My Oscar Predictions 2018

My Oscar Predictions 2018

Yes! It’s Oscar time!! I love this time of year! So here are my predictions for the 90^th Academy Awards! Fingers crossed there are no envelope mishaps this year!

Best Picture

And the nominees are:

Call Me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My pick: The Shape of Water. This is the big one. The one that everyone talks about. Take note people handing out the envelopes, this is the one you don’t want to screw up! Conventional wisdom says that Shape of Water will win. But don’t count out Three Billboards which has garnered a bunch of other awards. Get Out has an outside chance of winning here. Some people think it has just as much of a chance as Moonlight did last year, but I disagree. I wouldn’t be too upset if Get Out won, a genre film winning in this category is always fun. But I still think that Shape of Water has the best shot here.

Actor in a Leading Role

And the nominees are:

Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)

Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread)

Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)

Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)

My pick: Gary Oldman (for Darkest Hour). Pretty safe bet here. Oldman has been in this business for decades and has never won an Oscar before. He also played Churchill and he is in right now. And people who play Churchill have won some awards recently (John Lithgow for the Crown ring any bells?). Historical figure, check. Tons of makeup to make the actor unrecognizable, check. Yeah, it is his award to lose. The only upset that could happen here is if the Academy wanted to give Day-Lewis one last Oscar (this is supposedly his last film).

Actress in a Leading Role

And the nominees are:

Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Meryl Streep (The Post)

My pick: Frances McDormand (for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). This one is pretty much a sure thing. A mother trying to get justice for her murdered daughter? Yep, that performance will win. I would be happy if Sally Hawkins or Saoirse Ronan won, because I love those actresses. But I won’t be upset to see McDormand win. And come on Meryl, how many nominations do you need?

Actor in a Supporting Role

And the nominees are:

Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)

Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water)

Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World)

Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

My pick: Sam Rockwell (for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). This category is a bit tougher. Most people think Rockwell is a sure thing. But there is an outside chance that Willem Dafoe could sneak a win here. Since this is the one category where The Florida Project was nominated. However, the actor who SHOULD be in this category is Patrick Stewart for Logan. But the Academy decided not to nominate him. Shame on them. Logan was essentially a western (and the Academy loves those) but since it was labeled a “Superhero” movie it didn’t have much of a chance in the acting categories.

Actress in a Supporting Role

And the nominees are:

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)

Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread)

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)

My pick: Allison Janney (for I, Tonya). This one breaks my heart. I love Allison Janney, she is great and has been in this business for a long time. She gave, what I hear, is a great performance. But I have loved Laurie Metcalf since I was little and watched Roseanne reruns on TV. In fact, Metcalf is one of my favorite funny people on the PLANET. I would LOVE to see her win here, especially since it would get her one step closer to her EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). But Janney has slightly more momentum in this category. I would be THRILLED if Metcalf won, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.

Animated Feature Film

And the nominees are:

Boss Baby

The Breadwinner

Coco

Ferdinand

Loving Vincent

My pick: Coco. I mean come on, really? What else even has a shot here? Coco is one of the best Pixar movies I have ever seen, and that’s saying something. But its competition is so sad. Boss Baby? How did that get a nomination over Cars 3? Or any of the Lego movies that came out last year? I guess the Academy has a grudge against all Lego movies and they will never get nominated in this category. No offense to Loving Vincent I hear it is beautiful. But nothing is going to beat Coco, and nothing should.

Cinematography

And the nominees are:

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Mudbound

The Shape of Water

My pick: Blade Runner 2049. Roger Deakins has been nominated in this category 14 times, just give it to him already! But I could see Dunkirk taking this award instead, since it was nominated for Best Picture and Blade Runner wasn’t.

Costume Design

And the nominees are:

Beauty and the Beast

Darkest Hour

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Victoria & Abdul

My pick: Phantom Thread. It’s a movie about a fashion designer, I think it might win. However, I am FURIOUS that Wonder Woman wasn’t nominated in this category and Darkest Hour was! Wonder Woman is a period film that had both WWI soldier costumes and Amazonian costumes to create, and did it beautifully I might add. But no, give the nomination to the film that had costumes for Churchill and some other men who sat around and talked. That makes sense.

