Whether you watch the Oscars religiously, shun the mind-numbingly boring ceremony or watch just to yell at the screen, the 85^th annual Academy Awards are here. Check the rundown of anticipated winners, plus which nominees actually deserve the statue.

Host: Seth MacFarlane

What to expect: Pop culture-laden skits and a memorable appearance from his foul-mouthed fuzzy alter ego, Ted. Add a song-and-dance number — MacFarlane is an accomplished jazz pianist — and cameos from his “Family Guy” voices for riskier jabs at Hollywood’s elite. He sought advice from hosting pro Billy Crystal, so MacFarlane’s jokes shouldn’t reach Chris Rock or Ricky Gervais-level raciness.

Best Picture:  “Amour,” “Argo,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” “Django Unchained,” “Les Misérables,” “Life of Pi,” “Lincoln,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Zero Dark Thirty”

What will win: “Argo”

What should win: “Django Unchained” or “Zero Dark Thirty”

“Argo” is a ready-made Oscar winner: a historical dramedy with an adrenaline-fueled climax where Americans triumph over evil. But Django and ZDT are both exceedingly better films. There’s the immersive espionage thriller chronicling the most famous manhunt in modern history, or the most wildly original and entertaining period adventure of the decade. Take your pick.

Best Director: Michael Haneke, “Amour”; Benh Zeitlin, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”; Ang Lee, “Life of Pi”; Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”; David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”

Who will win: Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”

Who should win: Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty”

Except she isn’t even nominated, damn it (great job, Academy). The race is an utter sham without Bigelow, whose tense, exacting direction transformed a decade-long slog into two and a half riveting hours. Spielberg is the next best choice.

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”; Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”; Hugh Jackman, “Les Misérables”; Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master”; Denzel Washington, “Flight”

Who will and should win: Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”

In a different year, any of these deserving nominees could walk away with the statue. Unfortunately for them, DDL is in a master class of acting all his own. He embodied Lincoln with overpowering stature, restoring the legendary president’s soulful presence with subtle cleverness and warm charisma. It went beyond acting — he was Abraham Lincoln.

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”; Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”; Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”; Quvenzhané Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”; Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”

Who will win: Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”

Who should win: Quvenzhane Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

For a long while, the unquestioned pick was Chastain, but not after witnessing the commanding presence and raw emotion of Wallis, age 6 during filming. Her wide gazes and playfully uncomplicated narration interpreted the harsh world around her with a tender resonance impossible to shake off.

Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, “Argo”; Robert De Niro, “Silver Linings Playbook”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”; Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”; Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained”

Who will win: Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”

Who should win: Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”

Every single nominee deserves the win, but Hoffman’s intense performance has gone largely unnoticed as the manipulative, charismatic cult leader in Paul Thomas Anderson’s cerebral drama. A veteran win for Jones or De Niro works, too.

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, “The Master”; Sally Field, “Lincoln”; Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables”; Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”; Jacki Weaver, “Silver Linings Playbook”

Who will win: Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables”

Who should win: Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”

Hunt’s emotionally and literally naked performance was her first substantial role in more than a decade, hidden in the most wonderful film off of everyone’s radar. She deserves to steal some spotlight from everyone’s love affair with “I Dreamed A Dream.”

Best Original Screenplay: Michael Haneke, “Amour”; Quentin Tarantino, “Django Unchained”; John Gatins, “Flight”; Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, “Moonrise Kingdom”; Mark Boal, “Zero Dark Thirty”

Who will and should win: Quentin Tarantino, “Django Unchained”

“Moonrise Kingdom” is a close second, but Tarantino’s faux blaxploitative spaghetti western is second to none in originality, quick-witted dialogue and sheer ballsiness.

Best Animated Film: “Brave,” “Frankenweenie,” “ParaNorman,” “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” “Wreck-It Ralph”

What will win: “Brave”

What should win: “Wreck-It Ralph”

Pixar usually wins these by default, but while “Brave” was good, it wasn’t up to Pixar’s usual caliber. Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph” was an inventive adventure story for kids and nostalgically reference-filled for adults, featuring an adorably voice-acted cast.

Published on February 20, 2013 at 10:46 pm

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