Monday, January 13, 2020

Reactions to the Oscar Nominations: 2020

The amount of surprise nominations was lacking this year, but we did get a somewhat clearer picture as to who the main contenders are. All of the Best Picture favorites got exactly what they needed to in order to keep that status. I can’t wait to see how this develops over the next month or so. The Screen Actors Guild this weekend will say a lot. Check out my reactions, biggest snubs, coolest first-time nominees, and predictions results below!

Also, John Cho and Issa Rae should be our Oscar hosts…just saying.
Image result for john cho issa rae


BEST PICTURE
1917
Ford v Ferarri
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Parasite
Predicted: 9 for 9
Reactions: This was probably the easiest group of 10 nominees to predict, but at least one had to get left out. I am surprised it was Bombshell since it is beloved by the actors, but this is a solid group. Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper appear as producers, which is cool. Especially since De Niro (spoiler alert) got snubbed for Best Actor. I had Jojo Rabbit winning here before the nominations were announced, and nothing that happened has changed that feeling.
Preliminary prediction: Jojo Rabbit

BEST DIRECTOR
Joon-ho Bong – Parasite
Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
Sam Mendes – 1917
Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Todd Phillips - Joker
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I faded the Joker hype and picked Baumbach to get in instead. However, the DGA nominating Waititi made me think that he had the inside track, but Phillips and his film overachieved in every way. This had been Bong’s to lose, but Mendes has started to take the televised awards. It always goes to the Most Directing as opposed to Best Directing, so that’s Mendes.
Preliminary prediction: Sam Mendes

BEST ACTOR
Adam Driver – Marriage Story
Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes
Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I had Egerton in after winning the Golden Globe. I had Bale in as well, which is ridiculous that he got snubbed after his film got a Best Picture nomination. I missed on Pryce and Banderas, but if I had done my article closer to the announcement, I would have definitely included Banderas. He was my winner prediction all year! With Pryce getting nominated, the entire Glengarry Glen Ross cast now has at least one Oscar nom. This is going to Phoenix. Everyone seems to love him, even when he starts acting insane on stage. It is finally his time.
Preliminary prediction: Joaquin Phoenix
 Image result for joaquin phoenix joker
BEST ACTRESS
Charlize Theron – Bombshell
Cynthia Erivo – Harriet
Soairse Ronan – Little Women
Renee Zellweger – Judy
Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
Predicted: 5 for 5
Reactions: This was fairly easy to come up with. Awkwafina was always vulnerable (The Farewell was shut out completely), and Lupita Nyong’o was in a horror movie. I couldn’t see these biopics and acting showcases getting passed up. Zellweger is in such a strong position, I can’t help but remember Glenn Close a year ago…
Preliminary prediction: Renee Zellweger


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
Al Pacino – The Irishman
Joe Pesci – The Irishman
Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I had Hopkins missing out in favor of Kang-ho Song from Parasite, which might have just been wishful thinking. Hopkins gets his first nomination since 1997, which is cool to see him back in the game. Pitt has been the frontrunner and will win this.
Preliminary prediction: Brad Pitt


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Florence Pugh – Little Women
Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell
Margot Robbie – Bombshell
Laura Dern – Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I can’t believe Johansson got two noms. She has been snubbed so many times, but this nomination is a joke. Kathy Bates getting in is cool; I had thought that movie had been left for dead. I missed those two in favor of Nicole Kidman and my suspected (but still not predicted) snub of J-Lo. This award is going to go to Dern, but it is a really strong group of actresses.
Preliminary prediction: Laura Dern

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
1917
Knives Out
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Marriage Story
Parasite
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I missed 1917 and Knives Out in favor of The Farewell and Bombshell. War movies usually miss here, and I really thought Rian Johnson was too cool for the Academy after getting snubbed for Looper. I’m ok with this. I have no idea what is going to win.
Preliminary prediction: Marriage Story
 Image result for marriage story
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jojo Rabbit
The Irishman
Joker
Little Women
The Two Popes
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I missed Joker in favor of my random stab of Dark Waters. Jojo has to win this in order to win Best Picture.
Preliminary prediction: Jojo Rabbit

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1917
The Irishman
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Joker
The Lighthouse
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I had Parasite and A Hidden Life in for Joker and The Irishman. I’m not sure why The Irishman is nominated here. This is going to Roger Deakins once again, although they do love their black-and-white…
Preliminary prediction: 1917

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
1917
Jojo Rabbit
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Parasite
The Irishman
Predicted: 5 for 5
Reactions: This was pretty lucky for me to ace. Everyone had Little Women here, but I knew Jojo Rabbit needed more nominations. I would be ok with any of these winning. They are all astonishing achievements.
Preliminary prediction: Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Joker
The Irishman
Predicted: 2 for 5
Reactions: Yeah… I had Rocketman, Downton Abbey (shut out), and Dolemite Is My Name in for The Irishman, Joker, and Jojo. Wow…this is a strange group. I’m not sure what makes most of these special. I guess I’ll go with the traditional winner…
Preliminary prediction: Little Women

