BEST PICTURE
American Sniper
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Predicted: 7 for 8
Reactions: So
in my top 10, I only missed Selma,
which I had correctly getting snubbed everywhere else. It becomes the second
movie under the new stupid rules to only get one additional nomination with its
Best Picture nomination. The biggest shocker is Gone Girl getting the shaft, which will become a theme as this goes
along. A Most Violent Year was also
in my predictions, which is now the first movie since Quills in 2000 to win the National Board of Review and fail to get
a Best Picture nomination (and the first since 1971 to not receive a single nomination).
Preliminary
prediction: Boyhood
BEST
DIRECTOR
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Bennett Miller – Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson – The
Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum – The
Imitation Game
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I
had the wrong British production taking the nom with James Marsh instead of
Morten Tyldum. I also had David Fincher getting the previously clear nomination
in instead of Bennett Miller, who is now seemingly the next Stephen Daldry with
the Academy. Foxcatcher features the
first loan director nomination since 2007. This is a fine group. Wes Anderson
is such an auteur, and even though this is far from his best film, it is
refreshing to see him recognized for his direction.
Preliminary
prediction: Richard Linklater
BEST ACTOR
Steve
Carell – Foxcatcher
Bradley
Cooper – American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch
– The Imitation Game
Michael
Keaton – Birdman
Eddie
Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I
had Timothy Spall getting a surprise nomination and Jake Gyllenhaal getting in
over Cooper and Carell. Carell was suffering from a bit of category fraud, so I
assumed that he would get overlooked. It was a great performance nonetheless.
Bradley Cooper is the new Golden Boy at the Oscars with his 3rd
straight nomination, only the 10th actor to accomplish that. This
should be Keaton’s Oscar to lose, but we will see with his speeches if he turns
anyone off. It is just great to see him finally an Oscar nominee.
Preliminary
prediction: Michael Keaton
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
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I had
Amy Adams in for Cotillard, which I don’t feel too bad about. This is, if I am
not mistaken, the first Oscar nomination for a film by the Dardenne brothers.
Cotillard is beloved, though. I love that they didn’t wind up snubbing one of
the really deserving nominees. Felicity Jones is especially exciting to see
here. Julianne Moore cannot be stopped, though. It is finally her time.
Preliminary
prediction: Julianne Moore
BEST
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert
Duvall – The Judge
Ethan
Hawke – Boyhood
Edward
Norton – Birdman
Mark
Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
JK Simmons
– Whiplash
Predicted: 5 for 5
Reactions: This
was done when it started. We all knew and know what is going to happen here.
Edward Norton finally breaks his nominationless streak!
Preliminary
prediction: JK Simmons
BEST
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia
Arquette – Boyhood
Laura Dern – Wild
Laura Dern – Wild
Keira
Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone
– Birdman
Meryl
Streep – Into the Woods
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I
had Jessica Chastain and Tilda Swinton getting in over Knightley and surprise
nominee Laura Dern. This is a strange group. I love that Meryl Streep keeps
getting the inexplicable nominations. Patricia Arquette seems like a juggernaut
at this point. Only maybe Emma Stone and her goofy popularity in the amazing Birdman can really have a shot at
dethroning her.
Preliminary
prediction: Patricia Arquette
BEST
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I
had usually sure thing Mike Leigh and his film Mr. Turner in over Foxcatcher.
It’s crazy because it seemed like Foxcatcher
was just barely hanging on before the nominations, and now here we are with 4
major nominations. This race comes down to Birdman,
Boyhood, and Budapest. They all killed in nominations and any of them can win.
Preliminary
prediction: Birdman
BEST ADAPTED
SCREENPLAY
American Sniper
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: Once
again, Gone Girl gets ignored. I had American Sniper on 6th. This
is always a very sophisticated group of nominees, and then there’s Whiplash. I love that it really hit a
home run with the members. This race is suddenly wide open with favorite Gone Girl missing out completely. I
should have just listened to my own commentary all along…they don’t like you
adapting your own material!
Preliminary
prediction: American Sniper
BEST
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I
had Interstellar in for Ida. This is such an interesting group
of nominees. A movie like Ida, which
isn’t exactly The White Ribbon,
simply does not get mentioned in categories like this. Once again, this is incredibly
refreshing. Unbroken would have been
a tragic snub, but I honestly don’t know who our favorite it. The camera work
in Birdman is the showiest, so I
guess…
Preliminary
prediction: Birdman
BEST
PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: So
this is the one where Birdman doesn’t
get in…ok. I can handle Mr. Turner
instead. I think this is about as close to correct as we can ask for.
