Academy Awards - Bodog Odds

On February 24th, 2008, the 80th annual Academy Awards will take place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. Honoring the greatest achievements in the movie industry, the show will be hosted for the second time by television funnyman Jon Stewart.

Of course, with the writer’s strike grinding on, there’s been some concern that the event might not take place at all (like the Golden Globes). Luckily, an interim agreement to end the strike was reached on February 9th, so it looks like the event should air as scheduled. I imagine a lot of clothing designers are breathing a collective sigh of relief.

OSCAR NOMINATIONS

While plenty of deserving films have been nominated for this year’s show, there are always a few that stand out from the pack. This year’s most nominated films include:

No Country for Old Men - 8 nominations

There Will Be Blood - 8 nominations

Atonement - 7 nominations

Michael Clayton - 7 nominations

Ratatouille - 5 nominations

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - 4 nominations

Juno - 4 nominations

THE OSCARS - BODOG ODDS

Of course, not everyone cares about the fashions on the red carpet or what film will win Best Editing. If you fall into this category, you might consider wagering on the outcomes to make things a little more interesting. Surprise, surprise! Bodog has you covered when it comes to odds for Academy Awards winners.

Let’s take a look.

Best Picture

It seems like most experts are picking No Country for Old Men, but keep in mind that Atonement won at the Golden Globes. Juno doesn’t have a chance in hell in this category, but I imagine it will snag a lesser award to give it some recognition.

Atonement 10/1

Juno 15/1

Michael Clayton 8/1

No Country for Old Men 2/5

There Will Be Blood 10/3

Best Director

The Golden Globes award for Best Director went to Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. While winners of the Golden Globe in this category have often went on to take the Oscar, I find it hard to believe that the Coen Brothers won’t walk away with this prize. They’ve had a long and prolific career, and they’ve only got a Best Screenplay (Fargo) award to show for it. It’s time for them to get a little recognition from the Academy.

Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood 7/2

Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men 2/7

Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton 25/1

Jason Reitman for Juno 25/1

Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly 6/1

Best Actor

There’s no doubt that Daniel Day-Lewis will be winning this one. He’s already won the BAFTA award, Screen Actor’s Guild Award, Critic’s Choice Award and the Golden Globe for his role in There Will Be Blood.

An interesting fact about Day-Lewis: He took five years off from acting, became fascinated with shoe making, and served an apprenticeship as a shoemaker in Italy. It is rumored that he received free room and board in exchange for giving his teacher acting lessons.

George Clooney for Michael Clayton 8/1

Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood 1/10

Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd 8/1

Tommy Lee Jones for In the Valley of Elah 25/1

Viggo Mortensen for Eastern Promises 25/1

Best Actress

Julie Christie looks to be the favorite for her role in Away From Her. She’s gotten rave reviews from the critics, and she’s already won Best Actress awards from the National Board of Review, Golden Globes, Screen Actor’s Guild and the Genie Awards. This is Christie’s fourth Best Actress Oscar nomination (she won for Darling in 1965).

Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth: The Golden Age 25/1

Julie Christie in Away From Her 2/7

Marion Cotillard in La vie en Rose 15/4

Laura Linney in Savages 25/1

Ellen Page in Juno 6/1

Best Supporting Actor

The frontrunner in this category is Javier Bardem for his portrayal as a hired killer in No Country for Old Men. He’s already snagged the Golden Globe, Screen Actor’s Guild award, Critic’s Choice award and BAFTA award for his role as Anton Chigurh. Still, Casey Affleck has also gotten lots of positive buzz for playing Robert Ford in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Casey Affleck for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 9/1

Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men 1/10

Philip Seymour Hoffman for Charlie Wilson’s War 16/1

Hal Holbrook for Into the Wild 12/1

Tom Wilkinson for Michael Clayton 14/1

Best Supporting Actress

This race may be a little tighter, but Cate Blanchett is the sensible choice. After all, she also received a nomination this year in the Best Actress category. She won the Golden Globe in this category for her portrayal of Bob Dylan in I’m Not There. Strangely, she looked more like Dylan than any of the men who portrayed him.

Cate Blanchett for I’m Not There 13/10

Ruby Dee for American Gangster 7/4

Saoirse Ronan for Atonement 20/1

Amy Ryan for Gone Baby Gone 9/4

Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton 20/1

For more articles from the world of television and film, check out the following:

59th Annual Emmy Awards - Bodog Odds

The Rundown - Movie of the Week

Academy Awards - Bodog Odds