Directing

And the nominees are:

Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)

Jordan Peele (Get Out)

Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)

Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread)

Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)

My pick: Guillermo del Toro (for The Shape of Water). I’m so HAPPY! It is finally del Toro’s year! I have loved this man and his weirdness for so long. He is just so different. Love his films for hate them, they are unique. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so happy that a woman got nominated in this category (since that almost never happens). And I’m happy that an African American director is also being recognized here (since that almost never happens either). But this is del Toro’s award. Yay!

Documentary Feature

And the nominees are:

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

Faces Places

Icarus

Last Man in Aleppo

Strong Island

My pick: Icarus. Considering how close we are to the Olympics I think this documentary about the doping scandal should take the award. But I could see Last Man in Aleppo or Faces Places winning instead.

Documentary Short Subject

And the nominees are:

Edith+Eddie

Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405

Heroin(e)

Knife Skills

Traffic Stop

My pick: Heroin(e). It’s Netflix and it’s about the opioid crisis, so I think it is a safe bet. But I could see Heaven is a Traffic Jam winning, since it shines a light on mental illness. Or Edith+Eddie, which is about a pair of interracial newlyweds (who just happen to be in their 90’s)!

Film Editing

And the nominees are:

Baby Driver

Dunkirk

I, Tonya

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My pick: Dunkirk. This one is hard. I LOVE Baby Driver (even though it has HIM in it). But it is hard to go against the WWII epic. I hope Baby Driver wins, but I’m not counting on it.

Foreign Language Film

And the nominees are:

A Fantastic Woman

The Insult

Loveless

On Body and Soul

The Square

My pick: The Insult. This one could go either way. A Fantastic Woman has a lot of award buzz. But the Insult deals with refugees and other important topics. Flipping a coin, going with the Insult.

Makeup and Hairstyling

And the nominees are:

Darkest Hour

Victoria & Abdul

Wonder

My pick: Darkest Hour. They made Gary Oldman unrecognizable, pretty safe bet. Although Wonder had great makeup too.

Music (Original Score)

And the nominees are:

Dunkirk (Hans Zimmer)

Phantom Thread (Jonny Greenwood)

The Shape of Water (Alexandre Desplat)

Star Wars: the Last Jedi (John Williams)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Carter Burwell)

My pick: Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water). I LOVE Desplat, he has done some of my favorite scores (look him up). Although I do love Hans Zimmer (who doesn’t?) and John Williams. Desplat’s score is just so beautiful. I did really like Phantom Threads soundtrack as well. Again Wonder Woman should have gotten a nomination here. No offense to Carter Burrell, but Wonder Woman should have gotten your spot.

Music (Original Song)

And the nominees are:

“Mighty River” from Mudbound

“Mystery of Love” from Call Me By Your Name

“Remember Me” from Coco

“Stand Up For Something” from Marshall

“This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman

My pick: “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman. I don’t KNOW!! It’s between Coco and The Greatest Showman. I love Coco so much, and this song is great! But I think “Un Poco Loco” should have been nominated as well. But I’m going with the popular song from the popular musical. I really don’t know though.

Production Design

And the nominees are:

Beauty and the Beast

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

My pick: The Shape of Water. Blade Runner has a good shot, but Shape of Water has more nominations, so…

Short Film (Animated)

And the nominees are:

Dear Basketball

Garden Party

Lou

Negative Space

Revolting Rhymes

My pick: Dear Basketball. It has the big name behind it (Kobe Bryant). But Pixar could get this one for Lou.

Short Film (Live Action)

And the nominees are:

DeKalb Elementary

The Eleven O’Clock

My Nephew Emmett

The Silent Child

Watu Wote/All of Us

My pick: DeKalb Elementary. Unfortunately, it is about a topic on everyone’s minds. I think My Nephew Emmett looks great, but probably won’t win.

Sound Editing

And the nominees are:

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: the Last Jedi

My pick: Dunkirk. War movie, enough said.

