Oscars: Gold Derby Spotlight

Quick out of the gate

From top left: Columbia Pictures / Focus Features / Weinstein Company / Columbia Pictures

This year we'll find out how truly hip the academy is. Will members put "The Social Network" on their friends list? Will Oscar voters embrace the lesbian family in "The Kids Are All Right"? "Black Swan" has steamy girl-on-girl and solo action that would've made members blush in olden days. If traditional tastes end up reigning supreme, there are lots of quality contenders to hail, such as "The King's Speech," "True Grit" and "The Fighter." It's early yet, so here we look at just some of the key awards. By Tom O'Neil

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Best Picture

Merrick Morton / Columbia Pictures

Spotlight: Most prognosticators believe this is a battle between "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network." "Speech" is a stylish costume drama much like past champs "Amadeus" and "The Last Emperor." Recently, voters have preferred more gritty, contemporary fare, such as "No Country for Old Men" and " The Hurt Locker." "The Social Network" fits that bill.

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