Oscar Predictions

Guest Post: Troy is a TDS graphic designer, kickboxing instructor, and Oscar fan.

Predicting the winners for this year’s Academy Awards is rather tricky. For the first time in years, there are several categories where there seems to be no clear winner. Usually a two-year-old can tell you who is going to win. But this year, not so much.

Yes, there are some winners that seem likely. I think Anne Hathaway is pretty much a lock (or at least I hope) in her category. And some could argue Daniel Day Lewis is a shoe-in as well. But all the precursors in the other categories are really making my head spin.

I recommend going to awardscircuit.com to view the predicted winners. They are very much on top of who the front-runners are. Be sure to look at the “Precursors” tab, which shows you all the award winners leading up to the Oscars. This web site is my bible. I trust it and check it out frequently. They will start guessing who the winners will be for next year’s Oscars immediately following this year’s broadcast. I remember being floored when they predicted, one year in advance, that Monique would win for Precious. Other than awardshowcircuit.com, I trust indiewire.com and huffingtonpost.com. You also can’t lose with Roger Ebert from http://rogerebert.suntimes.com. Awardcircuit.com may be my bible but Roger Ebert is my God. Check out his game “Outguess Ebert” for a good time!

Back to my predictions…for this blog I am only going to comment on the acting categories. I have to be honest, the only nominated movies I have seen this season, are Les Miserables, Argo, and The Sessions. So, I can’t base my decision on any of the actual acting. But that isn’t going to stop me from hoping people I like win! I would also like to point out that I am a “spread the love” kind of person and I tend to choose actors who haven’t already won. I just think it seems more fair. Is all of this illogical and irrational? Yeah, probably.

Best Actress:
I have a lot of respect for Naomi Watts. Although I haven’t seen The Impossible (which is she is nominated for), I remember her performance in 21 Grams and it blew me away. I have wanted her to win an Oscar ever since. Unfortunately I don’t think this is her year. I am hoping we will see her grab that statue for her portrayal of Princess Diana in next year’s film, Diana. I think Quvenzhane Wallis is out. I hear rumblings that Emmanuelle Riva is sneaking in, while Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence are splitting the votes. I think this one is just a roll of the dice.

WILL WIN: Emmanuelle Riva
SHOULD WIN: Naomi Watts (just because I really like her)

Best Actor:
Daniel Day Lewis is really the front-runner here. It will be his third Oscar for a leading role. Something icons such as Meryl Streep, Jack Nicolson, Robert De Niro, and Jodie Foster have not even achieved. I think he is going to take it. You know I said I love spreading the love, so I would rather see some who hasn’t won take the Oscar. Denzel Washington already has two, Joaquin Phoenix is crazy, and I can’t decide between Bradley Cooper and Hugh Jackman. I like them both!

WILL WIN: Daniel Day Lewis
SHOULD WIN: Bradley Cooper or Hugh Jackman

Best Supporting Actress:
Anne Hathaway, oh dear Lord, I hope it’s Anne Hathaway! As you know, Les Mis is one of the few movies I saw this winter. In this flawed film when she sang her gut-wrenching interpretation of “I Dreamed a Dream” it felt like everything in the world was at a standstill…quickly followed by an outburst of emotions. There are no guarantees with these awards (I can be a pessimist). Sally Field has gained much acclaim for Lincoln and this is Amy Adams’ fourth nomination. I hope Anne wins but even if she doesn’t, I know she will take home an Academy Award someday.

WILL WIN: Anne Hathaway
SHOULD WIN: Anne Hathaway

Best Supporting Actor:
I don’t know. I don’t have any problem with the five nominees, but they’re all previous winners so the thrill is a little lost on me. Your guess is as good as mine. There really isn’t any momentum for any of them. Something in my gut tells me that since De Niro hasn’t won an Oscar in a long time, the Hollywood community may think he is due. But really, who knows.

WILL WIN: Robert De Niro
SHOULD WIN: Since the only film I actually saw from these nominees is Argo, I’ll go with Alan Arkin

So there you have who I would like to see win, and who will probably win. The main point is to sit back and enjoy the show!