My 2011 Academy Award Predictions - Part III

We are less than a week away from Hollywood's annual celebration of the year in films. And I am now on the third and final part of my predictions for the top awards at the ceremony. The past two posts were devoted to the acting awards and I still stand by my predictions (if not too firmly on some of them) that Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo will be making their way to the Oscar podium in their respective categories. Now, it is time to talk about the top 2 prizes that everyone REALLY cares about: Best Director and Best Picture.

BEST DIRECTOR

And the Nominees Are:

Darren Arronofsky, Black Swan

Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit

David Fincher, The Social Network

Tom Hooper, The King's Speech

David O. Russell, The Fighter

Who Will Win?:

Though he did not win the Director's Guild Award (more on that in a bit), David Fincher is still the favorite to take the Best Director prize on Sunday. His masterful eye was put to excellent use in the flow of The Social Network. He used a lot of the same tricks he used in some of his more avant garde films like Se7en, Fight Club and Panic Room. He also does have a previous Oscar pedigree. Though he was never nominated for any of the aforementioned films (a crime by many film-goers standards), he WAS nominated in 2009 for the emotionally stirring (yet critically rejected) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. To many, Fincher is due for Academy recognition.

Would Not Be Surprised If...:

With all that being said about David Fincher, his main competition is the man who beat him to the Director's Guild top prize: Tom Hooper, the British director of The King's Speech. It is widely looked at (by most critics that is) that Hooper's DGA win was an anomaly and just the Hollywood community voicing their love for The King's Speech. But, if the Academy feels that the emotionally powerful period piece should win several of its 12 nominations (in addition to Best Actor, which it deservedly is destined to win), Hooper (like Supporting nominees Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham-Carter) could get caught up in the sweep leaving Fincher and his Social Network team in the dust.

What About the Other Nominees?:

All five (technically six) of these nominees (at one point or another in their respective careers) were considered Hollywood outsiders. Fincher did not get Academy love until Benjamin Button. And Hooper worked for BBC films and primarily directed TV films (like the award-winning HBO films Elizabeth I starring Helen Mirren and John Adams starring Paul Giamatti). As for the others: Darren Arronofsky, like Fincher, has had acclaimed films that have not been recognized by larger award bodies (The Fountainhead, The Wrestler). David O. Russell has often been accused of being temperamental and such a perfectionist that he has clashed with cast members of his previous films (like George Clooney on Three Kings and Lily Tomlin on I Heart Huckabees). And the Coen Brothers seem to have invented (and sometimes perfected) that of the Hollywood outsider, especially with their early films like Blood Simple and Miller's Crossing. All that being said, Arronofsky and Russell are currently too far outside Hollywood's "In Crowd" and the Coens recently triumphed at the Oscars for what many say was their greatest film (in 2008 with No Country For Old Men). This race is between David Fincher and Tom Hooper. Much like their films are vying for Best Picture (but we'll get to that in a bit!).

And WHERE is Christopher Nolan?:

When the nominations were announced on January 25, there was a cry on the blogosphere heard pretty much around the world: Where is Christopher Nolan's Best Director nomination for Inception? To many (and I am certainly included), the summer blockbuster was one of the most inventive, daring and mind-blowingly provocative films of the year and director-writer Christopher Nolan was largely responsible for its artistry. Unfortunately, his name was NOT amongst the nominees for Best Director. Conspiracy theories filled the blogosphere saying that the Academy does not like genre films, especially genre films that make a lot of money, like Inception. And while that may be true, I would like to give voice to a theory I heard from very few critics but I believe is the real reason behind the snub. While Inception was an artistic wonder from left to right (even in its stellar cast!), compared to the five films that DID get Director nods, Inception is more visually driven than it is character driven (something which all five films nominated are). I realize I may be upsetting several of my fellow fans of the film by saying this, but I would remind them that I believe Inception was one of the best films of the year and no matter how you look at it: Christopher Nolan was snubbed!

AND NOW...

BEST PICTURE

And the Nominees Are:

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King's Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter's Bone

Intro to Category Breakdown:

Like last year, the Academy has retained the expansion of the category from 5 films to 10. And all 10 of these films were widely acclaimed either by critics or audiences (or both). Unlike last year, where the category's final prize was a wide open race until the final weeks leading up to the ceremony, this year's race has been narrowed down to basically two films contending for the top honor. And either one can take the prize (depending on which pundit you choose to ask!)...

