For the first time in recent memory, the Oscars appear to be a slam-dunk in all four of the acting categories.

I mean, after winning virtually every critic and industry award for their portrayals, is there any way that Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker can lose the Best Actress and Actor trophies, respectively, for the "The Queen" and "The Last King of Scotland"? And what about the "Dreamgirls" team of Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson in the supporting acting categories? Will their dreams of winning Oscars become nightmares?

Video: Predictions | Oscars Section | Slideshow | Best Picture?

If you think the Academy of Motion Picture Arts isn't capable of anarchy, think back only a few weeks to the nominations, where "Dreamgirls," the top-nominated film overall, failed to land Best Picture and Best Director (Bill Condon) nods. And the atmosphere went mighty dim in a hurry for the husband-wife team and co-directors of "Little Miss Sunshine," Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris -- despite, like Condon, having nominations for the coveted Directors Guild of America awards in their back pockets.

On the flip side, the director of "United 93," Paul Greengrass, was nominated for Best Director, but the film was not.

And who can forget how the Best Picture hopes of "Brokeback Mountain" came crashing down last year?

But even in the unlikely event that all four favorites lost, it still wouldn't be as shocking as Martin Scorsese losing in the Best Director's race. Talk about anarchy... Leonardo DiCaprio, who's been voicing his displeasure over Scorsese's previous losses for years, may lead a charge toward the stage if "The Departed" director is ousted once again.

Anyway, when all is said and done, expect maybe one or two surprises during the Oscars come Sunday night. It's hard to say whether anyone will be flattened like Lauren Bacall was a few years back with her Best Supporting Actress loss for "The Mirror Has Two Faces" -- or be elated like "The Pianist" star Adrien Brody who celebrated his Best Actor win by planting an unsuspecting kiss on presenter Halle Berry -- but the ingredients for upsets are definitely there. Find out what they are with my predictions.

Best Supporting Actor

The Nominees: Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"; Jackie Earle Haley, "Little Children"; Djimon Hounsou, "Blood Diamond"; Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls"; Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed."

Not only is Murphy the big favorite to win here, he's the most vulnerable to an upset. Murphy is great as the downtrodden soul singer James "Thunder" Early in "Dreamgirls," but the performance doesn't carry the film like Arkin's does in "Little Miss Sunshine."

Arkin is heart and soul of the quirky comedy and, coupled with the fact that he's Oscar-less in two tries, it increases his chances to win. Plus, he won over Murphy at the recent British Academy Awards, which says a lot. Also, don't forget that supporting Oscar races time and again pull winners out of left field. Do the names Marisa Tomei, Geena Davis and Juliette Binoche ring a bell? Could Wahlberg take home the gold? Don't entirely count him out. Most likely, though, a longtime veteran will get his due.

The Winner: Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls"

Best Supporting Actress

The Nominees: Adriana Barraza, "Babel"; Cate Blanchett, "Notes on a Scandal"; Abigail Breslin, "Little Miss Sunshine"; Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls"; Rinko Kikuchi, "Babel."

A singer deemed not good enough to win "American Idol," Hudson got the ultimate comeuppance for her incredibly soulful performance in "Dreamgirls," and in a sense, has won already for shining so brightly in her debut role. And while it's less likely she'll be upset than Murphy, Hudson could be overshadowed by "Little Miss Sunshine" herself, Abigail Breslin.

Breslin was the next best thing in the movie next to Arkin, and the success of the movie was entirely upon her shoulders. A supporting actress win for the 10-year-old Breslin would almost be like awarding the film a Best Picture Oscar.

The Winner: Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls"

Best Actor

The Nominees: Leonardo DiCaprio, "Blood Diamond"; Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson"; Peter O'Toole, "Venus"; Will Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness"; Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland."

As many trophies as he has for his role as the infamous Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, the key thing to remember here is the industry awards that Whitaker has won. He's been honored by the Screen Actors Guild and the British Film Academy. Not all, but some of those same people vote on the Oscars.

Without question, O'Toole is Whitaker's threat. The legendary actor flirted with rejecting an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Oscar from the Academy two years back, saying he wanted to win a statuette outright, but ultimately he gave in. If he wins here, on his eighth try for a statuette, it will mostly be for sentimental reasons.

The Winner: Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland"

Best Actress

The Nominees: Penelope Cruz, "Volver"; Judi Dench, "Notes on a Scandal"; Helen Mirren, "The Queen"; Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada"; Kate Winslet, "Little Children."

Like Whitaker, Mirren has won virtually every major actress award for her role as the frosty Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen," and she has the momentum of the industry awards behind her. She's the biggest "sure thing" of the night.

The only performer close to dethroning Mirren would be Dench, who is chilling as an obsessive teacher who holds sway over her vulnerable colleague (Cate Blanchett) in "Notes on a Scandal," but she already has an Oscar and the Academy likes to share the wealth. Streep could win anytime she appears on camera, and her ice-queen portrayal in "Devil" only would have melted voters' hearts if she were Oscar-less. But since she's the most nominated actress in Oscar history and already has two statuettes, the Academy will respectfully overlook her again.

The Winner: Helen Mirren, "The Queen"

Best Director

The Nominees: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Babel"; Martin Scorsese, "The Departed"; Clint Eastwood, "Letters From Iwo Jima"; Stephen Frears, "The Queen"; Paul Greengrass, "United 93."

Has the time finally come for Scorsese? It appears so, considering for the first time in several tries that he won the Directors Guild of America honor. Only six of the 58 previous DGA winners have not gone on to win the Best Director Oscar, so the odds are definitely in Scorsese's favor.

But consider this -- longtime Academy favorite Clint Eastwood, who won the Oscar over Scorsese two years back, was not a DGA nominee this year. But since the director snuck in with a Best Director's nod and Best Picture nomination as a co-producer (with Steven Spielberg) for "Iwo Jima," he has to be considered a real threat.

After all, "Iwo Jima" is only half of a stunning film achievement Eastwood pulled off last year. He also directed and produced the acclaimed "Iwo Jima" companion film, "Flags of Our Fathers." The main thing working against Eastwood is that the Academy has rewarded him four times before -- the time has come for someone else to share in the glory.

The Winner: Martin Scorsese, "The Departed."

Best Picture

The Nominees: "Babel," "The Departed," "Letters From Iwo Jima," "Little Children," "The Queen."

This is one of the toughest races to call. "The Queen" is a remarkable film, but this race is coming down to "Little Miss Sunshine" or "The Departed." "Babel" won the Golden Globe for Best Drama, but the Globe's value took a serious hit when the Best Musical or Comedy winner, "Dreamgirls," wasn't even nominated. "Letters From Iwo Jima" could be awarded, again, given the epic achievement of Eastwood and Spielberg.

With wins from the Producers Guild of America for Best Picture and Screen Actors Guild for Best Acting Ensemble, "Little Miss Sunshine" is definitely on the voters' minds. But a win for Best Director for "The Departed" is hardly a consolation prize. It's a brutal crime epic that's one of the most compelling films of the year -- and arguably the director's best since 1990's "Goodfellas." And with an endless roster of top-notch talent -- from Jack Nicholson, DiCaprio and Matt Damon, to Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and Wahlberg -- it's definitely deserving of the top prize.

The Winner: "The Departed"

Other Predictions: Look for "Little Miss Sunshine" to take the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, and "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit of Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" will be the surprise winner for Best Adapted Screenplay. "Cars" will race up to the podium for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, although "Happy Feet" may waltz in and take the statuette in an upset. Finally, "Listen" from "Dreamgirls" will resonate with voters for the Best Original Song Oscar.