Sound Mixing

And the nominees are:

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: the Last Jedi

My pick: Dunkirk. Same as Sound Editing. But Baby Driver could be an upset here.

Visual Effects

And the nominees are:

Blade Runner 2049

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Kong: Skull Island

Star Wars: the Last Jedi

War for the Planet of the Apes

My pick: War for the Planet of the Apes. Motion capture apes. I know, Kong is similar. But that is one ape as opposed to many. I think more apes equals more chances, hopefully since this series never wins in this category. But don’t be surprised if Blade Runner pulls an upset.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

And the nominees are:

Call Me By Your Name

The Disaster Artist

Logan

Molly’s Game

Mudbound

My pick: Call Me By Your Name. I think this is the one category this film will win. I am SOOO happy that Logan got a nomination here! But it has almost no chance. Would make me happy though!

Writing (Original Screenplay)

And the nominees are:

The Big Sick

Get Out

Lady Bird

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My pick: Get Out. I don’t think Get Out will win anywhere else. So the Academy will likely give it some love here. Although Three Billboards could sneak in here, my money is on Get Out.

My Oscar Predictions 2017

It’s that time of year once again!! My favorite time, Oscar time!! Oh my gosh, sooooo excited for this year’s Oscars!!! I have watched the Oscars every year without fail since 2002. This means WAY too much to me, is what I’m saying. This is my Super Bowl guys! Every year I make my predictions on oscar.go.com. So fingers crossed I get a better score than last year (16 out of 24). Although that was better than the previous year (15 out of 24). So here are my predictions!

Best Picture

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

My pick: La La Land. This one is pretty much a lock. Everyone is predicting this to win. It’s a musical that’s a love letter to Hollywood. And Hollywood’s favorite thing is to pat itself on the back so yeah, it’s a pretty sure bet. The only film I could see making an upset here is Moonlight, which has been getting some good momentum lately. But that’s a longshot at best. I’ve only seen one of these films (Hell or High Water) and it was amazing, so if it somehow won instead I’d be over the moon!

Actor in a Leading Role

And the nominees are:

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)

Ryan Gosling (La La Land)

Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic)

Denzel Washington (Fences)

My pick: Denzel Washington for Fences. This one is a tough category. Casey Affleck was the frontrunner for a while, but has lost momentum in recent weeks. Washington on the other hand won the Screen Actors Guild award and that is usually a very good predictor for who will win the Oscar. However, Washington already has 2 Oscars, and the Academy can be stingy when it comes to giving an actor a third Oscar. So this could really go either way, but my pick is Washington.

Actress in a Leading Role

And the nominees are:

Isabelle Huppert (Elle)

Ruth Negga (Loving)

Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)

My pick: Emma Stone for La La Land. This one is a pretty safe bet. Stone has been winning all the other awards this season. The only person I could see possibly winning instead is Isabelle Huppert for Elle. But that’s a long shot at best.

Actor in a Supporting Role

And the nominees are:

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)

Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea)

Dev Patel (Lion)

Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

My pick: Mahershala Ali for Moonlight. This category is almost certainly a lock for Ali who has been having a great year. With amazing performances in both TV and film (yes he played Cottonmouth on Luke Cage) this is his award to lose. However, Dev Patel has been gaining momentum lately. So I could see him pulling at upset here. I would be happy either way really, I love both of these actors (I’ve loved Patel since Slumdog Millionaire!).

Actress in a Supporting Role

And the nominees are:

Viola Davis (Fences)

Naomie Harris (Moonlight)

Nicole Kidman (Lion)

Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

My pick: Viola Davis for Fences. This is a sure thing. This is Davis’s third nomination, she’s been in the film industry for a long time, and she’s won every other award this season. So come on Academy, just give her the award already! The only person I could see upsetting here is Naomie Harris, but only in a parallel dimension.

