Academy Awards

On the top of the heap this year is “The King’s Speech”. The saga of the stammering King of England grabbed 12 nominations including best picture and acting honors for the three main actors, Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, and Geoffrey Rush.

The biggest contender in the the best picture category is “The Social Network”. The Facebook drama won best drama at the Golden Globes, but “The King’s Speech” won the Producers Guild of America Awards top prize last weekend.

There are other movies nominated, but it is unlikely any of those will win. This author does tip her hat to the Academy for nominating “Toy Story 3″ for best picture. While animated movies do have their own category, some are good enough to break from their constraints and rise above the pack. It also makes “Toy Story 3″ the top grossing best picture nominee of the year. By a lot.

What’s an Oscar article without listing the snubs? Christopher Nolan was ignored for best director for “Inception”, though he did get a nod for best screenplay.

In a transparent appeal to a younger audience, Anne Hathaway and James Franco are set to host.

The economy of acting

For the second straight year, Shia LaBeouf is the actor offering the biggest bang for the buck, according to a Forbes list released Monday. Forbes calculated that for every $1 LaBeouf was paid, the movie in which he appeared earned $81 in profit.

LaBeouf’s top ranking is owed to blockbusters like ”Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” good for $787 million worldwide, and ”Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” which brought in $836 million worldwide.

Anne Hathaway landed in second place thanks to the $1 billion that ”Alice in Wonderland” took in worldwide and, to an obviously lesser degree, ”Bride Wars,” which brought in $115 million. Hathaway’s movies generate $64 in profit for each $1 she earns.

Forbes looked at the top 36 earners in Hollywood who made at least three films in five years that opened wide. They calculated box office, DVD and TV sales and subtracted a movie’s budget, stripping out marketing costs, “which are susceptible to accounting chicanery.”

Rounding out the Top 5 were Daniel Radcliffe ($61 in profit for each $1 paid), Robert Downey Jr. ($33) and Cate Blanchett ($27).

Probably the most surprising actor cracking the Top 10 is Johnny Depp, given the massive salary he is usually paid. He was paid $1 for every $18 in profit his movies earned.

Still to come is Forbes’ list of actors who offer the least bang for the buck. That dubious honor a year ago went to”Land of the Lost” star Will Ferrell, who was paid $1 for every $3.29 his movies made.

Is it really much of surprise, though? Will Ferrell’s movies simply don’t do well. Is that really his fault? The Harry Potter series would be just as successful without Daniel Radcliffe.