I have a very full-on relationship with awards season in Hollywood. From sneaking into the Golden Globes, my campaign to be Mr. Golden Globe, and my attempt to crash the Oscars, I’ve always been fascinated with the illustrious film awards given out each winter in Hollywood. PLUS! I’ve won numerous bets each and every Oscar night.
And so, like many other film critics and media sites, I too am scoring who I believe will take home statues next month. Here we go…
Best Picture
This choice might seem like a rogue one, given that Roma is currently poised to win, but with all the talk around politics, including race and sociocultural inclusion, my thoughts are that The Academy will favor the film that represents those topics onscreen the most obviously. The Academy has a history of selecting choices that depict our current culture (eg: Crash, circa 2004)
“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book”
“Roma”
“A Star Is Born”
“Vice”
Best Actor
I’d love to see Rami Malek take this, but I think it’s Bale’s to lose.
Christian Bale, “Vice”
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”
UPDATE (as of 2/20/19) the only adjustment I’m making to this list is that Rami Malek will win, as aforementioned, I’d love to see.
Best Actress
The Academy loves awarding “career Oscars”; those awards that acknowledge a lifetime of great performances that they kind of forgot to give the statue to in, like, 1982. Sooooo, going with Glenn. Plus, her Golden Globes speech kind of locked her in to win. But literally, ALL OF THESE COULD WIN.
Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”
Glenn Close, “The Wife”
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”
Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Best Supporting Actor
He’s the current favorite, and most popular part of the movie.
Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”
Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”
Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”
Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Sam Rockwell, “Vice”
Best Supporting Actress
She’ll win. Sorry Amy Adams (again): you’ll get your “career Oscar” (see above) in 10 years.
Amy Adams, “Vice”
Marina de Tavira, “Roma”
Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Emma Stone, “The Favourite”
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”
Best Director
If Spike Lee won, fantastic! Stupendous! Huzzah! But it’ll be Alfonso.
Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”
Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”
Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”
Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma”
Adam McKay, “Vice”
Animated Feature
Shoe-in. Am I the only one who was SEVERELY DISAPPOINTED in Incredibles 2?? The first one was just so good…
“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird
“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson
“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda
“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Animated Short
Kinda weird, but oddly affecting. Legit, watching it, I almost cried.
“Animal Behaviour,” Alison Snowden, David Fine
“Bao,” Domee Shi
“Late Afternoon,” Louise Bagnall
“One Small Step,” Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas
“Weekends,” Trevor Jimenez
Adapted Screenplay
Here you go, Spike! This one you’ll get. Plus, I met Charlie Wachtel at a party over the summer and he was really nice, so I vote for him.
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Joel Coen , Ethan Coen
“BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins
“A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters
Original Screenplay
The Academy loves a period piece, and to compensate for not winning best picture (way too subversive for Academy voters), it’ll win this.
“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
“First Reformed,” Paul Schrader
“Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón
“Vice,” Adam McKay
Cinematography
The moody, yet ultra crisp black and white camera work of Roma seems to be the one to beat.
“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal
“The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan
“Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón
“A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique
Best Documentary Feature
Minding the Gap, but Free Solo might sneak up on it. The latter has been getting a big ‘ol boost of popularity and seems to be on everyone’s lips, but I’m holding out for the former.
“Free Solo,” Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” RaMell Ross
“Minding the Gap,” Bing Liu
“Of Fathers and Sons,” Talal Derki
“RBG,” Betsy West, Julie Cohen
Best Documentary Short
Like Best Picture, I’m betting The Academy chooses the film with strong political and cultural relevance (ie: refugees) and so I’mma pick Lifeboat.
“Black Sheep,” Ed Perkins
“End Game,” Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
“Lifeboat,” Skye Fitzgerald
“A Night at the Garden,” Marshall Curry
“Period. End of Sentence.,” Rayka Zehtabchi
Best Live Action Short
Wow. Can you say unsettling? Socially relevant and yet oh-so maddening, this one will take the cake.
“Detainment,” Vincent Lambe
“Fauve,” Jeremy Comte
“Marguerite,” Marianne Farley
“Mother,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen
“Skin,” Guy Nattiv
Best Foreign Language Film
I mean, at this point, duh.
“Capernaum” (Lebanon)
“Cold War” (Poland)
“Never Look Away” (Germany)
“Roma” (Mexico)
“Shoplifters” (Japan)
Best Editing
Methinks Vice, and I’m saying so because of the fake credits halfway through the movie. Pretty cool.
“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman
“Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito
“The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis
“Vice,” Hank Corwin
Sound Editing
I WISH FOR A QUIET PLACE, but will the irony of sound editing be lost on Academy voters for a film that was based upon silence? Plus, First Man was giving us ALL THE SOUNDS and I know I would have not wanted that sound editing job, so I’m giving it to Ai-Ling and Mildred.
“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst
“First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan
“A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl
“Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay
Sound Mixing
See above.
“Black Panther”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“First Man”
“Roma”
“A Star Is Born”
Production Design
Black Panther should TOTALLY win in my opinion, but Roma is my close second.
“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler
“First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas
“The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton
“Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim
“Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez
Original Score
Come on. That “Wakanda Forever” music! You can’t give it to anybody else!
“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard
“Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson
“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell
“Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat
“Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
Original Song
I downloaded this song on iTunes before it was cool, so I’m saying this one. Plus, it’s the most popular. And it’s good AF.
“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA
“I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson
“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice
“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch
Makeup & Hair
Sorry Queen Elizabeth, I think Dick Cheney (T)rumps you here! (did you ever think you’d hear those three political leaders mentioned in the same sentence?)
“Border”
“Mary Queen of Scots”
“Vice”
Costume Design
THIS IS HARD. Easily could go to Black Panther, but again, I’m sticking with my guns about The Academy’s love of a far-off-and-away period piece.
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres
“Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter
“The Favourite,” Sandy Powell
“Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell
“Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne
Visual Effects
This was a feast for the eyes and I’m into Marvel winning something on Feb. 24th
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Christopher Robin”
“First Man”
“Ready Player One”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”
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