The King's Speech vs. The Social Network

When it comes to this year's Best Picture race, it is contemporary computer geeks versus pre-World War II British royalty. The two films could not be more different, yet they are very similar. Both are films about real life people and both films' "truths" have been called into question by various people. Plus, both films are about men who have difficulty communicating: one through a debilitating stammer and the other through his personality and social demeanor (or lack of one).

When the various critics groups started giving their awards out back in mid-Fall 2010, The Social Network was doing the unthinkable: winning every Best Film prize in sight. Usually the critics are very divided on what is the best film of the year (in 2009, both Up in the Air and eventual Oscar winner The Hurt Locker had the critics groups almost evenly split). But by January 2011, The Social Network seemed unstoppable winning both the Golden Globe and the Critics' Choice Award in the process. And then, overnight almost, the wind changed. The Producer's Guild of America, usually the best barometer to see which film might end up Oscar-bound, chose The King's Speech as the Best Film of the year. Hollywood pundits sat slack-jawed as the British period drama also picked up the Director's Guild award (for Tom Hooper) and the Screen Actor's Guild award for Best Ensemble Cast (that ceremony's top award). As the pundits picked themselves up, the Academy announced their nominations and The King's Speech received the most nods with 12 nominations (same amount of nominations previous Best Picture winners Mrs. Miniver, On the Waterfront, Ben-Hur, My Fair Lady, Dances With Wolves, Schindler's List and The English Patient each received). The Social Network, the clear critical favorite, received only 8 nominations.

With this turn of events in Hollywood, the signs have begun to point towards a possible sweep for the period piece (a genre that was often favored by the Academy in the past, though not in recent years interestingly enough). You see, while critics may carry weight in Hollywood throwing their reviews around as if they were judgments from on high, they alas are not voting members of the Academy (only a few high-profile critics retain that honor). The various Guilds, however, make up for more than 90% of the Academy's voting members. Therefore, the lines have been drawn and it has come down to the inevitable Critics Vs. Hollywood. We've seen this before (in 1995 when Forrest Gump swept Pulp Fiction aside and in 1999 when Shakespeare In Love surprised everyone in defeating Saving Private Ryan). It is the emotionally stirring film that may have struck a chord with the Academy and so, The King's Speech is the strong frontrunner to take the Best Picture prize (though The Social Network could still pull off a win that will both upset and delight many).

The Rest of the Category

With the expansion to 10 films, there are at least 3 films that we can safely say would NEVER have been nominated if the category were its "more traditional" 5 films. Though very acclaimed, 127 Hours, The Kids Are All Right and Winter's Bone fit that bill. Moreover, summer blockbusters like Toy Story 3 and Inception (my personal favorite!) most likely would have had a hard time getting into a smaller category because they are genres that normally have NOT been recognized by Oscar in the past (save for The Lord of the Rings in 2004!). The other three nominees (Black Swan, True Grit and The Fighter) would have had better shots in weaker years. Unfortunately, they are dwarfed by the competition from the two films that have (together) swept all the awards.

Conclusion

What does all this mean? I mean, I could be wrong. Annette Bening and Hailee Steinfeld could find themselves with Oscars on Sunday. The Social Network and The King's Speech could end up cancelling each other out and Inception wins in a sympathy sweep (that would be OK with me!). What it means is that predicting these awards is not an exact science, which I believe is the way many members of the Academy like it. They like keeping their picks secret and they enjoy that shock and awe as the winners are announced on Oscar night. So I, like the rest of you, will watch the ceremony Sunday night and (hopefully) be pleasantly surprised by what the Academy has in store for its worldwide audience.

