Academy Awards Winners & Losers

Also nominated for Best Picture is the loose adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." In the film version, star Brad Pitt ages in reverse, born an old man and reverting to infancy. Anti-aging favorite Botox is made by Allergan(AGN Quote), which closed down 49 cents, or 1.2%, at $40.16. And for a play on the buttons of the movie's title, take a look at crafts retailer Jo-Ann Stores(JAS Quote), down 2.8%, or 36 cents, at $12.45.

The Visitor tells the story of what happens after a young couple's illegal sublet is interrupted when its actual owner, played by Best Actor nominee Richard Jenkins, comes to "visit." If you ever find yourself short on beds, you might consider getting a room at a Marriott(MAR Quote) hotel or perhaps Choice Hotels'(CHH Quote) Econo Lodge. Marriott closed down 19 cents, or 1.3%, at $14.32, while Choice Hotels was up 2 cents to $24.92.

Fans of The Wrestler, whose star Mickey Rourke is also up for Best Actor, can take a look at Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment(WWE Quote), up 7 cents, or 0.7%, at $9.54.

There's also Wall*E, nominated for several awards in addition to Best Animated Feature, including both sound editing and sound mixing. In this film, Earth is evacuated due to toxic conditions, and its inhabitants are sent on a cruise in space. That option might not be available to us yet, but we can still hop on a boat for a more traditional cruise, courtesy of Carnival(CCL Quote), up a penny at $19.40.

Or perhaps take a look at wedding Web site operator The Knot(KNOT Quote), up 11 cents to $6.92, as a play on Rachel Getting Married, for which star Anne Hathaway is nominated for Best Actress. Or play Australia with one of the title country's biggest stocks, mining company BHP Billiton(BHP Quote), which closed up 21 cents, or 0.5%, at $39.22.

But if it's not enough just to bet on the Academy Awards and you're looking to make it rich quick like the young protagonist of Slumdog Millionaire, perhaps you can find some opportunity in a casino stock, such as MGM Mirage(MGM Quote), which closed up 10 cents, or 2.4%, to $4.20 after hitting a new 52-week low of $3.93 earlier in the day, or Las Vegas Sands(LVS Quote), down 15 cents, or 5.5%, to $2.60. LVS also hit a new 52-week low on Friday, of $2.31.