August: Osage County

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

 

 

 

Academy Award Nominations 2014


Best Motion Pictureamerican_hustle_ver6_xlrg

  1. American Hustle
  2. Captain Phillips
  3. Dallas Buyers Club
  4. Gravity
  5. Her
  6. Nebraska
  7. Philomena
  8. 12 Years a Slave
  9. The Wolf of Wall Street

Missing:

  1. Inside Llewyn Davis
  2. Saving Mr. Banks
  3. Fruitvale Station
  4. Blue JasmineCaptain Phillips
  5. Rush
  6. Before Midnight
  7. August: Osage County
  8. The Butler

Best Achievement In Directing

  1. Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity
  2. Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave
  3. David O. Russell for American Hustle
  4. Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street
  5. Alexander Payne for Nebraska

Missing:

  1. Paul Greengrass for Captain Phillips
  2. Spike Jonze for Her
  3. Jean-Marc Vallée for Dallas Buyers ClubDallas-Buyers-Club-2013-Movie-Poster
  4. Stephen Frears for Philomena
  5. Ethan Coen and Joel Coen for Inside Llewyn Davis
  6. Woody Allen for Blue Jasmine
  7. John Lee Hancock for Saving Mr. Banks
  8. Lee Daniels for The Butler

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

  1. Christian Bale for American Hustle
  2. Bruce Dern for Nebraska
  3. Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street
  4. Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave
  5. Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club

Missing:

  1. Tom Hanks for Captain PhillipsGravity
  2. Robert Redford for All Is Lost
  3. Oscar Isaac for Inside Llewyn Davis
  4. Joaquin Phoenix for Her
  5. Idris Elba for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
  6. Forest Whitaker for The Butler

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

  1. Amy Adams for American Hustle
  2. Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
  3. Sandra Bullock for Gravity
  4. Judi Dench for Philomena
  5. Meryl Streep for August: Osage County

Missing:

  1. Emma Thompson for Saving Mr. Banks
  2. Brie Larson for Short Term 12her_xlg
  3. Kate Winslet for Labor Day
  4. Julie Delpy for Before Midnight
  5. Greta Gerwig for Frances Ha
  6. Berenice Bejo for The Past
  7. Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Enough Said

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

  1. Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips
  2. Bradley Cooper for American Hustle
  3. Jonah Hill for The Wolf of Wall Street
  4. Michael Fassbender for 12 Years a Slave
  5. Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Missing:

  1. Daniel Brühl for Rush
  2. James Gandolfini for Enough Saidnebraska_xlg
  3. Tom Hanks for Saving Mr. Banks
  4. James Franco for Spring Breakers
  5. Will Forte for Nebraska

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

  1. Sally Hawkins for Blue Jasmine
  2. Julia Roberts for August: Osage County
  3. Lupita Nyong’o for 12 Years a Slave
  4. Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle
  5. June Squibb for Nebraska

Missing:

  1. Oprah Winfrey for The Butler
  2. Scarlett Johansson for Her
  3. Octavia Spencer for Fruitvale Station
  4. Margot Robbie for The Wolf of Wall Streetphilomena_xlrg
  5. Sarah Paulson for 12 Years a Slave

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

  1. Before Midnight: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
  2. Captain Phillips: Billy Ray
  3. 12 Years a Slave: John Ridley
  4. The Wolf of Wall Street: Terence Winter
  5. Philomena: Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope

Missing:

  1. August: Osage County: Tracy Letts
  2. Blue Is The Warmest Color: Ghalia Lacroix and Abdellatif Kechiche
  3. Short Term 12: Daniel Cretton
  4. The Spectacular Now: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber12 Years A Slave
  5. Lone Survivor: Peter Berg

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

  1. American Hustle: Eric Singer, David O. Russell
  2. Blue Jasmine: Woody Allen
  3. Her: Spike Jonze
  4. Nebraska: Bob Nelson
  5. Dallas Buyers Club: Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack

Missing:

  1. Inside Llewyn Davis: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
  2. Enough Said: Nicole Holofcener,
  3. Gravity: Alfonso Cuaron and Jonas Cuaron,
  4. Saving Mr. Banks: Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith
  5. Fruitvale Station: Ryan Coogler
  6. Mud: Jeff Nichols
  7. Prisoners: Aaron GuzikowskiThe Wolf of Wall Street

Best Animated Feature Film

  1. The Croods
  2. Despicable Me 2
  3. Ernest & Celestine
  4. Frozen
  5. The Wind Rises

Missing:

  1. Monsters University
  2. Epic
  3. A Letter To Momo

Foreign Language Film

  1. The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)FROZN_014M_G_ENG-GB_70x100.indd
  2. The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
  3. The Hunt (Denmark)
  4. The Great Beauty (Italy)
  5. Omar (Palestine)

Missing:

  1. The Notebook (Hungary)
  2. The Grandmaster (Hong Kong)
  3. An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  4. Two Lives (Germany)

Not Eligible:

