Countdown to the Oscars: Part 3

"Little Miss Sunshine" will win the Oscar for Best Picture. I have foreseen it. I have had, as they say, a premonition.

For anyone who discounts premonitions allow me to state for the record that renowned director/producer/editor/pre-eminent rum drinker Daryl A. Moon had a premonition well in advance of this year's Super Bowl that the Chicago Bears' Devin Hester would return the game's opening kickoff for a touchdown. Lo and behold, the Chicago Bears' Devin Hester returned the Super Bowl's opening kickoff for a touchdown.

Likewise, in early December I had a premonition the night before the Big 12 Championship game that something disastrous would befall my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers on the very first play of the game. Lo and behold, on the very first play of the Big 12 Championship game my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers fumbled.

So, yeah, sometimes premonitions can be authentic.

During my days as an avid cinemaphile I have also had three premonitions in regards to the annual Academy Awards. They are as follows:

1.) 2001: I had a premonition that Kate Winslet would win Best Supporting Actress for "Iris".

This did not happen.

2.) 2003: I had a premonition that Lost in Translation would win for Best Picture over Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

This really did not happen.

3.) 2004: I had a premonition that Hilary Swank would win Best Actress for "Million Dollar Baby".

She did.

Okay, so I'm only 1-2 on Oscar premonitions. But I'm really feeling it this year. (I also refuse to believe the cinema gods would allow "Babel" to actually win.) And this isn't the same as me picking "Crash" to win Best Picture last year. That was a mere pick. A guess. But this year it's a premonition. Whether it's a dream, or something that just suddenly and vividly pops into your head, I have already seen the presenter opening the envelope and saying, surprised, "Little Miss Sunshine".

It's the 30th Anniversary of "Rocky" pulling a gargantuan upset.

(Speaking of which, what's the deal with people crapping on "Rocky" lately? I haven't heard this much backlash against a past winner so much in my life. Let me say this, "Babel" winning this year would be far, far more of an injustice than "Rocky" having won. "Rocky" was a good movie, damn it. Better than "Taxi Driver"? Or "All The President's Men"? Maybe not technically, but it's still very good. And rousing. And way better than "Babel". And "Crash". And "The English Patient". I mean, how in the world does anyone think the 18 hour long, coma-inducing "The English Patient" was better than "Jerry Maguire"? But here I am digressing in parentheses.)

In any event, on the 30th Anniversary of "Rocky" emerging victorious I think we're going to get the same thing. "Little Miss Sunshine" came up through Sundance and even though Sundance has become less of an independent film festival than a "place-to-be-seen" in recent years it would still be quite inspiring to see something that was the toast of Park City, UT also become the toast of Hollywood, CA. It gives hope to all us ragamuffins filming things in our own living rooms praying they get into the Lower Missouri River Basin Film Festival, let alone Sundance.

I liked "The Departed". I liked "Letters From Iwo Jima". But I also liked what one of the producers of "Little Miss Sunshine" said regarding the film's popularity - "I think everyone's been inside that van". Yes, they have.

There have been some who have called it The Little Movie That Could. Well, it can. And it will. Mark it down.