Kiki Comes Out of Hibernation Long Enough to Make Oscar Picks

With the Oscars tonight, I thought it was my duty to let you know what my Oscar picks are. No, I haven't seen every movie -- just Avatar and what's available on DVD. No, I have no authority. Just a well thumbed through copy of EW and several office Oscar pool wins under my belt. So here goes:

LEADING ACTOR
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” -- It's clearly his year, this being the year of "The Dude."

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” -- Woody H may have a shot, but I believe the award will go to Waltz for his turn as a charming Nazi, if ever there was such a thing.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” -- Duh. It's a given.

LEADING ACTRESS
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia” -- This is a tough one. Everyone is saying Sandra Bullock is a lock, but I feel like Streep had to work so much harder to play Julia Child than Bullock did in "The Blind Side." I think the voters will recognize that. Streep has become the Susan Lucci of this award show (partly because I think voters figure there's always next year for her and she's already won before), but I think it's her night tonight.

ANIMATED FEATURE
Up -- I think Pixar will take it yet again.

ART DIRECTION and CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar -- I think Avatar has these categories locked up.

COSTUME DESIGN
The Young Victoria -- Period pieces always get the costume award.

DIRECTING
Kathryn Bigelow for "The Hurt Locker" -- I hope on this one, that history is made. James Cameron was great, but there was a lot of technical heavy lifting behind "Avatar." "The Hurt Locker" was a perfect, tight, well directed film and I think Bigelow will be rewarded tonight.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Cove -- Dolphins rule.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Music by Prudence

FILM EDITING
The Hurt Locker -- This movie was perfectly edited. "Avatar" was not (and could have been an hur shorter!)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
El Secreto de Sus Ojos -- So says the gods at EW, and so I'm going with it . . .

MAKEUP
Star Trek

ORIGINAL SCORE
Up

ORIGINAL SONG
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart”

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
A Matter of Loaf and Death

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
The New Tenants

SOUND EDITING
Avatar

SOUND MIXING
Avatar

VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Up in the Air

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Hurt Locker

BEST PICTURE
Avatar -- This should be "The Hurt Locker," but I think Avatar will upset as it is a ground-breaking film and has changed cinema as we know it.

And there you have it. I'll check back tomorrow to let you know how I did . . .