Let's get right to it:

BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Probably one of the easiest categories to predict this year.  It's Slumdog Millionaire.

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Gus Van Sant, Milk

When in doubt (as I am), go with the guy who directed the best picture.  So, it's Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire).

BEST ACTOR
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Tough category — they are all deserving.  Glad to see Richard Jenkins there, but he's up against heavyweights.  But the sentimental favorite will probably take the statue: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler).

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Kate Winlet had two good movies this year – Revolutionary Road and The Reader.  Oddly, she won for both at the Golden Globes, with her role in The Reader considered to be a "supporting" role.  Her performance in Revolutionary Road wasn't even nominated, nor was Sally Hawkins, who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) for Happy Go Lucky.  Still, for a good year (if nothing else), it'll go to Kate Winslet (The Reader).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, Milk
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

I don't think there's much question on this one: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

First of all, its great that every major actor in Doubt got nominated.  I don't think Meryl or Philip are going to take it.  Viola Davis is probably the only one of the cast to stand a chance.  Marisa is (as always) my sentimental favorite, but I'm going to pick Viola Davis (Doubt).

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Frozen River , Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky, Mike Leigh
In Bruges, Martin McDonagh
Milk, Dustin Lance Black
WALL-E, Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Pete Docter

Wall-E?  Really?  Not much to, you know, write, seeing as the movie lacked dialogue for the first half.  I'm going with Martin McDonagh (In Bruges), but only because I just did a reading of his stage play "The Pillowman", and I think he's an excellent writer.  Well, no.  I actually saw In Bruges and thought it was very good.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Eric Roth
Doubt, John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon, Peter Morgan
The Reader, David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire, Simon Beaufoy

Very competitive category.  I don't think Shanley did a great job of adapating his stage play.  For me, I think it's a coin-toss between Eric Roth, David Hare, and Simon Beaufoy.  But I give the slight edge to Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

Is there any question?  WALL-E.

BEST ART DIRECTION
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

The Dark Knight.  A guess.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

The Reader.  Another guess.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road

I'm going with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, only because it spanned many time periods.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

Well, I loved the documentary Man on Wire.  It's the only one of the nominees I've seen.  I don't think it has the gravitas of an award-winning documentary however.  Trouble the Water, about the aftermath of Katrina, will probably win.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness — From the Balcony of Room 306

Given the political climate, I'm going with the MLK-related film: The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306.

BEST EDITING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Frost/Nixon.  A guess.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Class (France)
Departures (Japan)
Revanche (Austria)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

I'm going with the animated autobiographical film from Israel: Waltz with Bashir.

BEST MAKEUP
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

I think it's pretty clear it'll be The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Alexandre Desplat
Defiance, James Newton Howard
Milk, Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman
WALL-E, Thomas Newman

Let's give it to the Indian: A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
''Down to Earth,'' (WALL-E)
''Jai Ho,'' (Slumdog Millionaire)
''O Saya,'' (Slumdog Millionaire)

Odd that the Springsteen song from The Wrestler didn't make it.  I think it'll be one of the Slumdog songs.  So I'll guess "O Saya" (Slumdog Millionaire)

BEST SOUND EDITING
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

WALL-E.  A reasoned guess.

BEST SOUND MIXING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

WALL-E.  A reasoned guess.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

Oh, what the hell — The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  I'd like to see a non-actiojn film win one of these for a change.