This race is the easiest to predict of the five major categories. Actor Christopher Plummer, nominated for his turn as a widower who comes out after his wife's death in "Beginners," has won all the major pre-Oscar prizes, including the Golden Globe, the Screen Actors Guild prize, and the BAFTA award, all of which are usually good predictions for who will win on Oscar night.

Andrew Tepper/HONS/Focus Features/AP