My Oscar Predictions 2015

It's finally here!!! It's Oscar time!!! Yes I love the Oscars. Yes I'm a dork. I know this and I'm o.k. with it. But you should already know that from my last post about my reaction to this year's Oscar nominations. Anyway, every year I make my predictions at oscar.go.com. Last year was the best I've ever done (20 right out of 24!). So will I do the same or better this year? Who can say? I'm hoping last year was no fluke and this year I do even better! A girl can dream can't she? Now on to my predictions!

Best Picture

And the nominees are:

American Sniper

Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Selma

The Theory of Everything

Whiplash

My pick: Boyhood. This is the big one. What was the best film of 2014 (at least according to the old white guys who make up the academy?)? It really seems like it could go to Boyhood or Birdman. Both have won lots of awards this season. But I just think that the fact that Boyhood took 12 years to make gives it the edge over Birdman. The academy LOVES crap like that! Now I have only seen one of the movies nominated for best picture this year (The Grand Budapest Hotel) so I can't really say what SHOULD win. But I wouldn't be upset if Selma or The Grand Budapest Hotel won this category. I mean they won't, but it would make me happy!

Actor in a Leading Role

And the nominees are:

Steve Carell (Foxcatcher)

Bradley Cooper (American Sniper)

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)

Michael Keaton (Birdman)

Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)

My pick: Michael Keaton. This is such a close category! Both Keaton and Redmayne have won a ton of awards for their respective performances. And Redmayne has lots of things going for him that the academy loves. He is playing a famous person (Stephen Hawking). But not just any famous person, a famous person with a disability! And the academy loves that! But Redmayne is a newcomer. While Keaton is a veteran actor who has never won an academy award (in fact he has never even been nominated!). And the academy loves a comeback! So this could really go either way, but I'm picking Keaton. But I wouldn't be surprised at all if Redmayne takes home the gold. And quick side note, I'm a HUGE Cumberbatch fan, so if he won I'd do a happy dance!

Actor in a Supporting Role

And the nominees are:

Robert Duvall (The Judge)

Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)

Edward Norton (Birdman)

Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)

J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

My pick: J.K. Simmons. Unlike the best actor category, this one is pretty much a sure thing. Yeah Simmons will take home the gold, no question. But like I said in my last post, I have loved Ruffalo since I was little, so a win for him would probably make me cry!

Actress in a Leading Role

And the nominees are:

Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night)

Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)

Julianne Moore (Still Alice)

Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

Reese Witherspoon (Wild)

My pick: Julianne Moore. This is finally Moore's year! She is such an amazing actress and it's inconceivable that she hasn't won an Oscar yet! The only wildcard here is Witherspoon. I wouldn't be totally shocked if she won, but my money is still on Moore.

Actress in a Supporting Role

And the nominees are:

Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)

Laura Dern (Wild)

Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)

Emma Stone (Birdman)

Meryl Streep (Into the Woods)

My pick: Patricia Arquette. This is another category that is really a sure thing. Arquette will win. No contest. But I do love Stone, so hope this is only the first of many nominations for her!

Animated Feature Film

And the nominees are:

Big Hero 6

The Boxtrolls

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Song of the Sea

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

My pick: How to Train Your Dragon 2. This one is tough. It's pretty much a tossup. I could see the award going to Big Hero 6 or How to Train Your Dragon 2. Big Hero 6 was a great film, and surprisingly emotional. And it is a Disney film, so it has weight behind it. But I think How to Train Your Dragon 2 has a slight edge, so that's my pick. Although I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Big Hero 6 takes this one. And again, why no Lego Movie?!!!! WHY?!!!!!!!!!

Cinematography

And the nominees are:

Birdman

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Ida

Mr. Turner

Unbroken

My pick: Birdman. This one I'm pretty sure about. Birdman is filmed almost entirely in single-shot. So it is a no brainer.

Costume Design

And the nominees are:

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Inherent Vice

Into the Woods

Maleficent

Mr. Turner

My pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel. This is a really tough one. Into the Woods had great costumes and so did Maleficent. But I think Budapest will take this one (fingers crossed!).

Directing

And the nominees are:

Birdman

Boyhood

Foxcatcher

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

My pick: Alejandro Inarritu for Birdman. I think this will be like last year (and the year before that) where the best picture and best director awards went to different films. But I could see Boyhood getting the win here. It really could go either way. Although if Anderson wins, I'll lose my mind!

