Just like Santa sliding down the chimney, Hollywood always serves up last-minute Oscar contenders during the holiday season: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Revolutionary Road," "The Reader," "Valkyrie." Filled with big names like Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise and Kate Winslet, these end-of year offerings could make a volatile Oscar race event trickier to predict.

Think you've got a handle on Hollywood's "front-runners?" Willing to bet on those "dark horses" that could steal the show come Oscar night?

Pull out the popcorn film fans and chomp on these Oscar predictions:

And the big one goes to... Best Picture

If the Golden Globes are any predictor of Oscar gold in 2009, this year's race for best picture comes down to two movies: "Frost/Nixon" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

These divergent films both get -- and give -- the deluxe treatment. But each one says something different about Hollywood filmmaking today.

Benjamin Button, a bittersweet saga about a man who is born old and lives his life backward, recaptured that old glamour from Hollywood's golden era of filmmaking.

Frost/Nixon, a big screen adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway play, proved that a character-driven story can be just as explosive as a battalion of CGI effects.

Count on these flicks, as well as "Slumdog Millionaire," "Milk," and "The Reader" to round out 2008's Oscar ballot.

Our pick? "Frost/Nixon."

Best actress

If you've missed the buzz about Anne Hathaway's performance for "Rachel Getting Married," don't worry. It will likely continue as the countdown to the Oscar nominations ticks on.

Of course, cutting loose a boyfriend bound for the slammer, as Hathaway did with Italian real estate developer Raffaello Follieri, certainly helped boost that "Rachel" buzz and score loads of sympathy for "The Princess Diaries" star.

The doe-eyed Hathaway will, most likely, get an Oscar nod. But her win won't be a slam dunk.

"Happy-Go-Lucky" star Sally Hawkins, another potential newcomer to the Oscar pool, could be the underdog who steals everyone's thunder. Another "dark horse" to watch? Kristin Scott Thomas, who gave what many critics called the performance of her career in "I've Loved You So Long."

But this is Hollywood, after all, and the real battle comes down to these A-list babes: Kate Winslet ("Revolutionary Road"), Meryl Streep ("Doubt"), Cate Blanchett ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), Angelina Jolie ("The Changeling") and Nicole Kidman ("Australia").

Our Oscar pick? Kate Winslet.

Best actor

If Hollywood was in the habit of lauding summer blockbusters then Robert Downey Jr., "Iron Man's" comeback kid, would be a sure bet for an Oscar nomination.

Mickey Rourke, the year's other big comeback story, should walk off with an Oscar nod at the very least for "The Wrestler." His portrayal of a down-and-out pro wrestler took an okay movie and made it great. After his 15-year absence from Hollywood, however, Rourke's got a prize fight on his hands to score Oscar gold.

Frank Langella's flawless portrayal of Richard M. Nixon in "Frost/Nixon" is, to my mind, the one performance to beat. In fact, Langella's acting is at a level in this flick that's unmatched in Hollywood history.

Brad Pitt's performance in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is the best work of his career and he could win. But Sean Penn ("Milk") and Leonardo DiCaprio ("Revolutionary Road") will be right behind him racing to the Oscar podium.

Our pick: Frank Langella.

Best supporting actress

Always a tricky category to predict, newcomer Taraji P. Henson (who scored a SAG nomination for best supporting actress in "Benjamin Button") could win the Oscar. The same could be said of "dark horse" contender, "Rachel Getting Married" co-star Rosemarie DeWitt.

But the real Oscar race should come down to these women: Kate Winslet, ("The Reader"). Penelope Cruz, ("Vicki Cristina Barcelona"), Amy Adams, ("Doubt") and Marisa Tomei ("The Wrestler").

Our Oscar bet? Kate Winslet.

Best supporting actor

Some of the biggest heavy-hitters in Hollywood today will be fighting for top honours in this category.

At first glance Heath Ledger seems fated to win for "The Dark Knight." Despite his brilliant performance as The Joker, Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr., both co-stars in "Tropic Thunder," could nab nominations if not the Oscar itself. Right behind them you'll find Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt") and Ralph Fiennes ("The Duchess") as 2008's top contenders.

Our pick? Heath Ledger.