but I highly doubt it has any chance to win.

True Grit: The Coen brothers proved a few years back that they weren't just two guys who made ridiculous, off the wall comedies like Big Lebowski and Fargo when they won the Best Picture award with No Country for Old Men.  The movie was unlike anything they had done before.  Adapted from Cormac McCarthy book, No Country was a modern day western that was dark, serious, violent, and epic.  It seemed devoid of their traditional quirky-ness, but the movie was so solid, no one really complained.  After a return to form with Burn After Reading and A Serious Man, the Coen brothers decided to do another book adaption.

This time, True Grit seems to find a balance between the bleakness of No Country and irreverence of their usual movies.  True Grit is very dramatic, sometimes violent, and features very real characters.  At the same time, it is surprisingly hilarious and often quirky.  It's also a western and it's nice to see westerns still pop up from time to time.  Honestly, True Grit is an amazing film.  Its story carries weight, its characters are memorable, and it will leave you wanting to see it again once it's over.  Consider this film a top-contender (and expect it to win an award in another category or two).  It has a very broad appeal and I highly recommend seeing it.

127 Hours: Danny Boyle's first film since Slumdog Millionaire and it ends up being another strong candidate for Best Picture.  I can't say too much as I haven't seen it (though Lord knows I have tried).  But from what I hear, this movie is supposed to be the very definition of gripping.  In case you don't know the story, it's about a rock climber who gets stuck (for 127 hours, get it?) and he has to struggle with what it will take to free himself.  The majority of the movie takes place in a single location, with the main character (James Franco) in a crevice.  It seems a little too perfect that Boyle would produce back to back Best Picture winners but it's certainly not impossible.

The Kids Are All Right:  This movie is a bit of an enigma in my eyes.  I heard of it when it was coming out, I knew that it receieved lots of critical acclaim, but ultimately it never interested me and I don't know a single person who has seen it.  I'm sorry if that deeply hurts someone who absolutely loved this movie.  I'm sure it's very well made.  The plot consists of two kids born from "anonymous donation" seeking out their biological father.  It seems with its strong performances and critical love, it could win.  However, not too many people seem to be proclaiming it as the "best picture" of the year.

The King's Speech: Imagine you were the most important voice of a great nation, and you could not speak clearly.  Everytime you opened your mouth to give an address or to read something, you stammered and stuttered your way through it.  Sounds embarrassing.  This was the life of King George VI.  The King's Speech tackles this issue, telling the story of Albert Frederick Arthur George visiting a speech therapist.  Does that sound like a ground breaking movie?  Maybe not, but I have a friend who swears this movie will win best picture and that Colin Firth will win Best Actor.  He did win the Golden Globe for best actor.  Then again, The Tourist received multiple Golden Globes and everyone seemed to agree that movie was a complete waste.

Winter's Bone: Undoubtedly the smallest movie on the list.  I would imagine many people who read the Oscar nominees thought to themselves "what is Winter's Bone?"  That is what makes this film so fascinating.  You see, though I didn't know about The Kid's Are Alright, I had most definitely heard of it, and when it was released on DVD, it had a nice little display in Target.  Winter's Bone is a mystery and the only reason it could be on this list is simply because of how good it is.  I haven't seen it but trust me, I very much want to.  The more I looked into this movie, the more good things I heard.  Whether it has any chance of winning Best Picture or not seems irrelevant.  The fact that this movie was nominated will bring it more attention than it ever could have otherwise.  Once I actually track down this movie, I will make sure to post about it.  

The plot (based on a book of the same name) follows a girl looking for her father.  It isn't an original concept and yet, somehow this movie elevates it to great heights.  All I know is it features Garret Dillahunt and he is a fantastic actor (for examples see The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford or The Sarah Conner Chronicles).  If it does somehow win Best Picture, it will leave a lot of people scratching their heads and maybe thats a good thing.

Toy Story 3:  With the great heights Toy Story 1 and 2 reached, it seemed impossible that the third movie (whose creation was pretty much demanded by Disney) could possibly measure up.  I didn't expect it to be bad, but I did see it ending up as the weakest of the trilogy.  Then I saw it and I was floored.  I nearly cried (and I have yet to ever cry during a movie).  While all may not agree, I find this to be the best of the Toy Story films and in the top tier of Pixar films (which is definitely saying something).

The writers used the franchises history to draw on strong emotional roots.  For people who were kids when the first movie came out, Toy Story 3 feels like saying good bye to an old friend.  The movie is about growing up and it handles that matter exceptionally well.  Who knew a movie about toys could feel so human? 

Toy Story 3 gets the privilege of being in two categories that are usually separated.  It is up for both Best Picture and Best Animated Film.  While I'm sure it will win Best Animated Film (as Pixar always does), I have my doubts it will go all the way and win Best Picture.  Who knows, Beauty and the Beast was a formidable contender for Best Picture in its day.  Maybe Toy Story 3 will make history and win it.

The Social Network: While I don't have any legitimate statistics to back this up, I'm pretty well convinced that more people referred to this as 2010's best movie than any other movie.  It even has its own trailer that simply states how many people called it "year's best movie".  But it isn't because of this that I think it's going to win best.  I think it's going to win Best Picture because it is a masterfully crafted movie.  David Fincher directs this movie with a kind of skill that can only be formed from a career in film.  Through each movie he has made, Fincher has clearly learned how to craft a scene, how to builld up tension, and how to guide actors.  This is his film and I strongly believe this will be his year at the Oscars.  

Social Network is very timely to the world we live in, and though it might not be 100 % factual (really, what movie is?), it tells a strong parable of power, friendship, betrayal, and destiny.  It's funny, it's insightful, it's heartbreaking, and its incredible.  This is without a doubt, my pick for Best Picture at the 2011 Oscars, and though I won't exactly be devastated if it loses, I will be a little surprised. 

The 2011 Academy Awards air on February 27th on ABC, hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway.  It seems odd that Franco is hosting and could also win an award. 

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