Get ready to take in all the glitz and glamour at the 81st Annual Academy Awards! The event takes place this Sunday, February 22nd, 2009 at 5PT/8ET so make sure you settle into the couch with some family and friends, a bowl of buttery popcorn and Kidzworld’s Guide to the Oscars!
Best Picture
What should win: Milk
But Kidzworld predicts:Slumdog Millionaire
Benjamin Button is an odd tale about a man who ages backwards, but Kidzworld thinks Milk and Slumdog Millionaire are the top contenders for Best Picture. Milk tells the story of a gay rights activist named Harvey Milk and Slumdog Millionaire is about a poor teen from Mumbai who competes on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Benjamin Button has a fantastical, fairy tale feel to it that’s very alluring, but Slumdog and Milk present human stories about real people, so we’re hoping one of those takes home the Oscar.
Best Animated Film
What should win: Wall-E
Kidzworld predicts: Wall-E
Pixar is usually the go-to win for this category and this year won’t be the exception. Kung-Fu Panda and Bolt are great heart-warming flicks, but Wall-E has heart and a powerful message about sustainability. Since the environment is a hot topic on everyone’s mind (including the Academy judges’), our vote goes to the robot love story.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Who should win: Sean Penn
But Kidzworld predicts: Brad Pitt
Sean Penn brought humour and strength to his role as Harvey Milk, and Penn’s celebrity seems to melt away as he embodies the character that was based on the real-life gay activist. Even so, Brad Pitt’s role as Benjamin Button is hard to ignore. At the very least, Benjamin Button should win awards for make-up and visual effects because Brad is almost unrecognizable at the movie’s outset when he appears onscreen as a crippled, old man.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Who should win: Anne Hathaway
But Kidzworld predicts: Meryl Streep
Anne Hathaway has come a long way from The Princess Diaries. The little girl is all grown up and she’s transformed into a serious contender for Best Actress. Rachel Getting Married has Anne playing Kym, a dysfunctional twenty-something who gets out of rehab just in time for her sister’s wedding. Despite Anne’s fantastic performance, she still has lots of time to accumulate more great roles, so Kidzworld predicts the Academy will once again reward the 15 time nominated, 2 time Oscar winner, Meryl Streep. Streep is nominated for her role as Sister Aloysius Beauvier, an opinionated nun on a crusade to destroy the reputation of her parish’s priest. Both women deliver powerful performances, but Kidzworld is really hoping Anne takes home the award since we’ve been following her from the beginning of her acting career.
Also of note is the nomination received by the late Heath Ledger for his unforgettable portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. Heath is up against some tough competition, including Robert Downey Jr. and Philip Seymour Hoffman, but we still think the Academy will award the statue to Ledger.
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