Magic 8-Ball Oscar Picks '07

It's Oscar time. Those of us in the greater Los Angeles area can tell this because Hollywood Boulevard has been blocked off for the better part of a week. The rest of you may just have to take my word for it. This year, the buzz that would normally alert you to the event has been replaced by critics and pundits droning on about how unimpressed they are with the nominees.

The Magic 8-Ball does not care. The Magic 8-Ball simply predicts.

The Magic 8-Ball, as always, has had each and every nominee presented to it. The most positive response in each category is recorded below.

Caveat: The Magic 8-Ball has not actually seen any of the nominated films or associated performances. Then again, from all accounts, neither have many of the voters, so willfully random picks might not actually be a bad way to go. So, base pool picks on this list at your own risk. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it -- but if you do, and it works out for you, remember who hooked you up. (Right. Me. Hi.)


BEST PICTURE: Babel

ACTRESS: Helen Mirren in The Queen

ACTOR: Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine

DIRECTOR: Clint Eastwood for Letters From Iwo Jima

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Babel

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: After the Wedding (Efter brylluppet)

ANIMATED FILM: Happy Feet

ART DIRECTION: Pan's Labyrinth

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Pan's Labyrinth

COSTUME DESIGN: The Queen

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Deliver Us from Evil

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT: Recycled Life

FILM EDITING: Children of Men

MAKEUP: Click

ORIGINAL SCORE: Babel

ORIGINAL SONG: "I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth

ANIMATED SHORT FILM: The Little Matchgirl

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)

SOUND EDITING: Letters From Iwo Jima

SOUND MIXING: Dreamgirls

VISUAL EFFECTS: Superman Returns