A few months ago, a Best Picture Oscar win for “The Social Network” seemed like a certainty. The film parlayed that momentum to a dominant performance at the Golden Globes in January.
But over the last several weeks, the tide shifted in favor of “The King’s Speech.” The film, which boosted its profile to such an extent that it became a massive hit with critics and moviegoers alike, soon became the clear frontrunner to win the prize.
Many were still holding out hope for “The Social Network,” but when “Speech” director Tom Hooper defeated “Social Network”‘s frontrunner director David Fincher for the helmer Oscar, the fate appeared sealed. “The King’s Speech” was going to win the award for Best Picture.
And it did — it beat out “Network,” “127 Hours,” “Winter’s Bone,” “Inception,” “Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” “True Grit,” “Toy Story 3″ and The Kids are All Right.”