  1. Afternoon Delight (Phillippines)
  2. Blue is the Warmest Color (France)croods_ver8
  3. Child’s Pose (Romania)
  4. Computer Chess (Germany)
  5. Concussion (Germany)
  6. Gabrielle (Canada)
  7. Gloria (Chile)
  8. Hijacking, A (Denmark)
  9. Ilo Ilo (Singapore)
  10. Past, The (Iran)
  11. Rocket, The (Australia)
  12. Touch of Sin, A (Italy)
  13. Una Noche (Taiwan)
  14. Wadjda (Saudi Arabia)

Best Documentary Feature

  1. The Act of Killing
  2. Cutie and the Boxer
  3. Dirty WarsDespicable-Me-2-poster
  4. The Square
  5. 20 Feet from Stardom

Missing:

  1. Stories We Tell
  2. The Crash Reel
  3. Blackfish
  4. Tim’s Vermeer
  5. God Loves Uganda

Notable Movies of 2013


Here are the notable movies of 2013:12 Years A Slave

  1. 12 Years a Slave
  2. 42
  3. All is Lost
  4. American Hustle
  5. August: Osage County
  6. Before Midnight
  7. Bling Ring, The
  8. Blue Caprice
  9. Blue Jasmine
  10. Book Thief, The
  11. Butler, The
  12. Captain Phillips
  13. Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus
  14. Dallas Buyers Club
  15. Don Jon
  16. Enough Saidamerican-hustle-movie-poster
  17. Foxy Merkins, The
  18. Frances Ha
  19. Fuitvale Station
  20. Go For Sisters
  21. Gravity
  22. Her
  23. In a World
  24. Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete, The
  25. Inside Llewyn Davis
  26. Invisible Woman, The
  27. Kill Your Darlings
  28. Labor Day
  29. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
  30. Mud
  31. Museum Hours
  32. My Sister’s Quinceanera
  33. NebraskaGravity
  34. Newlyweeds
  35. One Chance
  36. Out of the Furnace
  37. Philomena
  38. Pit Stop
  39. Place Beyond The Pines, The
  40. Prisoners
  41. Rush
  42. Saving Mr. Banks
  43. Short Term 12
  44. Spectacular Now, The
  45. Spring Breakers
  46. This Is Martin Bonner
  47. Upstream Color
  48. Way, Way Back, The
  49. Wolf of Wall Street, The
  50. World’s End, Thenebraska_xlg

Foreign Language Films

  1. Afternoon Delight (Phillippines)
  2. Blue is the Warmest Color (France)
  3. Broken Circle Breakdown, The (Belgium)
  4. Child’s Pose (Romania)
  5. Computer Chess (Germany)
  6. Concussion (Germany)
  7. Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, An (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  8. Gabrielle (Canada)
  9. Gloria (Chile)
  10. Grandmaster, The (Hong Kong)
  11. Great Beauty, The (Italy)
  12. Hunt, The (Denmark)
  13. Hijacking, A (Denmark)Captain Phillips
  14. Ilo Ilo (Singapore)
  15. Missing Picture, The (Cambodia)
  16. Notebook, The (Hungary)
  17. Omar (Palestine)
  18. Past, The (Iran)
  19. Rocket, The (Australia)
  20. Touch of Sin, A (Italy)
  21. Two Lives (Germany)
  22. Una Noche (Taiwan)
  23. Wadjda (Saudi Arabia)

Documentaries

  1. 20 Feet from Stardom
  2. Act of Killing, The
  3. After Tiller
  4. Armstrong Lie, TheInside Llewyn Davis
  5. At Berkeley
  6. Blackfish
  7. Crash Reel, The
  8. Cutie and the Boxer
  9. Dirty Wars
  10. First Cousin Once Removed
  11. Gideon’s Army
  12. God Loves Uganda
  13. Let The Fire Burn
  14. Leviathan
  15. Life According to Sam
  16. Manakamana
  17. Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer
  18. River Changes Course, A
  19. Square, The
  20. Stories We Tell
  21. Tim’s VermeerThe Wolf of Wall Street
  22. Which Way Is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington

Animated Films

  1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
  2. Croods, The
  3. Despicable Me 2
  4. Epic
  5. Ernest & Celestine
  6. Frozen
  7. Letter to Momo, A
  8. Monsters University
  9. Turbo
  10. Walking with Dinosaurs
  11. Wind Rises, The

Blockbustersher_xlg

  1. Conjuring, The
  2. Ender’s Game
  3. Fast and Furious 6
  4. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
  5. Great Gatsby, The
  6. Grown Ups 2
  7. Hangover Part III, The
  8. Heat, The
  9. Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The
  10. Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The
  11. Identity Thief
  12. Iron Man 3
  13. Insidious Chapter 2
  14. Lone Survivor
  15. Mama
  16. Man of SteelSaving Mr. Banks
  17. Now You See Me
  18. Oz: The Great and Powerful
  19. Pacific Rim
  20. Star Trek: Into Darkness
  21. This Is the End
  22. Thor: The Dark World
  23. We’re The Millers
  24. Wolverine. The
  25. World War Z
  26. You’re Next