GEEKPR0N’s 2015 Oscar Predictions
We all know that the film industry is far from perfect: we’re still getting barraged with pointless remakes, reboots and prequels. The cost of movie tickets continues to climb. 3D films are still a thing. But in spite of these pitfalls, we always have the Oscars to look forward to, to celebrate the best of the best and uphold achievements in the medium that has become of the world’s favourite past-times.
The trouble is, said Award show has been going through a slump the past few years, due in no small part to a fundamental class problem with the Oscars: film is a medium which has been embraced by the average human being in the English-speaking world since the Great Depression, and yet the annual awards for artistic breakthroughs in the field are decided by the social elite. But we still can’t help but feel anticipation every year, wondering whom will go home with those golden statues.
In the spirit of apprehension, here’s our own Oscar Predictions for this year, for better or worse.
(For the sake of disclosure, categories where I haven’t seen the films or would have no clue what I’m talking about have been omitted.)
Best Picture
American Sniper | Birdman | Boyhood | The Grand Budapest Hotel | The Imitation Game | Selma | The Theory of Everything | Whiplash
Want to Win: Selma – A movie like this is what comes to mind when I hear the phrase “a motion picture event”. It feels like a historical epic, but with a story and message that remains poignant today. However, for Academy-worthy films that tackle racism to win, they require touchy-feely drama so as to not make the elite Academy feel too uncomfortable or guilty. This is why films like Crash and 12 Years A Slave won big while Django Unchained and Precious were snubbed.
Will Win: Boyhood – The whole “it took 12 years to film” gimmick seems to be sweeping the media off its feet, in spite of the fact that shows like Boy Meets World were more interesting and done first. But since it’s inoffensive and vaguely inspiring, it’s a contender.
Best Actor
Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher” | Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper” | Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game” | Michael Keaton in “Birdman” | Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything”
Want to Win: The Pope is Catholic, Bears shit in the woods, and Benedict Cumberbatch is a really strong actor. Although the fact that he’s a British actor playing a homosexual in World War II sounds like Oscar bait, the Academy also fears most things enjoyed by youth. I have a gut feeling they’re going to pull a Leo.
Will Win: Eddie Redmayne, in all fairness, does wow as Stephen Hawking and brings a new sense of wonderment into the man we all think we know. Plus, any actor who undergoes a radical transformation for their role ends up winning.
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall in “The Judge” | Ethan Hawke in “Boyhood” | Edward Norton in “Birdman” | Mark Ruffalo in “Foxcatcher” | J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash”
Want to Win: It isn’t exactly a mind-blowing year for this category, it’s pretty much just Serious Guys Doing Serious Things. Having said that, J.K. Simmons is terrifying in Whiplash. Mind you, he’s just about magical in everything he does, and it’s about time the big guys paid him mind.
Will Win: Robert Duvall. He is the safe choice during a year where the only way the Academy could be playing safer would be by forcing everyone to wear PFDs and hockey pads on the red carpet.
Best Actress
Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night” | Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything” | Julianne Moore in “Still Alice” | Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl” | Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”
Want to Win: Reese Witherspoon is another one of those actors who electrifies in everything she’s in, and I for one hoping the Academy will forgive her her origins as a RomCom star and give her a chance.
Will Win: I seem to be the only person on the planet whom doesn’t particularly care for Rosamund Pike, but everyone and their grandma has been talking about Gone Girl. She’ll clean house.
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood” | Laura Dern in “Wild” | Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game” | Emma Stone in “Birdman” | Meryl Streep in “Into the Woods”
Want to Win: Emma Stone. I really don’t have anything to add to this. Just see the movie, okay?
Will Win: At this point, I’m pretty sure that the Academy has said “screw it” and just mail the trophies right to Meryl Streep’s house, and only bother nominating other people to humour the plebeian masses.
Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6| The Boxtrolls | How to Train Your Dragon 2 | Song of the Sea| The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Want to Win: Fuck you Academy, The Book of Life doesn’t even get NOMINATED? Were you too busy sipping Moet & Chandon out of each other’s butts to watch any movies this year? Is it because the white characters in the movie are totally incidental and have maybe five minutes of screentime? Sure, Pan’s Labyrinth got a few awards way back when because it was ‘foreign’ and ‘artsy’ but ever since then, anything with Guillermo del Toro’s name on it has gotten the shaft. I can understand The Lego Movie getting snubbed – did we really think something with Will Ferrell’s name on it was gonna get any attention from those stiffs? But the Academy just keeps on snubbing GDT and the aggression cannot stand.