Documentary Feature

And the nominees are:

CitizenFour

Finding Vivian Maier

Last Days in Vietnam

The Salt of the Earth

Virunga

My pick: CitizenFour. The award will most likely go to the film about Edward Snowden. This one is a sure thing.

Documentary Short Subject

And the nominees are:

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Joanna

Our Curse

The Reaper (La Parka)

White Earth

My pick: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1. This one is tough. But I think the film that shines a light on veteran suicide is the one to beat.

Film Editing

And the nominees are:

American Sniper

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Whiplash

My pick: Boyhood. Like I said Boyhood took over 12 years to make. So I think it will win again in this category.

Foreign Language Film

And the nominees are:

Ida

Leviathan

Tangerines

Timbuktu

Wild Tales

My pick: Ida. This film is shot in black and white and is about post-Holocaust survival. And it was nominated for more than one Oscar. So yeah pretty sure about this one.

Makeup and Hairstyling

And the nominees are:

Foxcatcher

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Guardians of the Galaxy

My pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel. This category is always so weird. I'm betting on Grand Budapest (which made Tilda Swinton look ANCIENT!). Even though it might go to Foxcatcher (even though the only great makeup in this film was Steve Carell's nose). Guardians SHOULD win for painting people green and grey but I don't have much hope for that.

Original Score

And the nominees are:

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Interstellar

Mr. Turner

The Theory of Everything

My pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel. This one is really tough. I could see the Theory of Everything winning. But I just can't believe that Alexandre Desplat hasn't won an Oscar yet! And this year he is up for both Budapest and Imitation. So please let him win for one of those academy! Side note: if Interstellar wins (even though I LOVE Hans Zimmer) I will throw something!

Original Song

And the nominees are:

Everything is Awesome! (The Lego Movie)

Glory (Selma)

Grateful (Beyond the Lights)

I'm Not Gonna Miss You (Glen Campbell...I'll Be Me)

Lost Stars (Begin Again)

My pick: Everything is Awesome! This song is great and since it is the ONLY nomination The Lego Movie received it SHOULD win! However I know Glory from Selma will probably take it. But I'm going to hold out hope for Awesome!

Production Design

And the nominees are:

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Interstellar

Into the Woods

Mr. Turner

My pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel. It was just such a great film! And the design was spectacular! Please don't give this to Interstellar! You hear me academy?!

Animated Short Film

And the nominees are:

The Bigger Picture

The Dam Keeper

Feast

Me and My Moulton

A Single Life

My pick: Feast. This one is the obvious choice. It's a Disney short, and it is about an adorable dog! Come on! But I could see The Dam Keeper winning here. And I wouldn't be upset if A Single Life won!

Live Action Short Film
And the nominees are:
Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp (La Lampa au Beurre de Yak)
Parvaneh
The Phone Call
My pick: The Phone Call. It has a great (and recognizable) actress in the lead role. But I would like this to go to Boogaloo and Graham, which is about 2 adorable boys and their chickens!

Sound Editing
And the nominees are:
American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken
My pick: American Sniper. Everyone is predicting Sniper to win this one. So I'll go with it. But if the Hobbit wins, I'll be over the moon!

Sound Mixing
And the nominees are:
American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash
My pick: American Sniper. Same as sound editing.

Visual Effects
And the nominees are:
Captain America 2: the Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past
My pick: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. But let's be real here, Interstellar will probably win, because it's set in SPACE. I wish Guardians or X-Men would win though.

Adapted Screenplay
And the nominees are:
American Sniper
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
My pick: Whiplash. Man this one is hard! I just don't know! It could go to Imitation Game or Theory of Everything. But I think this will be the one Oscar Whiplash will win.

Original Screenplay
And the nominees are:
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler
My pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel. This one is really hard too! But I have to go with Wes Anderson for Budapest. He has yet to win an Oscar for any of his films (so wrong!). And he would have won for Moonrise Kingdom a few years ago if it weren't for Django Unchained! Please give him this award! PLEASE!!!!!

Well there you have it! My picks for the 2015 Academy Awards! Now I probably won't be right about everything (but in a perfect world I would!). So excited!!! Man I LOVE the Oscars!!!!!