It’s looking that way. As Entertainment Weekly wrote, “The crowd-pleasing hit has dominated the awards season like no other film in recent memory.”
Last weekend–just days before Oscar ballots were due on Tuesday–the movie grabbed Best Film honors from the Art Directors Guild, the Cinema Audio Society, the American Cinema Editors and the American Society of Cinematographers. When added to other big association wins (like the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Producers Guild, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, Broadcast Critics, and SAG awards) that is, as EW reports, “a completely unheard-of pre-Oscar sweep.” That’s right, even Oscar heavyweights like Forrest Gump, Return of the King, American Beauty, and Titanic didn’t do that.
So if the little-movie-that-could Slumdog loses, it will actually be a huge upset. Some of the acting categories are still toss ups (Best Supporting Actress especially), but the biggest shoo-in of the night is obviously Heath Ledger for Supporting Actor category. (By the way, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said this week that “if” he wins, the statue would go to his daughter Matilda when she turns 18. Reportedly his family would accept the Oscar on Sunday.)
For more on who is predicted to win (and who critics are saying should win), check out this handy list from EW and this ranking from Rotten Tomatoes.