Animated Feature Film

And the nominees are:

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

My Life as a Zucchini

The Red Turtle

Zootopia

My pick: Zootopia. Oh my gosh this category is so difficult! Kubo won the BAFTA which is almost always an indicator of which film will win the Oscar. However, Zootopia has a great message and was a surprise hit earlier this year. On the other hand, Zootopia came out a long time ago, so Moana might be fresher in the minds of voters. But the fact that 2 Disney films are in this category might split the vote and leave Kubo winning. This category often has Disney films going up against Pixar films (I know they’re both Disney but you see what I mean) but doesn’t often have Disney competing with itself. I really could see Kubo taking the award, but I’m giving Zootopia the slight edge. Side note: I loved Kubo, Zootopia, and Moana. So I’d be happy if any one of those 3 won. However, if Kubo won it would be the first Oscar for Laika studios (and it would make it the first stop motion animated film to win an Oscar) and that would make me very happy! I do think Kubo was the more visually stunning film (and the fact that it’s stop motion is very impressive). But I do think Zootopia had a better message and had better voice acting. Moana obviously had the best music and was also very beautiful. This category is difficult is what I’m saying.

Cinematography

And the nominees are:

Arrival

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Silence

My pick: La La Land. This one is a pretty safe bet. However, I could see Lion pulling an upset here. But La La Land will probably win.

Costume Design

And the nominees are:

Allied

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Florence Foster Jenkins

Jackie

La La Land

My pick: Jackie. This one is a tough category. The fact that La La Land is even nominated in this category is shocking to me. It is not a period piece and it is basically nominated for the one yellow dress. It’s insulting really. That being said, I could see La La Land winning here. It would make me want to vomit if it did, but it could. However, I’m going with Jackie since it is a period piece and showcased Camelot in all its glory. I wouldn’t be upset or too surprised if Fantastic Beasts won this one though.

Directing

And the nominees are:

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge)

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)

My pick: Damien Chazelle for La La Land. This one is a pretty sure thing. However, I could see Barry Jenkins winning this. Since he has been gaining momentum lately and if he does he will be the first African American to win in this category. Ultimately I do think Chazelle will win this one.

Documentary (Feature)

And the nominees are:

Fire at Sea

I Am Not Your Negro

Life, Animated

OJ: Made in America

13th

My pick: OJ Made in America. This one is pretty much a lock to win. I could see 13th pulling an upset here though, it has some pretty good momentum behind it. Personally I LOVED Life, Animated and even though it is not the most “important” film in this category, if it won I would be over the moon!!!

Documentary (Short Subject)

And the nominees are:

Extremis

4.1 Miles

Joe’s Violin

Watani: My Homeland

The White Helmets

My pick: The White Helmets. Yes, I’m picking the dark horse in this category. I know Joe’s Violin (the film about a Holocaust survivor’s violin) is the frontrunner. But after watching the trailers for these films I just feel like White Helmets (a film about Syrian rescue workers) is a film that should win. I could also see Watani winning in this category as well.

Film Editing

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

La La Land

Moonlight

My pick: La La Land. A pretty safe bet, but I could see Arrival or Moonlight winning.

Foreign Language Film

And the nominees are:

Land of Mine (Denmark)

A Man Called Ove (Sweden)

The Salesman (Iran)

Tanna (Australia)

Toni Erdmann (Germany)

My pick: The Salesman. Toni Erdmann was once the frontrunner in this category. But in recent weeks The Salesman has been picking up steam. Mainly because the film’s director has decided to boycott the award show in protest of Trump’s Muslim ban. So for that reason I’m giving it the edge. However, I could see A Man Called Ove pulling an upset here since it’s the only foreign language film to be nominated in another category. Plus, I’ve heard really great things about it, my mom loved it!

Makeup & Hairstyling

And the nominees are:

A Man Called Ove

Star Trek Beyond

Suicide Squad

My pick: Star Trek Beyond. Come on, this has to win, right Academy? I know there was some great aging makeup in A Man Called Ove. But seriously, did anyone see the amazing alien makeup in Star Trek? It needs to win!!

Music (Original Score)

And the nominees are:

Jackie

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Passengers

My pick: La La Land. Did I mention this was a musical? Even if this film wasn’t going to win a bunch of other awards, it would win this one. Even if it was only nominated for this category it would win. Have I mentioned it’s a musical? Personally I think Lion’s soundtrack is beautiful as is Moonlight, but it’s La La Land all the way. Did you know it’s a musical?

