It’s that time again folks! Here are my predictions for which movies will win as well as my picks for which should win on Sunday night. Check back on Monday to see how right (or wrong) I was.

Best Picture
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Will Win: No Country For Old Men, although Michael Clayton or Juno could still surprise.
Should Win: A win for There Will Be Blood would be awesome, but unlikely.

Best Director
Julian Schnabel: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jason Reitman: Juno
Tony Gilroy: Michael Clayton
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen: No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson: There Will Be Blood
Will Win: Expect the Coens to win their first shared Oscar. (Joel Coen got the statue for their 1996 Oscar-winner Fargo.)
Should Win: Give it up for Joel and Ethan.

Best Actor
George Clooney: Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis: There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tommy Lee Jones: In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen: Eastern Promises
Will Win: Day-Lewis has this one in the bag.
Should Win: I’d cheer if dark horse Mortensen won, but I can’t root against my man Dan.

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie: Away From Her
Marion Cotillard: La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney: The Savages
Ellen Page: Juno
Will Win: It’s a close race between Ellen Page and Julie Christie, but Christie will probably take it for sentimental reasons. Plus she’s damn good in the movie.
Should Win: Since the year’s real Best Actress Tang Wei (Lust, Caution) wasn’t nominated, either Page or Christie would be an acceptable substitute.

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem: No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman: Charlie Wilson’s War
Hal Holbrook: Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson: Michael Clayton
Will Win: Javier Bardem will scare the Academy into giving him the Oscar.
Should Win: Bardem’s turn is probably the better performance overall, but man did I love Phil Hoffman in Charlie Wilson’s War.

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett: I’m Not There
Ruby Dee: American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan: Atonement
Amy Ryan: Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton: Michael Clayton
Will Win: Amy Ryan is the critics’ choice, which gives her a 90% shot at winning. Tilda Swinton or Ruby Dee could still surprise though.
Should Win: Cate Blanchett’s turn as another side of Bob Dylan is truly one for the ages.

Best Original Screenplay
Diablo Cody: Juno
Nancy Oliver: Lars and the Real Girl
Tony Gilroy: Michael Clayton
Brad Bird: Ratatouille
Tamara Jenkins: The Savages
Will Win: Diablo Cody’s rise from stripper to Oscar winner is the feel-good story of the year.
Should Win: Juno is a sweet enough fable, but Tamara Jenkins’ stellar screenplay for The Savages is as messy and complicated as real life.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Christopher Hampton: Atonement
Sarah Polley: Away From Her
Ronald Harwood: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen: No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson: There Will Be Blood
Will Win: One of many awards No Country will win without breaking a sweat.
Should Win: It doesn’t really belong in this category as it departs so thoroughly from the book, but There Will Be Blood would certainly win the prize for most unique adaptation.

Best Documentary Feature
No End in Sight
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Sicko
Taxi to the Dark Side
War/Dance
Will Win: Sicko
Should Win: No End in Sight

Best Animated Feature
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf’s Up
Will Win: Ratatouille
Should Win: Persepolis

Best Foreign Film
Beaufort (Israel)
The Counterfeiters (Austria)
Katyn (Poland)
Mongol (Kazakhstan)
12 (Russia)
Will Win: Beaufort
Should Win: Abstain.

Best Short Documentary
Freeheld
La Coronoa
Salim Baba
Sari’s Mother
Will Win: Sari’s Mother
Should Win: Abstain

Best Live Action Short
At Night
The Substitute
The Mozart of Pickpockets
Tanghi Argentini
The Tonto Woman
Will Win: At Night
Should Win: Abstain

Best Animated Short
I Met the Walrus
Madame Tutli-Putli
Even Pigeons Go to Heaven
My Love
Peter & The Wolf
Will Win: Peter & The Wolf
Should Win: I Met the Walrus

Best Cinematography
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Will Win: No Country for Old Men
Should Win: There Will Be Blood

Best Costume Design
Across The Universe
Atonement
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
La Vie en Rose
Sweeney Todd
Will Win: Atonement
Should Win: Sweeney Todd

Best Art Direction
American Gangster
Atonement
The Golden Compass
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood
Will Win: There Will Be Blood
Should Win: There Will Be Blood

Best Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Into the Wild
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Will Win: No Country for Old Men
Should Win: The Bourne Ultimatum

Best Score
Atonement
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma
Will Win: Atonement
Should Win: Ratatouille

Best Sound Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
There Will Be Blood
Transformers
Will Win: No Country for Old Men
Should Win: There Will Be Blood

Best Sound Mixing
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma
Transformers
Will Win: There Will Be Blood
Should Win: There Will Be Blood

Best Makeup
La Vie en Rose
Norbit
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Will Win: La Vie en Rose
Should Win: At World’s End

Best Original Song
“Falling Slowly”: Once
“Happy Working Song”: Enchanted
“Raise It Up”: August Rush
“So Close”: Enchanted
“That’s How You Know”: Enchanted
Will Win: Once
Should Win: Once

Best Visual Effects
The Golden Compass
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Transformers
Will Win: Transformers
Should Win: The Golden Compass