MY FINAL PREDICTIONS (for the major awards)

Best Picture: The King's Speech

Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network

Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech

Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Best Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler, The King's Speech

My 2011 Academy Award Predictions - Part II

Here we are in Part II of my 2011 Oscar Predictions and we are still in the acting categories. This years Leading Actor and Actress awards are filled with big names, nuanced performances and top-notch films. So let's dig right in, beginning with:

BEST LEADING ACTOR

And the Nominees are:

Javier Bardem, Biutiful

Jeff Bridges, True Grit

Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network

Colin Firth, The King's Speech

James Franco, 127 Hours

Who Will Win?:

If Colin Firth does NOT win this year, there is a serious miscarriage of justice going on in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Am I not being clear where my loyalties are this time?). To put it plainly, Firth gives one of the most passionate and empowering performances by a Leading Actor that I have seen in quite a while (and isn't that the whole point of the category?). In his role as the Duke of York, Prince Albert George, who is forced by circumstances to become King George VI, Firth gives the father of England's current monarch a vulnerability needed to portray the man who struggled with a debilitating stammer. Watching his hard work with speech therapist Lionel Logue (Supporting Actor nominee Geoffrey Rush) or being loved by his supportive wife Elizabeth (Supporting Actress nominee Helena Bonham-Carter), is so inspiring and one cannot help but root for the King as he leads his people into World War II. Firth has racked up so many pre-Oscar awards from the Golden Globe to this past weekend's BAFTA (British Academy) that his mantle will seem so empty without the Oscar he is destined to collect come February 27th.

What About the Other Nominees? (There have been upsets before, people!):

Jeff Bridges, who is brilliant as the Coen Brothers' re-imagining of John Wayne's role of Rooster Cogburn, just won this award last year for an equally dynamic (if not better) performance (beating Firth in the process). Even Bridges himself says he plans to just sit back, relax and do the honor of presenting the Best Actress Oscar. James Franco (this year's Oscar co-host), who has won a share of critics' prizes for his role as hiker Aron Ralston in Danny Boyle's powerful yet disturbing 127 Hours, has been really proving himself with real meaty roles like this (Milk, etc.) so it is safe to say he will return to the Oscars someday. Same goes for Jesse Eisenberg, who played Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg with admirable aplomb. Both he and Franco are part of what is now being dubbed "Young Hollywood" and their presence at future awards is inevitable. As for Javier Bardem, his nomination alone for the beloved Spanish-language film was a welcome surprise and he, like Bridges, recently won an Oscar (albeit Supporting) for another chilling performance in a very buzzworthy movie (No Country for Old Men in 2008).

BEST LEADING ACTRESS

And the Nominees are:

Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole

Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone

Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Who Will Win?:

Natalie Portman has been raking in almost all of the major pre-Oscar awards and many of the critics have stated that her performance as the tortured ballet dancer in Darren Arronofsky's psychological thriller Black Swan is one of the most emotional and dramatic performances of the year. Even famed critic Roger Ebert said that because she runs a gamut of emotions in the film, Portman gets to "act more" and therefore will be rewarded so. Portman also has the privilege of being young and pretty (something Oscar in this category as really loved in the last decade: Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, Marion Cotillard, etc.). And, on top of that, she is currently pregnant with her first child (yet another thing Oscar loves: a good photo-op!).

Would Not Be Surprised If?:

There is one thing that could trump a good photo-op of a pregnant Portman picking up her Oscar (good alliteration!), and that is the venerable career Oscar. Annette Bening, who won several early critics' prizes for her role as a firm lesbian parent in The Kids Are All Right, is now enjoying her FOURTH Academy Award nomination (her third as Best Actress) and, by several accounts, is due for her moment in the sun as an Oscar winner (especially after losing Best Actress twice to Hilary Swank!). Bening has also been making her rounds on the old standard Oscar campaign trail (Academy lectures, luncheons and, of course, the talk show circuit). Sometimes showing a presence to the Academy is enough to get those votes for marvelous performance.

What About the Other Nominees?:

Nicole Kidman gives what many critics say is a poignant and emotional "comeback" performance and is quite deserving of the nod. Kidman, who won Best Actress in 2003 for her performance in The Hours, suffers from problem that Rabbit Hole is ONLY nominated for Best Actress and it doesn't happen very often for an actress to win this award for the film's ONLY nomination. Michelle Williams, who is beloved by the critics for her performance in Blue Valentine, suffers from the same problem Kidman does (much to the critics' and possibly Ryan Gosling's chagrin). Jennifer Lawrence, like her co-star and Supporting Actor nominee John Hawkes, is just happy to be at the party for her gritty performance in Winter's Bone (a definite critical favorite).