Preliminary
prediction: The Grand Budapest Hotel
BEST COSTUME
DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I
had Belle in for Maleficent, which I suppose I was just taking a stab at their love
for that era of period pieces. We need a new frontrunner now…and I don’t know
which one to choose. Inherent Vice!
It is no shot, but man I loved those costumes…
Preliminary
prediction: Into the Woods
BEST SOUND
MIXING
American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I
had Gone Girl and Into the Woods in for Interstellar and Unbroken. This Gone Girl
snubbing really got out of hand by this point. This is a fairly standard group
of nominees, and if there is justice, Whiplash
would take it. However, I fear…
Preliminary
prediction: Interstellar
BEST FILM
EDITING
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash
Predicted: 2 for 5
Reactions: Ugh,
I had Birdman, Gone Girl, and Nightcrawler
in for all but Boyhood and Imitation. How exactly does Birdman miss out? Really, that is even
more of a tough movie to put together and make it work than Boyhood. Wow. Anyway, this is a cool
group anyway. This is where we find out that Whiplash really is a threat.
Preliminary
prediction: American Sniper
BEST SOUND
EFFECTS EDITING
American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken
Predicted: 1 for 5
Reactions: Ouch,
I chose the wrong group of action movies here. I had Tranfsformers, Fury, Apes, and Lego Movie in for all but Interstellar.
So what does that tell you? Don’t listen to my winner prediction either.
Preliminary
prediction: Interstellar
BEST 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
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I had
Maleficent and Hobbit in for Apes and X-Men. This is a stacked category.
Normally Interstellar would be the
forgone conclusion, but I am not so sure this year.
Preliminary
prediction: Guardians of the Galaxy
BEST MAKEUP
AND HAIRSTYLING
Foxcatcher
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Predicted: 3 for 3
Reactions: Boom!
My second aced category! Shh…don’t tell them is was the easiest one…
Preliminary
prediction: Foxcatcher
BEST
ORIGINAL SONG
“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
Predicted: 2 for 5
Reactions: I
only got the “Glory” and Glen Campbell
right, missing the others in favor of songs from Big Eyes, Boyhood, and Unbroken. So, the Lonely Island guys are
nominees. Everything really is awesome.
Preliminary
prediction: “Glory”
BEST
ORIGINAL SCORE
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I
missed Mr. Turner in favor of…sigh…Gone Girl. The Theory of Everything is clearly the best score of the year, but
that is not usually what wins. It is the catchy music, which is why Budapest takes it.
Preliminary
prediction: The Grand Budapest Hotel
BEST
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Citizenfour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I
had The Case Against 8 and Citizen Koch in for Finding Vivian Maier and The
Salt of the Earth. Not having seen any of these, I won’t even try to sound
like I know what I’m talking about.
Preliminary
prediction: The Salt of the Earth
BEST FOREIGN
LANGUAGE FILM
Ida
Leviathan
Tangerines
Timbuktu
Wild Tales
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I
had some movie called Accused in for Tangerines. Interesting. I have only
seen Ida, which is good, but I
somehow doubt that it really is going to win this.
Preliminary
prediction: Wild Tales
BEST
ANIMATED FEATURE
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: No Lego Movie, oh ok. Wait a minute…what?
Um…ok yeah sure Song of the Sea. We
all saw that, right?
Preliminary
prediction: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Overall
predictions: 74/106; 69.81% (67.29% in
2014)
Without the
last 5 categories: 57/81; 70.37% (69.51%
in 2014)
On the Big 8
categories: 33/43; 76.74% (75.00% in 2014)
Hmm…so I actually did better this year? It must have just
been the repeating nominees in the technical categories because I feel like I
was really botching some of them. Nice…
10 COOLEST
FIRST TIME NOMINEES
1. Emma Stone
2. The Lonely Island
3. Steve Carell
4. Common
5. Rosamund Pike
6. Felicity Jones
7. Eddie Redmayne
8. JK Simmons
9. Benedict Cumberbatch
10. Charlie Siskel (nephew of Gene)
10 WORST
SNUBS
1. Gone Girl
for Adapted Screenplay
2. Birdman for
Editing
3. Miles Teller for Best Actor
4. The Lego Movie
for Animated Feature
5. Clint Eastwood for Best Director – Jersey Boys ;-)
6. RoboCop for
Visual Effects
7. Under the Skin
for Cinematography
8. Tracks for
Cinematography
9. Gone Girl
for Original Score
10. The Rover
for Best Makeup
Stay tuned for our 7th Annual Oscar Challenge!
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