Best Picture

'Precious'
The Buzz: How strong is the hype on this critically acclaimed urban drama and Sundance darling? Tyler Perry AND Oprah have stepped on as executive producers, almost ensuring that magical combo of strong reviews and popular support.


'A Serious Man'
The Buzz: The Coen brothers don't need no stinkin' stars (no offense, Michael Stuhlbarg) for what looks to be another darkly comedic triumph. The film earned kudos all around at Toronto.



'The Lovely Bones'
The Buzz: Peter Jackson returning to drama to helm the highly anticipated adaptation of a widely celebrated novel, with Oscar-nominated leads Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Saoirse Ronan? The force with this one is strong.


'Up in the Air'
The Buzz: This George Clooney dramedy directed by Jason Reitman ('Thank You for Smoking') was the toast of Toronto, earning raves across the board. EW's Oscar guru Dave Karger writes that the film "lives up to all the hype" and "seems like a great bet for a nomination."


'Up'
The Buzz: Pixar's 10th straight critical darling was also their 10th straight box office smash, earning $291 million. 'WALL-E' was considered a dark horse a year ago, but with the Best Picture category expanded to 10 slots, 'Up' could be a shoo-in.


'Nine'
The Buzz: Not to be confused with the psychedelically animated '9,' or the actioner 'District 9,' this is the musical directed by Rob Marshall ('Chicago'), based on Fellini's '8 ½,' and starring Oscar heavyweights Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard. Yeah, this one's a safe bet.


'Avatar'
The Buzz: Reactions to the first trailer weren't as unanimously positive as promised (at least for those NOT wearing 3-D glasses), but we'd be fools to doubt long-reigning "King of the World" James Cameron, who has not-so-subtly hinted at "revolutionizing filmmaking" with this sci-fi epic.


'The Hurt Locker'
The Buzz: One of the best reviewed films of the year, Kathryn Bigelow's startling war drama is another film that a year ago would no doubt be on the outside looking in but now stands a solid shot at a Best Picture nom given the wider field.


'Amelia'
The Buzz: No one has seen it yet, so it's still too early to tell what camp this Amelia Earheart biopic will fall in -- that of Oscar dominator ('The Aviator,' 'Milk'), acting accolades only ('Ray,' 'Last King of Scotland'), or none of the above ('Beyond the Sea').


'An Education'
The Buzz: This Nick Hornby-scripted coming-of-age drama has been drawing raves since its Sundance debut (where it won the Audience Award), and is boosted by three strong performances (Carey Mulligan, Peter Saarsgaard and Alfred Molina).


'Invictus'
The Buzz: Clint Eastwood has about a .500 batting average of making Oscar's short list since he's become primarily a director, with 'Mystic River,' 'Million Dollar Baby' and 'Letters From Iwo Jima' all making the cut. Expect this Nelson Mandela story to up his stats.


'Star Trek'
The Buzz: J.J. Abrams' dynamic reboot is the definitive example of the type of film the Academy would like to see get nominated, if only to boost ratings. Unlike, say, 'Transformers,' it was worshipped by critics and audiences alike.


'Where the Wild Things Are'
The Buzz: Anticipation is sky high to see what sort of wild things visionary director Spike Jonze will bring to Maurice Sendak's monster-inhabited world; the result could be the first family-oriented film up for Best Picture since 2004's 'Finding Neverland.'


'District 9'
The Buzz: Sci-fi fans geeked out over this late-summer sleeper, and though some audiences were turned off by its guerilla style, it still has enough critical and fan support to warrant dark horse standing.