So those are my predictions in the acting categories. Firth and Portman have been collecting every major pre-Oscar award. While it is possible for an upset (more likely in Best Actress), the signs are pointing at the inspiring royal and the damaged dancer to be "crowned" Oscar's best this year. Next week, I will discuss my predictions for the top two prizes at the awards: Best Director and the extremely coveted Best Picture.

My 2011 Academy Award Predictions - Part I

10 FAVORITES is taking a short break and will return in March. In the meantime, let's get ready for the Oscars!!! For the next three weeks, I will give you all my predictions for the six major categories at Hollywood's annual celebration. 2010 was a great year for movies and the 10 nominees for Best Picture were all on a lot of people's Top 10 lists. We'll get to Best Picture in a while, but for now we shall begin with the acting categories. First up, the categories for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

And the Nominees are:

Christian Bale, The Fighter

John Hawkes, Winter's Bone

Jeremy Renner, The Town

Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Who Will Win?:

Christian Bale seems to be the clear frontrunner for his gut-wrenching portrayal of the junkie brother of the title character in The Fighter. He has won most of the major awards (the Golden Globe, the Screen Actor's Guild, the Critics' Choice, etc.). Plus, thanks to his role in Christopher Nolan's Batman films, he is one of the more popular actors of today and has yet to receive a major acting award (this is his FIRST Oscar nod). He also lost a lot of weight to take on the role of the drug-addicted ex-con Dicky Eklund and actors have won in the past after changing their physical features dramatically (i.e. Robert De Niro, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, etc.).

Would Not Be Surprised If...:

The only thing standing between Bale's chance at Oscar gold is the Hollywood community's clear embrace of The King's Seech. If it is in the fates for the British period drama to sweep the awards, then Geoffrey Rush could win for his enigmatic portrayal of King George VI's speech therapist Lionel Logue. Rush is a favorite with the Academy (this is his fourth nomination and he won Best Actor back in 1997 for Shine) and his work in The King's Speech has not gone unnoticed by critics and audiences alike.

What About the Other Nominees?:

While Mark Ruffalo is slowly becoming one of Hollywood's hardest working actors, his performance is not the emotional center of The Kids Are All Right (we'll get to that in Best Actress). Jeremy Renner's performance in The Town is gritty and thrilling, but his is the only nomination Ben Affleck's much hailed film received this year. And while Winter's Bone has been praised on the "Indie" circuit, it's four nominations (including John Hawke's supporting nod) is the reward.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

And the Nominees are:

Amy Adams, The Fighter

Helena Bonham-Carter, The King's Speech

Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Who Will Win?:

This is probably the toughest of all the acting categories to predict (and I am not the first to say so!). If one were going by the numbers and the amount of pre-Oscar awards collected, then Melissa Leo is in the best standing for her riveting performance as the tough, Machiavellian manager mother in The Fighter. Leo has long been considered one of the best character actresses on both TV and in independent films (she was previously nominated for Best Actress in 2009 for Frozen River). And tough-talking, ruthless mothers tend to do extremely well, especially in this category (see Mo'Nique last year!).

Would Not Be Surprised If...:

There are two other nominees that I could foresee spoiling Leo's chances: Hailee Steinfeld and Helena Bonham-Carter. Steinfeld, who is really the lead in the Coen brothers' remake of True Grit, gives one of the finest performances of the year and is also young. This category loves them young (see Patty Duke, Tatum O'Neal and Anna Paquin). But (as I said in the Supporting Actor category) if a sweep is inevitable for The King's Speech, then Helena Bonham-Carter (who showed a lot of versatility this year appearing in Speech, Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland and the seventh Harry Potter film) could benefit for her touching portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II's mother (a.k.a. Queen Elizabeth).

What About the Other Nominees?:

Amy Adams, who is enjoying her third Best Supporting Actress nomination, is really outshone by her co-stars Christian Bale and fellow nominee Melissa Leo. If voters went for her, she could cancel out Leo's chances and Steinfeld or Bonham-Carter would benefit. Australian character actress Jacki Weaver earned several early critics' prizes for her domineering performance, but the Aussie film is so low on the radar of many voters that the nomination is really reward enough.

