Preface

• Guys, the Oscars are my favorite day of the year after Christmas.
• And I’m so excited for them that I decided this year I’m gonna do a prediction post of just who I think will be nominated.
  • In the main categories anyway.
  • Sorry production design, I value you, but I only have so much free time in my day.
• Without further ado, let’s get started.

Best Picture

• The big one, as always.
• There can be up to 10 nominees in this category, but this year I think only 9 of those will be filled.
• And those are:
  • Boyhood (italics are who could win, or who have a good shot)
  • Birdman (winners in bold)
  • Gone Girl
  • Whiplash
  • Selma
  • The Imitation Game
  • The Theory of Everything
  • Foxcatcher
  • Love Is Strange

• Grand Budapest Hotel could be a solid bet in there, but I decided to exclude it just for Wes Anderson fans to be all like, “whaaaaa???”
• And I put in Love Is Strange because I’ve heard great things about it, and I think it could be like Amour from a couple years ago, where no one saw it coming.
• I still haven’t seen Foxcatcher, Selma, or Love Is Strange (like I said), but I’ll probably see Selma this coming weekend (it was either that or Imitation Game this past week) and Foxcatcher sometime before the Oscars.
• But man, I really hope Gone Girl gets a nomination!
• And Whiplash too!
  • I hope the Academy doesn’t leave it out because it was more of an indie film.

Best Lead Actor

• In 2010 they extended the nominees of Best Picture from 5 to 10.
• I’m pretty sure that by 2018, Best Lead Actor (maybe even Actress too) will allow 7 nominees because Lead Actor is always STACKED.
• But here are the 5 I’m betting on this year!
  • Michael Keaton – Birdman
  • Eddie Redmayne – Theory of Everything (watch out for him though)
  • Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
  • David Oyelowo – Selma
  • Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
• Watch out for Steve Carell though!
  • He’s the one this year that I think will get snubbed, but if he is on there, he’ll probably knock off Gyllenhaal.
  • Watch him come from behind and win…
• It would be cool if they gave a total shocker Affleck or McConaughey nomination though.
  • Wouldn’t say no those.

Best Lead Actress

• I got a good feeling this will be the same as the Best Lead Actress – Drama at the Golden Globes.
  • Julianne Moore – Still Alice
  • Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
  • Reese Witherspoon – Wild
  • Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
  • Jennifer Aniston – Cake
• I haven’t seen Cake or Wild, but I’m pretty sure this is what most award circuits are looking like.
• Felicity Jones was pretty good in Theory of everything, though I didn’t think she was great.
• Julianne Moore could win this award with her hand behind her back, that’s an easy one.
  • She carried Still Alice just by her performance.
• Rosamund Pike was great in Gone Girl and I thought she may win the Golden Globe in an upset, but what can ya do…

Best Supporting Actor

• This is another good one that fills up quick every year!
  • K. Simmons – Whiplash
  • Edward Norton – Birdman
  • Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
  • Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
  • Andy Serkis – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
• Yeah, that last one I’ll address first.
• There was a big news story a few months ago that Fox was pushing for a Supporting Actor nom for Serkis, which I thought was awesome.
  • Granted, he was the lead in Dawn, but if his mo-cap talents are recognized, then I couldn’t be any happier.
  • That news story kinda faded away, but I think it’s gonna happen.
    • Plus, there’s been rumors of who could fill the fifth spot, because Robert Duvall probably got the nom at the Globes by luck, and I think this could be “shock everybody” one.
  • And he’s up for one or two lesser film awards in the category, never the less, I’m hoping for it!
• But yeah, J.K. has this one in the bag.
  • Norton was so awesome in Birdman, and I think he could’ve taken it last year, but Simmons was just better this year by a small shot.

Best Supporting Actress

• • Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
  • Emma Stone – Birdman
  • Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
  • Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
  • Laura Dern – Wild
• As much as I’d love to see Carrie Coon get a nomination for Gone Girl, I think this category just filled up too fast this year.
• I SOOOOOOO want Emma Stone to win this one because, like I’ve said multiple times, I think she went more emotionally deep than Patricia Arquette, but hey, she’ll get one before her career is up.
• I put Laura Dern in for Wild, despite me having not seen it, because I don’t think the Academy will be on the Meryl Streep high this year, even though they are every other year.
  • I heard Into the Woods wasn’t as awesome as people hoped, and I think that could drag down the chances just a little bit.

Best Director

• This one is between two guys.
  • Richard Linklater – Boyhood
  • Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman
  • Ava DuVernay – Selma
  • Damian Chazelle – Whiplash
  • David Fincher – Gone Girl
• I don’t think David Fincher will actually get nominated, it will probably go to whoever directed Imitation Game, but I think he deserves it just for his body of work, so there he is!
  • You’re awesome dude, and one of my favorites!

***

Alright guys, those are predictions for this year’s Academy Award Nominations! I’ll do a post in a couple days with my full thoughts on the nominations. Until then, leave your predictions in the comments down below, and as always, thanks for reading guys.