Poll: 'The Help' should win top Oscar

NEW YORK, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- "The Help" should be named Best Picture and George Clooney Best Actor at Sunday's Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles, respondents to a Harris poll said.

Twenty-one percent of U.S. residents interviewed said "The Help" should win the Academy Award for Best Picture, while 9 percent said the Oscar should go to "War Horse," 7 percent said "Moneyball," 6 percent said "The Artist," and 5 percent said "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" and "The Descendants."

Thirty-four percent said they are not sure who the Best Picture Oscar should go to this year and 6 percent said it should go to none of the nominated films.

Twenty-three percent of respondents said Clooney should take home the Best Actor statuette for "The Descendants," followed by 16 percent who said Brad Pitt should win for his role in "Moneyball" and 10 percent said the Oscar should go to Gary Oldman for "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy."

Seven percent said Jean Dujardin should win for his role in "The Artist" and 1 percent said the award should go to Dimian Bichr for "A Better Life."

Thirty-five percent of those polled said they are not sure who should win the Best Actor Oscar and 7 percent said they believe none of the nominated actors should win.

Twenty-three percent of those surveyed said Viola Davis should win the Best Actress Oscar for her role in "The Help," while 22 percent said they think the award should go to Meryl Streep for her performance in "The Iron Lady" and 11 percent said Rooney Mara should win for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Seven percent said Michelle Williams should win for "My Week with Marilyn" and 4 percent said Glenn Close should earn the title for "Albert Nobbs."

Twenty-eight percent of poll participants said they are not sure who should win the Academy Award for Best Actress and 5 percent said none of the nominees should win.

Surveyed online for the Harris poll were 2,239 adults between Feb. 13-15.