Academy Award Predictions 2014


Here are my annual Oscar predictions for this year’s Academy Awards in the top categories, featuring the movie nominations from 2013. The winners of the 86th Academy Awards will be announced on March 2nd, 2014. “And the Oscar Goes To …”12 Years A Slave

Best Motion Picture

  1. 12 Years A Slave
  2. American Hustle
  3. Captain Phillips
  4. Dallas Buyers Club 
  5. Gravity
  6. Her
  7. Nebraska
  8. Philomena
  9. The Wolf of Wall Street
  • My Prediction: 12 Years a Slave
  • Strong Second Choice: Gravity
  • Surprise Omission: Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Achievement In Directinggravity-alfonso-cuaron-george-clooney-set-image

  1. Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
  2. Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave
  3. Alexander Payne, Nebraska
  4. David O. Russell, American Hustle
  5. Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
  • My Prediction: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
  • Strong Second Choice: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
  • Surprise Omission: Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Rolers_1024x759-130828140235-1024.dallas-buyers-club-mcconaughey.ls.82813_copy

  1. Christian Bale, American Hustle
  2. Bruce Dern, Nebraska
  3. Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
  4. Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
  5. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
  • My Prediction: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
  • Strong Second Choice: Bruce Dern, Nebraska
  • Surprise Omissions: Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips / Robert Redford, All Is Lost

Lead Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleBlue-Jasmine

  1. Amy Adams, American Hustle
  2. Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
  3. Judi Dench, Philomena
  4. Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
  5. Sandra Bullock, Gravity
  • My Prediction: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
  • Strong Second Choice: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
  • Surprise Omission: Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting RoleDALLAS-BUYERS-CLUB

  1. Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
  2. Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
  3. Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
  4. Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
  5. Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
  • My Prediction: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
  • Strong Second Choice: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
  • Surprise Omission: Daniel Brühl for Rush

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role12_Years_a_Slave_Lupita_Nyong_o

  1. Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
  2. Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
  3. Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
  4. Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
  5. June Squibb, Nebraska
  • My Prediction: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
  • Strong Second Choice: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
  • Surprise Omission: Oprah Winfrey, The Butler

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Publishedbanner-12-years-a-slave

  1. Before Midnight, written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
  2. Captain Phillips, screenplay by Billy Ray
  3. Philomena, screenplay by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
  4. 12 Years a Slave, screenplay by John Ridley
  5. The Wolf of Wall Street, screenplay by Terence Winter
  • My Prediction: 12 Years a Slave, screenplay by John Ridley
  • Strong Second Choice: Philomena, screenplay by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
  • Surprise Omission: The Spectacular Now, screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the ScreenAmerican-Hustle-movie-poster-review

  1. American Hustle, written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
  2. Blue Jasmine, written by Woody Allen
  3. Dallas Buyers Club, written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
  4. Her, written by Spike Jonze
  5. Nebraska, written by Bob Nelson
  • My Prediction: American Hustle, written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
  • Strong Second Choice: Her, written by Spike Jonze
  • Surprise Omission: Inside Llewyn Davis, written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Best Animated Feature Filmfrozen1

  1. The Croods
  2. Despicable Me 2
  3. Ernest & Celestine
  4. Frozen
  5. The Wind Rises
  • My Prediction: Frozen
  • Strong Second Choice: Frozen
  • Surprise Omission: Monsters University

Best Foreign Language Film4j18i9pe0ajf38o756fn1otz25_2

  1. The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
  2. The Great Beauty (Italy)
  3. The Hunt (Denmark)
  4. The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
  5. Omar (Palestine)
  • My Prediction: The Great Beauty (Italy)
  • Strong Second Choice: The Hunt (Denmark)
  • Surprise Omission: Many great foreign films were not eligible. Each country is only allowed one submission for consideration.

Best Documentary, Feature17711-series-header

  1. The Act of Killing
  2. Cutie and the Boxer
  3. Dirty Wars
  4. The Square
  5. 20 Feet from Stardom
  • My Prediction: The Act of Killing
  • Strong Second Choice: 20 Feet from Stardom
  • Surprise Omission: Stories We Tell

 Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song0b7465a53ac03fa378ade313728546be

  1. Happy from Despicable Me 2
  2. Let It Go from Frozen
  3. The Moon Song from Her
  4. Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
  • My Prediction: Let It Go
  • Strong Second Choice: The Moon Song
  • Surprise Omission: Young and Beautiful from The Great Gatsby

 

 

 

My Oscar Predictions 2012


Here are my Oscar predictions in BOLD*** for 2012. The Academy Awards will be handed out this Sunday, February 26th.

BEST PICTURE

“The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer*** (Predicted Winner) 

“The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer

“The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers

“Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers

Midnight in ParisLetty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers

“Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers

“The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined

“War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

DIRECTING

“The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius*** (Predicted Winner) 

“The Descendants” Alexander Payne

“Hugo” Martin Scorsese

“Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen

“The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick

ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE

Demin Bichir in “A Better Life”

George Clooney in “The Descendants”

Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”*** (Predicted Winner) 

Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn

Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”

Nick Nolte in “Warrior”

Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”*** (Predicted Winner) 

Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis in “The Help”*** (Predicted Winner) 

Rooney Mara in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”

Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Benice Bejo in “The Artist”

Jessica Chastain in “The Help”

Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”

Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs”

Octavia Spencer in “The Help”*** (Predicted Winner) 

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

“The Descendants” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash*** (Predicted Winner) 

“Hugo” Screenplay by John Logan

“The Ides of March” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon

“Moneyball” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY) 

“The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius

“Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig

“Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor

“Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen*** (Predicted Winner)

“A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhadi

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

“Bullhead” Belgium

“Footnote” Israel

“In Darkness” Poland

“Monsieur Lazhar” Canada

“A Separation” Iran *** (Predicted Winner)

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

“A Cat in Paris ” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli”

Chico & Rita “Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal

“Kung Fu Panda 2” Jennifer Yuh Nelson

“Puss in Boots” Chris Miller

“Rango” Gore Verbinski*** (Predicted Winner)

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie*** (Predicted Winner)

“Real in Rio”from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett