10 Best Picture Oscar Nominations

This coming Tuesday at 5:30 in the morning the Oscar nominations will be announced for 2010. Most surprising about the announcement, which will take place at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theatre, is that there will be ten nominees for best picture.

Even though the list may be loaded, it is still pretty clear who will come out at the top of the list which makes it somewhat ironic that so many films will still garnish nominations. Expected to earn a spot on the list are top blockbusters such as ‘Up’ and ‘Avatar’.

Although no one can be quite sure of how the Oscar nods will dish out on Tuesday morning it is almost sure bet that ‘Up in the Air,’ ‘Inglorious Basterds,’ and ‘The Hurt Locker’ will also make it on the list for best picture. With so many Oscar nominations this year, it is quite possible to also see ‘The Messenger,’ ‘Star Trek,’ and ‘Crazy Heart.’

The category of best director is a little harder to predict given the fact that usually the five nominees align with the best picture nominees. At the same time, although there may be more best picture nominees this year, the director’s who get the cut for best director nods most likely will represent the top tier of the best picture category.

There is a good chance that Quentin Tarantino director of ‘Inglorious Basterds’ and James Cameron director of ‘Avatar’ will get nods.

The other slots are a little harder to guess at since there is always at least one surprise. Unfortunately though, it is a pretty safe guess that Peter Jackson will miss out on a nod for ‘The Lovely Bones.’

Finally, for the categories of best actor and best actress the potential nominees are easier to predict with nods for George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, and Morgan Freeman for best actor and Carey Mulligan, Sandra Bullock, and Meryl Streep for best actress.