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Avatar, though, is not the only movie that could sneak up behind The Hurt Locker or Up in the Air, give the movies metaphorical wedgies, and steal their collective lunch money. Another movie to keep a good eye on is Inglourious Basterds, the dazzling return to form (yes, I'm that guy who thinks the Kill Bill movies are overrated, hi!) of writer-director Quentin Tarantino. Though it is (spoiler alert) an alternate history of how World War II transpired, having the war as a topic is a boon to Tarantino, who's already won an Oscar for writing and been nominated as a director. Many people saw Inglourious Basterds as his best film since Pulp Fiction, and certainly one that Oscar voters would be more willing to nominate. Unlike with Avatar, a film with acting that hasn't received many raves, this movie has an extensive ensemble, including the brilliant Christoph Waltz, Brad Pitt, and Diane Kruger.

The support that Inglourious Basterds will have from not only below-the-line voters but also actors (the Screen Actors Guild, as mentioned in previous articles, nominated Waltz, Kruger, and the ensemble) is extremely important. While Avatar may have (dare I make such a bold claim?) topped the domestic box-office record currently held by Titanic by the time March 7th comes around, a near-unanimous amount of support for Inglourious Basterds may push it across the finish line. Now, of course, I'm operating under the easily-incorrect assumption that the Academy voters will have, for the time being, acquiesced to the idea that the Best Picture winner should be more popular, not just its fellow nominees. There's a very easy chance that a movie like An Education or The Hurt Locker or A Serious Man could sneak in and win everything, let alone be nominated.

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