2010 Oscar Birdbath Results

I posted a bit yesterday about my Annual Oscar Birdbath... and so, as promised, the results. Well, I'm a bit embarassed... I won. Not a commanding win, mind you - I got sixteen correct (out of 24) and FOUR 2nd place finishers each got fifteen correct! They are:

• Elizabeth Arneson (oh-so-patient & loving wife of Erik Arneson, my friend who runs the About.com/Board Games site)
• Gigi Johnson (who was nice to me back in high school & not just because her sister & I share the same birthday)
• Margaret Kellar (1/4 of the much-missed Kellar clan... her husband was our worship/youth pastor here at NewLife)
• Susan Rozmiarek (Ed & Susan are gamers, friends, and - sadly - Aggies)

Congratulations also go to the two 3rd place finishers (with 14 correct)... Bob Trezise & Keith Monaghan.

Here are the final scores...

• 16 - Mark Jackson
• 15 - Elizabeth Arneson, Gigi Johnson, Margaret Kellar, Susan Rozmiarek
• 14 - Bob Trezise, Keith Monaghan
• 12 - the "collective mind", Erik Arneson, Jeff Monaghan, Rebecca Becknal
• 11 - Jason Bullion
• 10 - Greg Thatcher, J. Hunter, Josh Bussell, Shane Oakley
• 9 - Crystal Bussell
• 8 - Jennifer Collier Madon, Wayne Hansen
• 7 - Ray Mulford
• 5 - Jim Christiansen, Joe Huber
• 4 - Darrell
• 3 - Tony

Our predictions as a "collective mind" were OK if not spectacular... 12 correct.

• BEST PICTURE: The Hurt Locker (we picked Avatar)
• BEST DIRECTOR: Katheryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (we picked James Cameron)
• BEST ACTOR: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) - correct!
• BEST ACTRESS: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) - correct!
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds) - correct!
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mo'Nique (Precious) - correct!
• ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Hurt Locker (we picked Inglorious Basterds)
• ADAPATED SCREENPLAY: Precious - correct!
• CINEMATOGRAPHY: Avatar - correct!
• FILM EDITING: The Hurt Locker (we picked Avatar)
• ART DIRECTION: Avatar - correct!
• COSTUME DESIGN: The Young Victoria (we picked Nine)
• ACHIEVEMENT IN ORIGINAL MUSIC: Up - correct!
• BEST ORIGINAL SONG: "The Weary Kind" (Crazy Heart) - correct!
• ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP: Star Trek - correct!
• ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING: The Hurt Locker (we picked Avatar OR Star Trek)
• ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING: The Hurt Locker (we picked Avatar)
• ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS: Avatar - correct!
• BEST ANIMNATED FEATURE: Up - correct!
• BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: El Secreto de Sus Ojos - Argentina (we picked Das weisse Band - Germany OR Un prophète - France)
• BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Cove (we picked Food, Inc.)
• BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT: Music by Prudence (we picked The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant)... btw, Jason Bullion was the only one to get this one correct!
• BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT: The New Tenants (we picked Miracle Fish)
• BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM: Logorama (we picked A Matter of Loaf & Death)... NONE of us got this correct!

And some final thoughts on the Oscar ceremony and a couple of the films:

• The category explanations were much more concise & "spot on" than in previous years... and the lame jokes by presenters were kept to a minimum - thank you.
• Hollywood, if you're listening, John Lasseter told you the secret to making great films during his short film introduction blurb. Hint: it's not the tools.
• Ben Stiller is to Oscar night as John Ratzenberger is to Pixar films.
• The dual host thing worked OK - not bad but not great.
• Please don't waste Neil Patrick Harris again - if you're going to let him sing, turn him loose in something besides a Vegas showgirls number.
• Didn't listen to the majority of the acceptance speeches thanks to Tivo - probably missed a good moment or two but also missed a lot of dreck.
• What was up with George Clooney? Who put a thumbtack in his chair?
• I guess I need to see "The Hurt Locker" now. And "Avatar."
• The memorial for John Hughes was very classy... thanks, Academy. "The Breakfast Club" is still one of the best films ever about the social dynamics & rabid insecurities of high school.