So, those are my predictions for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Both of them, ironically, are from the same film (The Fighter), but I did give scenarios where neither Bale nor Leo could win (especially if The King's Speech sweeps). If both Bale and Leo win (or both Rush and Bonham-Carter win, for that matter), it will be the first time one film as won BOTH Supporting awards since 1987 (when Michael Caine and Dianne Wiest both won the first of their two Oscars for Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters). Next week, Part II of my Oscar predictions will go over the Best Leading Actor and Best Leading Actress categories (where the frontrunners might just be a little clearer).

Don't forget to vote in the poll on the side for the Best British Sitcom of All-Time!

10 FAVORITES (18) - 2010: A Year In Review

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy 2011 everyone! The end of the year and the beginning of the new year is always an exciting time for us media critics because we get to look at the year that was. 2010 was a very interesting year in the world of Entertainment and Pop Culture. We saw an independent film triumph over a box office juggernaut at the Academy Awards, Critically acclaimed TV shows came to the forefront for audiences on both the awards front and in the ratings numbers, and even Broadway was emboldened by the star power of the likes of Oscar winners Catherine Zeta-Jones and Denzel Washington. That's not to mention the shifts that were going on around the country politically speaking. But what were the most memorable moments of the past year. In honor of this first full week of the new year, I want to take us all back through last year just for a little bit (which, I know was something many journalists covered last week, but I prefer to wait until the previous year has come to a complete close!). This week's 10 FAVORITES (in semi-chronological order) is:

10 POP CULTURE MOMENTS FROM 2010

THE BATTLE FOR THE TONIGHT SHOW

Though this moment really started in 2009, with NBC's frustration over low ratings for their beloved late night staple (which was caused by many factors, least of all the new host) the network maneuvered (sloppily) for Jay Leno to return and bought out (at a hefty sum) the rest of Conan O'Brien's contract. While the battle lines were drawn at the end of 2009, the spoils and scars were clearly visible in January 2010. As "Coco" licked his wounds, Leno returned and NBC's late night ratings picked up to what they once were. But don't feel too bad for O'Brien, as his new TBS late night show is wowing his fans and the critics.

THE HOPE FOR HAITI TELETHON

The most devastating moment happened at the beginning of the year as the Caribbean nation of Haiti was struck by a massive earthquake that destroyed most of the country and caused thousands of casualties and deaths. As the world was reeling, the Hollywood community (led by A-lister George Clooney and Haitian native musician Wyclef Jean) came together to ask the public to step up and give assistance. The Celebrity-filled Telethon (like the 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina predecessors) was broadcast on almost all the networks in Primetime (and in EVERY Time Zone). It showed the world that the Entertainment community can really be who we want them to be when it really matters.

THE SANDRA BULLOCK SAGA

The actress had a great 2009 with two box-office hits (The Proposal and The Blind Side) and went into 2010 with awards buzz for the latter. As she gracefully accepted every award handed to her, from the Golden Globe to the SAG Award to even the Oscar (yes people, Sandra Bullock IS an Oscar winner!), she tearfully thanked her husband, reality star Jesse James, for all his love and support. Little did we know what those tears were really about as reports surfaced (from multiple women) that James had been unfaithful to his A-list wife (It was Tiger Woods all over again!). But Bullock braved the storm with great poise, divorced James and adopted her son, showing us that she is a true class act!

LADY GAGA - THE LITTLE FAME MONSTER

Though Lady Gaga is really a person (I think!) and not so much a moment, her presence on this list is really because of all her little moments over the course of 2010. There was her AMA and Grammy performances (which of course shocked anyone who did not know who or what she was), her notorious behavior at a Yankees game, the tribute given to her by the beloved show Glee and who could forget the Meat dress! Throughout all this, she had a sincere dedication to her craft (whatever she douses it in!) and to her fans (the Little Monsters), who helped make her the most followed celebrity on Twitter.

