and the correct answers are...

These are my choices, not predictions:

Best Picture: Milk. The best of the choices given, but three of the choices were weak. My nominees would have been Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, The Visitor, Doubt, and The Wrestler

Best Director: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire. This is the year to split the Picture/Director awards. The nudge goes to Boyle for doing what he did in the difficult location shoot in Mumbai.

Actor: Mickey Rourke. Sean Penn and Richard Jenkins were also strong contenders. Frank Langella and especially Brad Pitt have no business being in this category this year.

Actress: Melissa Leo. Anne Hathaway the only realistic alternative here. I loved Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road, unfortunately she was nominated for the wrong film.

Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. Josh Brolin, Philip Seymour Hoffmann, and Michael Shannon also very good. Heath Ledger the only weak link in this category: I did not particularly appreciate his over-hyped performance.

Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson. Everyone is strong in this category. Viola Davis was very effective, but in the end, her role was just too small to give it to her.