Oscar Predictions

Oscars

It’s just about time for the Oscars so here are a few predictions, just so they’re on record before the show starts.

#### Animated Feature Film

* Big Hero 6
* The Boxtrolls
* How to Train Your Dragon 2
* Song of the Sea
* The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

I’m going to go with _How To Train Your Dragon 2_ because it’s won all the other awards and it’s just the kind of story that the Academy goes for. This is where I make my first of many “that _The Lego Movie_ isn’t nominated is dumb” statements of the night.

#### Original Song

* “Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie
* “Glory” from Selma
* “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights
* “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me
* “Lost Stars” from Begin Again

_Glory_ is probably going to take it, but _EVerything is Awesome_ should. That movie needs some love and it’s also the perfect song for that movie.

#### Visual Effects

* Captain America: The Winter Soldier
* Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
* Guardians of the Galaxy
* Interstellar
* X-Men: Days of Future Past

I’m of mixed feelings here. These are all good choices but _Dawn of the Planet of the Apes_ really made the apes convincing and if we’re not going to recognize the acting element of that we should at least recognize the technical achievement.

#### Best Actor

* Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
* Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
* Benedict Cumberbatch, Imitation Game
* Michael Keaton, Birdman
* Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

My gut tells me that _Michael Keaton_ will take this one. He won previous awards and he’s in a movie that seems to be a magnet for awards.

#### Best Actress

* Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night
* Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
* Julianne Moore, Still Alice
* Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
* Reese Witherspoon, Wild

I really hope it’s _Rosamund Pike_, but I think it might be _Julianne Moore_.

#### Best Supporting Actor

* Robert Duvall, The Judge
* Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
* Edward Norton, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
* Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
* J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

_J.K. Simmons_. He’s incredible. Everyone else is great but this is his award to lose.

#### Best Supporting Actress

* Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
* Laura Dern, Wild
* Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
* Emma Stone, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
* Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

I have no idea. This is a category where I haven’t seen all the performances. People seem to love _Patricia Arquette_ though, and she was pretty great in Boyhood, so let’s go with her.

#### Cinematography

* Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
* Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel
* Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, Ida
* Dick Pope, Mr. Turner
* Roger Deakins, Unbroken

No idea who will win. I hope it’s _Robert Yeoman_ though.

#### Costume Design

* Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel
* Mark Bridges, Inherent Vice
* Colleen Atwood, Into the Woods
* Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive, Maleficent
* Jacqueline Durran, Mr. Turner

See previous prediction. Except _Milena Canonero_

#### Directing

* Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
* Richard Linklater, Boyhood
* Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
* Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
* Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

As far as I am concerned this should be _Wes Anderson_’s award to lose however I think _Richard Linklighter_ will take it based on the commitment it took to pull off _Boyhood_

#### Original Score

* Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel
* Alexandre Desplat, The Imitation Game
* Hans Zimmer, Interstellar
* Gary Yershon, Mr. Turner
* Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Theory of Everything

Alexander Desplat for _Grand Budapest_, not _Imitation Game_. _Hans Zimmer_ may take it though.

#### Adapted Screenplay

* Jason Hall, American Sniper
* Graham Moore, The Imitation Game
* Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice
* Anthony McCarten, The Theory of Everything
* Damien Chazelle, Whiplash

Of the ones I’ve seen _Whiplash_ is likely the one that will win because a) it’s well written and b) I don’t think it has a dog in the Best Picture race (even though it should).

#### Original Screenplay

* Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
* Richard Linklater, Boyhood
* E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, Foxcatcher
* Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness, The Grand Budapest Hotel
* Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler

_Wes Anderson_ or _Dan Gilroy_ should win this. _Alejandro Inarrutu likely will though.

#### Best Picture

* American Sniper
* Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
* Boyhood
* The Grand Budapest Hotel
* The Imitation Game
* Selma
* The Theory of Everything
* Whiplash

Who are we kidding, it’s going to be _Birdman_, right? BUt maybe they’ll give it to _Selma_ just to prove they’re not racist.

Ugh. Still maybe the worst crop of nominees in ages. So many great films left in the dust.

Stay tuned for the live blog starting in a few minutes.