I'm in for $100 if you're serious.

Hokey- wouldn't use Rotten Tomatoes to figure out a nomination.

That doesn't really mean too much. Yes, some, but that's not what they will go by.

See 'Babel' if your going to throw the #s from RT out there.

Having said that, I would say the same as you in regards to Secretariat getting a nom. Won't happen.

Horse racing is my favorite sport and I didn't even think Secretariat was ALL THAT. I mean it was pretty decent, but best picture worthy? I don't think so.

There's no way something like Stone gets nominated for Best Picture.

Yup. But other than the very mixed critical scores, the mediocre box office, the lack of any substantial buzz from the critical or commercial spheres, I'm sure it's an ABSOLUTE LOCK for a Best Picture nom.

(And Babel was an unqualified piece of shit, IMO. Self-important, over-long, over-rated melodramatic tripe. But it had a POWERFUL LEFTY MESSAGE, so of course it got nominated. Ugh. Total fucking shit.)

(( Wait it had that nekkid Japanese chick, right? I take back everything I sad. ))

I actually liked 'Babel'. Certainly wasn't the best that year but that was a pretty soft year IMO.

'Crash'....the bad one, was clear proof that the Academy lost it. They could have chosen a myriad of other films better than 'Crash'. A few off the top of my head 'Match Point', 'The Squid and the Whale', 'The Constant Gardener', 'Good Night and Good Luck', 'The New World', 'Syriana'.

I honestly can't get into them anymore ever since then.

Time for Nolan to get the recognition he deserves. I love his films, all of 'em...

I'm sure anything Nolan-related will be bumped in favor of some mediocre Weinsten-produced Holocaust movie.

Crash was a great movie ... not sure why all the hate...

Shakespeare in Love was the ultimate robber of the Oscars... as was Chicago

Unless Joss Whedon has something out this year, everything Nolan does should be nominated in every category!

Barring either of those, I demand J.J. Abrahms nominations all around!!!

I can see Michael Douglas getting a sympathy nod.

Oh, I'm sorry. NOT the Cronenberg film. There! That should clear things up, as I'm sure you couldn't possibly be talking about that terrible Haggis movie from 2004.

Nailing Catherine Zeta-Jones in her nubile prime is more of a karmic sympathy nod than the Academy can ever deliver.

Coming next winter: Christopher Nolan directs a Joss Whedon-scripted Holocaust movie produced by Harvey Weinstein. Why even bother with other nominees?

Starring Meryl Streep and Morgan Freeman? Shame I don't like Whedon's writing all that much.

Here's a cheat sheet for actors on how to win an Oscar. A combination of any 2 of these gives you a good shot, and 3 or more virtually assures a win:

1) play a real-life person
2) play a monarch/world leader
3) play a British character
4) play a character with a physical disability
5) play a character who overcomes disability/hardship in an inspirational way
6) be in a movie set during World War II time period
7) be nominated the previous year for a role that could have justifiably won you an Oscar but didn't
8) be an industry vet who hasn't yet won an Oscar

In conclusion, the Oscar will go to Colin Firth this year.

For Private Parts 2: The Ballad of Stuttering John.

Morgan Freeman as Sgt. Schultz in a "Hogan's Heroes" movie. You read it here first.

Josh Brolin should have won for 'W'. He played a real person who was a world leader who had a disability!

Unless they create a "Garry Marshall Schmaltz" Oscar, I don't see Secretariat being a part of the show.

I haven't seen Secretariat, but I highly doubt that it makes an appearance.

The only one I'd say is a lock at this point is Toy Story 3. Pixar has gotten screenplay nominations the last 3 years, and it almost seems like there's a slot reserved for their entry (but they won't win).

As for Inception, with 10 nominees it may get a BP nomination, but I'm not counting on it for directing. Sci-fi hardly ever gets nominated in that category. Yes, there was Avatar, but that had a shitload of momentum and insane box office performance.

Secretariat will make an appearance if her husband Matthew Broderick takes her.

agreed. Teardrop was one of the more memorable supports of this year so far.

I didn't realize Secretariet would be such a controversial pick. I haven't seen it, but it seems to me the kind of movie that gets a nomination. Especially since the catagory has been inflated to 10. I figured it would be this years Blind Side.

According to this thread Secretariet wasn't a big hit. I assumed it was a popular movie. So how about this Hokeyboy, I'll wager the eventual DVD of Secretariet on it getting a BP nom.

There are two reasons why it's different:

1. The Blind Side had Sandra Bullock's award-winning performance. I don't anticipate any acting noms for Secretariat.
2. TBS grossed over $250 million at the box office. Secretariat would be lucky to reach $50 million.