The BAT Challenge: Oscar Special 2009!

It's that time of year again: Pick the most winners, get a point. Do better than I do, get a point. Vote by 6pm ET on Sunday, February 22, 2009. Good luck!

I'd like to thank the Academy for this list.

UPDATE February 21 I've now bolded my picks.

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor"
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn in "Milk"
Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler"

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt"
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight"
Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road"

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie in "Changeling"
Melissa Leo in "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep in "Doubt"
Kate Winslet in "The Reader"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in "Doubt"
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis in "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler"

Best animated feature film of the year
"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"WALL-E"

Achievement in art direction
"Changeling"
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"The Dark Knight"
"The Duchess"
"Revolutionary Road"

Achievement in cinematography
"Changeling"
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"The Dark Knight"
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Achievement in costume design
"Australia"
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"The Duchess"
"Milk"
"Revolutionary Road"

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

Best documentary feature
"The Betrayal"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"The Garden"
"Man on Wire"
"Trouble the Water"

Best documentary short subject
"The Conscience of Nhem En"
"The Final Inch"
"Smile Pinki"
"The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306"

Achievement in film editing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"The Dark Knight"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk"
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Best foreign language film of the year
"The Baader Meinhof Complex"
"The Class"
"Departures"
"Revanche"
"Waltz with Bashir"

Achievement in makeup
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"The Dark Knight"
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army"

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Defiance"
"Milk"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
"WALL-E"

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E" (Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman)
"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (A.R. Rahman and Gulzar)
"O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam)

Best motion picture of the year
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk"
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Best animated short film
"La Maison en Petits Cubes"
"Lavatory - Lovestory"
"Oktapodi"
"Presto"
"This Way Up"

Best live action short film
"Auf der Strecke (On the Line)"
"Manon on the Asphalt"
"New Boy"
"The Pig"
"Spielzeugland (Toyland)"

Achievement in sound editing
"The Dark Knight"
"Iron Man"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
"WALL-E"
"Wanted"

Achievement in sound mixing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"The Dark Knight"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
"WALL-E"
"Wanted"

Achievement in visual effects
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"The Dark Knight"
"Iron Man"

Adapted screenplay
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Doubt"
"Frost/Nixon"
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Original screenplay
"Frozen River"
"Happy-Go-Lucky"
"In Bruges"
"Milk"
"WALL-E"

Photo: David Marc Fischer