BEST SOUND MIXING
1917
Ad Astra
Ford v Ferarri
Joker
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I had The Irishman and Rocketman in for Joker and Ad Astra. I’m really happy that Ad Astra got something. The guilds and everyone had abandoned that movie and has gotten snubbed by everyone. It is well a well-deserved nomination, one of the best uses of sound in the last few years. This seems like an easy one to predict, but there’s always an upset in these somewhere. I’ll go with the favorite for now.
Preliminary prediction: 1917
 Image result for 1917 movie
BEST FILM EDITING
Ford v Ferarri
Joker
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Parasite
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: Once again, I missed Joker. And I left off Jojo (which is looking so strong after showing up here) in favor of the odd snub of Hollywood and the atrocious snub of Uncut Gems (completely shut out). Conventional wisdom would be that The Irishman wins here, but they love action movies in this category.
Preliminary prediction: Ford v Ferarri

BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING
1917
Ford v Ferarri
Joker
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I missed Joker and Hollywood. I had Endgame and Rocketman getting in. Usually the sound categories line up…I don’t know what I was thinking.
Preliminary prediction: 1917

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
1917
Avengers: Endgame
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The Irishman
The Lion King
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I missed The Lion King in favor of their yearly horrible movie nomination in Gemini Man. I’m glad I was wrong. This should probably be The Irishman, but I really don’t know. The Critics Choice gave it to Endgame…maybe that will be the boost that movie needs.
Preliminary prediction: Avengers: Endgame

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
1917
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Predicted: 2 for 5
Reactions: There are finally 5 nominees in this category, and I still can’t break 3! I had Hollywood, Dolemite, and Little Women in for everything but Bombshell and Joker. They should go back to just being Best Makeup, since the hairstyling really doesn’t play into the equation.
Preliminary prediction: Bombshell
 Image result for bombshell
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“I’m Standing with You” – Breakthrough
“Into the Unknown” – Frozen II
“Stand Up” – Harriet
“I’m Gonna Love Me Again” – Rocketman
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” – Toy Story 4
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I had the songs from Aladdin and The Lion King in for Breakthrough and Toy Story 4. I suck at predicting these. They snubbed all of the major stars who were involved in songs, with the exception of Elton John. Cynthia Erivo double nomination! She could get her EGOT if she wins this of Best Actress for Harriet.
Preliminary prediction: Rocketman

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
1917
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: How many times can John Williams get nominated for doing the exact same thing?! I missed that in favor of my heart…Us. This looked to be a done deal for 1917, but the last two big awards have gone to Joker. Thomas Newman was supposed to finally get his Oscar after 13 tries, but maybe he will have to keep waiting.
Preliminary prediction: Joker

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
American Factory
For Sama
Honeyland
The Cave
The Edge of Democracy
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: I predicted the frontrunner Apollo 11 instead of The Cave. It’s ridiculous how this branch continuously just operates with different rules than any other branch and any other awards organization. It is a really interesting group of films, though. It is wide open now.
Preliminary prediction: For Sama

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
Corpus Christi
Honeyland
Les Miserables
Pain and Glory
Parasite
Predicted: 3 for 5
Reactions: I figured Honeyland would be nominated for one of these categories like Waltz with Bashir, but it gets into both. I missed that and Corpus Christi in favor of Beanpole and Those Who Remained, just because they sounded like Oscar titles. This one is over before it starts.
Preliminary prediction: Parasite
 Image result for parasite movie
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Toy Story 4
Missing Link
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Predicted: 4 for 5
Reactions: A Netflix Christmas movie gets in over Frozen II. That is a shock. I hope Toy Story 4 wins this, but with the Globes giving the award to Missing Link, there might be something more to think about here. Is there Pixar fatigue? I could see it.
Preliminary prediction: Toy Story 4


Overall predictions: 78/109; 71.56% (73.6% in 2019)
Without the last 5 categories: 60/84; 71.42% (76.5% in 2019)
On the Big 8 categories: 35/44; 79.55% (81.4% in 2019)


10 COOLEST FIRST TIME NOMINEES
1. Scarlett Johansson
2. Joon-ho Bong
3. Antonio Banderas
4. Florence Pugh
5. Jonathan Pryce
6. Taika Waititi
7. Rian Johnson
8. Cynthia Erivo
9. Hildur Guðnadóttir
10. Bernie Taupin

10 WORST SNUBS
1. Uncut Gems in all categories, especially Best Actor and Best Editing
2. Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood for Best Editing
3. The Farewell for Best Original Screenplay
4. Jennifer Lopez for Best Supporting Actress
Image result for jennifer lopez hustlers
5. Greta Gerwig for Best Director
6. Apollo 11 for Best Documentary Feature
7. Taron Egerton for Best Actor
8. Robert De Niro for Best Actor
9. Alita: Battle Angel for Best Visual Effects
10. Midsommar for Best Original Score


Stay tuned for our 12th Annual Oscar Challenge!



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