BEST PICTURE

Will Win
LW: “The Artist”
TC: “The Artist”
DG: “The Artist”
LD: “The Artist”
DM: “The Artist”

WITHERELL: As the winner of the Golden Globe and Critic’s Choice awards for Best Picture, as the most well-reviewed movie of 2011 besides “The Muppets, and as the only nominee that hasn’t really ostracized anybody, “The Artist” is a clear frontrunner. It also has the kind of nostalgia that the Academy lives for.

Should Win
LW: “The Artist”
TC: “Midnight in Paris”
DG: “Midnight in Paris”
LD: “The Tree of Life”
DM: “The Artist”

GRADY:  I think everyone is in agreement here that “The Artist” will win the award for Best Picture, but the dark horse in the race, “Midnight in Paris” deserves the award. It by far had the best screenplay, and it’s possibly the most soulful movie on the list. Yes, it’s a romantic comedy, but Woody Allen swiftly sweeps that aspect under the rug as Paris moves across the screen with scenes replicating the 1920’s living. The only reason “Midnight in Paris” wasn’t nominated because someone foolishly chose Owen Wilson to be the hopeless romantic lost in a trance of a golden age. Whoever made that choice should be blamed for the Oscar-less movie.

Should Have Been Nominated
LW: “Drive”
TC: “Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”
DG: “Melancholia”
LD: “Melancholia”
DM: “Super 8”

CREIGHTON: The Academy could have at least given a little respect to the incredibly lucrative and era-defining series that is “Harry Potter” with a nomination.

Shouldn’t Have Been Nominated
LW: “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
TC: “Tree of Life”
DG: “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
LD: “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
DM: “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

WITHERELL: With shoddy acting, big budget schlock, a meandering plot arc, and all the depth and subtlety of a baseball bat to the face, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” is not only undeserving of its nomination, it might actually be deserving of a Razzie for Worst Picture for turning the incredible tragedy of 9/11 into such drivel…

BEST ACTOR

Will Win
LW: George Clooney, “The Descendants”
TC: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
DG: George Clooney, “The Descendants”
LD: George Clooney, “The Descendants”
DM: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”

WITHERELL: George Clooney “The Descendants.” Clooney’s day has come: after losing the Best Actor award at the 80th and 82nd Academy Awards, the Academy will feel as though they owe it to him. Plus, his performance this year, with just the right mix of paternal instinct, abject stoicism, and pratfall comedy, plays right into the Academy’s hands. His only serious contender is Brad Pitt, who played a different version of Clooney’s character in “Moneyball,” but instead of bratty kids, Pitt had to deal with bratty baseball agents.

Should Win
LW: George Clooney, “The Descendants”
TC: Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”
DG: George Clooney, “The Descendants”
LD: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
DM: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”

CREIGHTON: Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”A convincing performance that perfectly demonstrated the culture of baseball in modern America.

Should Have Been Nominated
LW: Michael Shannon, “Take Shelter”
TC: James Franco, “Planet of the Apes”
DG: Leonardo DiCaprio, “J. Edgar”
LD: Michael Fassbender, “Shame”
DM: Matt Damon, “We Bought a Zoo”

GRADY: Leonardo DiCaprio should have been nominated for Best Actor in the historical portrayal of J. Edgar Hoover in the so-titled film. He plays his character to a tee and gives insight into the life of J. Edgar. Though the movie was terrible, Leonardo had the ability to make it tolerable. Why wasn’t DiCaprio nominated?