LOST SAYS GOODBYE (AS DO OTHERS)

The final season of J. J. Abrams' enigmatic hit drama LOST was one of the most anticipated seasons of a television series in recent years. The finale, which aired in May, answered questions (and created many more!) and felt like a fitting end to a series that had earned its place in TV history. As LOST said goodbye, so did several other shows (that were once hits) in the Spring of 2010, some which had a proper farewell (24 and Ugly Betty) and some which didn't (Law & Order and Heroes). In the fall season, newer shows took their places in the schedule but, alas, a lot of them did not catch on with audiences. And it didn't matter whether they were critically acclaimed (Lone Star and The Whole Truth) or critically savaged (Undercovers and My Generation).

LEBRON JAMES' TALE OF TWO CITIES (AND THREE...AND FOUR...AND FIVE!)

The NBA off-season (summertime) was almost completely devoted to answering one question: Would Lebron stay or would he go? Lebron James, the superstar player of the Cleveland Cavaliers, became a free agent as his contract with Cleveland came to a close in June and several teams wanted (and pleaded for) him! The Akron native dragged out his decision until the eleventh hour and announced (in a grand "hoop"-la) that he would indeed leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat (and a perceived better chance to win championships). His actions drew a line in the sand (certainly for Cleveland) and changed the way we look at free agents in the sports world.

THE GLEE KIDS GET NAUGHTY

It is one of the most popular shows on television and fans of it cannot get enough. So, of course, the popular men's magazine GQ wanted to get an interview with some of Glee's dynamic cast members. GQ (being GQ) had its subjects in a photo shoot that was a little bit more adult than the parents of many a Glee fan would have wanted. As the firestorm lit up talk TV and the blogosphere, stars Lea Michele, Dianna Agron and Cory Monteith were taken aback by the controversy and each issued separate "Mea Culpas," hoping not to have offended anyone within the Gleek kingdom.

THE RALLY TO RESTORE SANITY (OR TO KEEP FEAR ALIVE)

The political rhetoric of 2010 seemed to be sliding to the vicious side (for whatever reason!) and Jon Stewart, the dynamic and hilarious host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, had had enough. He decided that with his star power (and finances), that he could organize a massive Washington, D.C. rally to help tone down the venomous rhetoric in the air. His rally was mostly in jest but partly serious (especially when Oprah got involved!). His Comedy Central cohort, Stephen Colbert, decided to join in, but not to "Restore Sanity." His insistence was to "Keep Fear Alive" (also pretty much, in jest). Both rallies joined together on October 30 and were extremely successful, at least in the media's eyes, but we shall see if Stewart's message really hit home.

BRISTOL PALIN ON DANCING WITH THE STARS

ABC's juggernaut reality series was stepping up its game in the Fall of 2010 as far as "star power." Not only did they retain Carol Brady, Dirty Dancing's Baby and the "Hoff" himself, but they got Bristol Palin, 2008 Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin's infamous daughter. Bristol, who is no stranger to controversy (see Levi Johnson), started a whole new controversy by her season on the dance competition show. While she was not the worst celebrity ever to dance on the program (see Kate Gosselin), she certainly was not the best, despite improving from week to week. The thing that polarized a lot of DWTS' fans was that she was allowed to improve from week to week, whereas other (not as notable) celebrities would have been eliminated sooner. It was discovered that a strong (possibly conservative) base of fans were constantly voting to keep Bristol in, succeeding all the way to the finale (where she lost the Mirrorball trophy to Jennifer Grey). But though she lost, her presence on the show became something to talk about.

PRINCE WILLIAM SETS THE DATE

He is the Man who will be King and she is his longtime girlfriend. Their love story does feel a little like déjà vu as Prince William (eldest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana) finally popped the question to Kate Middleton. Their engagement was immediately the subject of scrutinizing Internet searches and their images were immediately branded upon wedding memorabilia as the two set the date (April 2011). Going into 2011, this happy news will become one of the most watched weddings in history rivaling another famous Royal Wedding. Seriously, has anyone heard of déjà vu?!?!

So, there you have it: THE 10 POP CULTURE MOMENTS FROM 2010. We shall see if 2011 makes a splash in the way 2010 did. We know there is a Royal Wedding coming. Oprah Winfrey will he ending her seminal talk show (she's already unveiled her new cable network!). And the Harry Potter franchise will come to a close as the eighth and final film is released this summer. That's what we know about! Who knows what the new year will bring?