Warning: I would be willing to bet that I watched fewer big-screen films in 2008 than I have ever in the 13 years I’ve lived in and around Atlanta. Keep this in mind as you scroll your way through this stack of incredibly conjectural predictions. To add a little credibility, I’ll do the courtesy of dropping an asterisk(*) next to those titles that actually flashed before my seated eyes.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Sean Penn in “Milk”* (Focus Features)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight”* (Warner Bros.)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Best animated feature film of the year
“WALL-E”* (Walt Disney)
Achievement in art direction
“Changeling” (Universal)
Achievement in cinematography
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
Achievement in costume design
“Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
Achievement in directing
“Milk”* (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
Best documentary feature
“Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures)
Best documentary short subject
“The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306”
Achievement in film editing
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
Best foreign language film of the year
“The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Achievement in makeup
“The Dark Knight”* (Warner Bros.)
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“WALL-E”* (Walt Disney) Thomas Newman
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
Best motion picture of the year
“Milk”* (Focus Features)
Best animated short film
“Presto”* (Walt Disney)
Best live action short film
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)”
Achievement in sound editing
“The Dark Knight”* (Warner Bros.)
Achievement in sound mixing
“The Dark Knight”* (Warner Bros.)
Achievement in visual effects
“Iron Man”* (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment)
Adapted screenplay
“Doubt” (Miramax)
Original screenplay
“In Bruges” (Focus Features)