Arts & Entertainment

Tribune Film Critic Predicts Wins for 'Social Network'

Michael Phillips predicted the Facebook film would win big last week in Highland Park.

The Chicago Tribune's film critic gave his Oscar predictions during an hourlong event last Wednesday at the . 

"It's a pleasure just to be nominated to come here," joked Michael Phillips, the Tribune's film critic and former host of "At the Movies" as he began his event. 

Phillips showed clips of the movies nominated for the major awards like Best Picture, Director, Actor and Actress. He paused throughout to explain which he thought would win and why, sharing tidbits of movie trivia along the way.

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"(David) Fincher beats the acting out of the actors," Phillips said about The Social Network director. According to Phillips, the opening scene of the film, where Best Actor nominee Jesse Eisenberg is dumped by his girlfriend at Harvard, was shot in 99 takes.

Phillips thinks The Social Network, which tells the story of how Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg used social media to become a billionaire, will win Best Picture. He advised attendees, however, that he didn't feel entirely certain about the prediction.

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"I just don't feel lucky this year," he said.

Though The Social Network takes artistic license with its subject -- for example, Zuckerberg has been dating the same girl since before he created Facebook -- Phillips doesn't think that should preclude it from picking up any Oscars.

"Factual truth is an overrated commodity in the movies," he said, "It didn't slow Shakespeare down."

The rest of Phillips' Oscar predictions are as follows:

  • Best Picture: The Social Network (lost to The King's Speech)
  • Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan (winner)
  • Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech (winner)
  • Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter (winner)
  • Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter (winner)
  • Best Directing: David Fincher, The Social Network (lost to Tom Hooper, The King's Speech)
  • Art Direction: Inception (lost to Alice in Wonderland)
  • Cinematography: True Grit (lost to Inception)
  • Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland (winner)
  • Documentary (Feature): Exit Through the Gift Shop (lost to Inside Job)
  • Documentary (Short Subject): Poster Girl (lost to Strangers No More)
  • Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3 (winner)
  • Film Editing: The Social Network (winner)
  • Foreign Language Film: Incendies, from Canada (lost to In A Better World from Denmark)
  • Makeup: The Wolfman (winner)
  • Music (Original Score): The Social Network (winner)
  • Music (Original Song): "We Belong Together," Toy Story 3 (winner)
  • Short Film (animated): The Gruffalo (lost to The Lost Thing)
  • Short Film (Live Action): Wish 143 (lost to God of Love)
  • Sound Editing: Inception (winner)
  • Sound Mixing: Inception (winner)
  • Visual Effects: Inception (winner)
  • Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Social Network (winner)
  • Writing (Original Screenplay): The King's Speech (winner)


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