Will Win: Big Hero 6. Yes, it’s a perfectly good movie, but if you haven’t yet clued into the fact that Disney stacks the Academy, I don’t know what to tell ya.
Costume Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel | Inherent Vice | Into the Woods | Maleficent | Mr. Turner
Want to Win: Into the Woods was a visual feast. In terms of the costumes, it was like watching the hopes and dreams of every high school production of the musical ever done, on steroids. The Witch’s Act II gown was the real show-stopper. And I’ll even give credit to the creative risk taken with Johnny Depp’s 1970’s sex offender/Wolf look.
Will Win: Chances are the less musical, equally fashionable Maleficent is going home with the award. It’s obviously going to either of the Disney titles on the list, but the scary looks created for the First Villainess of Disney may well win over the vote.
Director
Birdman – Alejandro G. Iñárritu | Boyhood – Richard Linklater | Foxcatcher – Bennett Miller | The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson | The Imitation Game – Morten Tyldum
Want to Win: It’s easy to write off Wes Anderson as a hipster idol, but Grand Budapest was a genuinely lovely story that did something most movies this year did not – actually touch me.
Will Win: Usually, whatever wins Best Picture also goes home with director, so it may well go to…ugh…Boyhood.
Film Editing
American Sniper – Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach | Boyhood – Sandra Adair | The Grand Budapest Hotel – Barney Pilling | The Imitation Game – William Goldenberg | Whiplash – Tom Cross
Want to Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel. Simply put, the visuals and editing is what gave this film life.
Will Win: They have to give American Sniper something. It’s too problematic and not political enough to give Best Picture.
Makeup and Hairstyling
Foxcatcher – Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard | The Grand Budapest Hotel – Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier | Guardians of the Galaxy – Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White
Want to Win: Guardians should be an obvious choice. People might think first of the film’s CGI aliens, but a closer look shows just how much love and ambition went into creating characters like Drax, Ronan, Nebula, Gamora, and even smaller roles like the pink aliens and prison inmates. And hopefully, Disney can use it’s sway for good and get this film the recognition it deserves.
Will Win: Steve Carell’s prosthetic nose in Foxcatcher might be more likely to impress. The Academy still is a tragically stuffy institution, and there is historically a lot of B.S. in the makeup category. Benjamin Button won despite it’s heavy CGI and subsequently screwing over Hellboy II. The Iron Lady beat Harry Potter. This just isn’t a category where reliable, logical choices are made.
Original Song
“Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie – Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson | “Glory” from Selma – Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn | “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights – Music and Lyric by Diane Warren | “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me – Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond | “Lost Stars” from Begin Again – Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois
Want to Win: “Everything is Awesome” is, well, awesome.
Will Win: “Glory” is one of two nominations that Selma actually received, and since the Academy is hard-pressed to not look like the out-of-touch old European dudes they are, they’re likely to send the award to this film.
Sound Editing
American Sniper | Birdman | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | Interstellar | Unbroken
Want to Win: There’s a lot of critical things that can be said about The Hobbit trilogy, most of them completely true. But one of the areas where Peter Jackson and co. kept up the magic was with sound.
Will Win: How in the nine hells did Interstellar get nominated? Half the film’s sounds and dialogue were unintelligible in the name of ~ART~. But since it’s Christopher Nolan, they’ll eat it up.
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
Want to Win: It’s about time that more nerdy movies got some recognition at the Oscars! Any of the films could take it and deserve it, but my heart goes out to X-Men in particular for the whole trick Magneto did with RFK Stadium.
Will Win: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes getting a visual award is probably as close as the Academy is willing to get when it comes to giving Andy Serkis any credit. No matter what a stunning actor he is, the archaic rules sadly won’t give lenience to a performance using CGI.
The 87th Academy Awards will air Sunday, February 22 2015. Be sure to check it out to see how wrong I was!