Music (Original Song)

And the nominees are:

“Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” La La Land

“Can’t Stop the Feeling,” Trolls

“City of Stars,” La La Land

“The Empty Chair,” Jim: The James Foley Story

“How Far I’ll Go,” Moana

My pick: “City of Stars,” La La Land. This one is tough. La La Land has 2 songs in this category so either one could take the prize. However, it may also split the vote and let something else sneak in like “How Far I’ll Go”. Plus, if “How Far I’ll Go,” wins it will give Lin Manual Miranda his EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) and make him the youngest person to do so. Not to mention that the Academy (and pretty much everyone) LOVES Lin Manuel Miranda so they could give it to him for that reason alone. But La La Land is a musical and I can’t think of the last time a musical didn’t win for best song. If the song going up against La La Land was “Let it Go,” we would be having a very different conversation. However, as much as I love “How Far I’ll Go,” it is not as popular as “Let it Go”. So then it comes down to which song La La Land will win for, my bet is on “City of Stars,” but I could also see “Audition,” winning instead.

Production Design

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail, Caesar!

La La Land

Passengers

My pick: La La Land. It’s a musical with a ballet sequence, need I say more? However, I could see Fantastic Beasts or Arrival making an upset here.

Short Film (Animated)

And the nominees are:

Blind Vaysha

Borrowed Time

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Pearl

Piper

My pick: Piper. This is the short film shown before Finding Dory. It’s adorable and it is Pixar so it’s a pretty safe bet. However, Pixar doesn’t have the best track record in this category. So I could see this going to Pearl or Borrowed Time.

Short Film (Live Action)

And the nominees are:

Ennemis Interieurs

La Femme Et Le TGV

Silent Nights

Sing

Timecode

My pick: Ennemis Interieurs. This one is a fairly safe bet. But I wouldn’t count out La Femme or Sing. Personally I thought Silent Nights looked the most interesting, but I doubt it will win.

Sound Editing

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Deepwater Horizon

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Sully

My pick: Hacksaw Ridge. Sound editing is all about creating sounds that were not there on the day of shooting and for that reason musicals are not often nominated in this category. But of course La La Land is nominated, so it could win here. But I’m taking the war film for the win.

Sound Mixing

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

My pick: Hacksaw Ridge. Sound mixing is all about mixing the sounds captured while shooting. And I’ve heard some complaints about the mixing in La La Land. So I’m betting that Sound Mixing and Sound Editing will go to the same film this year. Plus, this category often goes to war movies. However, that means 13 Hours could upset here. Arrival could upset as well for all the alien noises. But the Academy could just give it to La La Land because it’s La La Land.

Visual Effects

And the nominees are:

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

My pick: The Jungle Book. This might be a first for me, I’ve seen every film nominated in this category!! So I feel pretty good about my pick. Look Kubo was beautiful. As was Doctor Strange. But EVERYTHING in Jungle Book is CGI, with the exception of the boy who played Mowgli. EVERYTHING. Jungle Book was filmed in a studio in LA and it made you believe you were deep in the jungle. This is the definition of a sure thing. If Jungle Book doesn’t win, something is very wrong.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

And the nominees are:

Arrival

Fences

Hidden Figures

Lion

Moonlight

My pick: Moonlight. I think this will be the one Oscar that Moonlight takes home. The only film I could see upsetting here is Arrival, but that’s a long shot at best.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

And the nominees are:

Hell or High Water

La La Land

The Lobster

Manchester by the Sea

20th Century Women

My pick: Manchester by the Sea. I think this will be the only award that Manchester takes home. But it’s pretty much a toss-up between Manchester and La La Land. Flip a coin it could go either way really. But if Hell or High Water wins I’d be sooo happy!!!

So there you have it, my picks for the 89^th Academy Awards. I hope you all watch the show. Jimmy Kimmel is hosting so it promises to be a fun night!!