Academy Awards Preview

Who will take the bacon in a battle of Hollywood's finest?

By: Stacie Wells

Posted: 2/23/10

The Academy Awards are nearly upon us once again. With this comes the glamour of Hollywood's most important event.

Although the academy recognizes an array of categories, we all know that the only one people really remember is the best picture category.

The past year has been a remarkable one for the film industry. For the first time in over 50 years, the academy has doubled the nominees in the category of best picture.

The nominees are "Avatar," "The Blind Side," "District 9," " An Education," "The Hurt Locker," "Inglourious Basterds," "Precious," "Up," "A Serious Man" and "Up in the Air."

Never in my lifetime have I seen such a wide range of films in one category. This one category contains everything from a box-office phenomenon to an animated film. Which film will take home the coveted title of best picture? If the Golden Globes are any indication, then I believe it could possibly be "Avatar."

Does "Avatar" deserve to win? No. Technologically speaking, "Avatar" ought to win every award. Best art direction? Absolutely. Best visual effects? I will protest if it does not win. However, "Avatar's" lackluster plot was not enough to convince me it deserves the title of best picture.

So which movie would I like to see win? This year I noticed a theme of redemption within many movies. With that being said, I would love for one of the movies that showcased that theme to win. "The Hurt Locker," "Up" or "The Blind Side" would be my personal picks.

What an incredible achievement it would be for an animated picture such as "Up" to win? I know it is a long shot by far, but I can still dream. Regardless of which movie wins during the March 7 broadcast, 2009 has given us movies that challenge the human spirit and will withstand the test of time far better th