Hello, movie addicts! Our Christmas, aka Oscar Night is almost here! In celebration of this momentous event, several of the contributors to Moviefied NYC are putting their clairvoyant skills to the test. Managing Editors John David West and Myrna Duarte, Contributor/TV Specialist Mariana Zavala, and Contributor/Award Season Guru Ariadne Ansbro all predict the winners and give a shout out to the films that should win.
Best Picture: American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel,The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash.
- David: Boyhood to take it, but I would be ecstatic if The Grand Budapest Hotel wins best picture.
- Myrna: The Grand Budapest Hotel or I’m moving to Canada!
- Mariana: Selma should win, but the world is an unfair place, it’ll probably be Grand Budapest or Boyhood.
- Ari: It is really a toss up between Boyhood and Birdman. Boyhood started out strong at the beginning of award season with several Critics’ Awards, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA. However, Birdman has started to gain momentum by winning the SAG Ensemble Cast Award, the DGA, and the PGA. I am a firm believer in the little guy, so I will say that Boyhood will win. I would be happy to have either Boyhood or Birdman take home the award.
Best Director: Alexandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman, Richard Linklater, Boyhood, Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher, Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game.
- David: Alexandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman will probably win. Wes Anderson should win for his masterful direction The Grand Budapest Hotel.
- Myrna: Alexandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman.
- Mariana: The world is shocked but pleased when Ava DuVernay wins despite not being nominated. Short of that happening, Alejandro G. Iñárritu is the only other choice.
- Ari: After his win at the DGA, Alexandro G. Iñárritu is pretty much a lock, especially if Boyhood wins Best Picture. The Academy will probably give it to Iñárritu as a way to honor Birdman. Richard Linklater should win for his 12 year labor of love, Boyhood.
Best Actor: Steve Carell, Foxcatcher, Bradley Cooper, American Sniper, Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game, Michael Keaton, Birdman, Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything.
- David: Signs are pointing to Eddie Redmayne as the winner, unless Bradley Cooper sneaks in. Michael Keaton should win. One last time: where’s David Oyelowo.
- Myrna: Eddie Redmayne will win, Ray Fiennes should win, would be happy if Michael Keaton.
- Mariana: Still holding out for Michael Keaton despite the Eddie Redmayne SAG/Golden Globe surprise.
- Ari: Oscar loves characters with traumatic obstacles to overcome. They will give it to Eddie Redmayne. Michael Keaton really should get it for such a fantastic performance. I would also love to see Benedict Cumberbatch win as much for his performance as for the fact that I am in love with him.
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.
- David: This is Julianne Moore’s year, she’ll win for a great career. Marion Cotillard’s honest performance in Two Days One Night deserves to win.
- Myrna: Its Julianne Moore’s to lose but Cotillard will give her a run for her gold.
- Mariana: I feel like everyone is over Gone Girl but I thought Rosamund Pike was outstanding. Either her or Julianne Moore, please.
- Ari: Julianne Moore will and should win. Period. End of discussion.
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Duvall, The Judge, Ethan Hawke, Boyhood, Edward Norton, Birdman, Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher, J.K. Simmons, Whiplash.
- David: J.K. Simmons. Full stop!
- Myrna: J.K. Simmons is taking the statuette home but I think it belongs to Ed Norton.
- Mariana: J.K. Simmons, should and will.
- Ari: J.K. Simmons will and should take it. Edward Norton was excellent, but it is really Simmons year.
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood, Laura Dern, Wild, Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game, Emma Stone, Birdman, Meryl Streep, Into the Woods.
- David: Patricia Arquette is for sure going to win and she definitely deserves it.
- Myrna: Patricia Arquette will and should win.
- Mariana: I honestly thought Birdman is the best performance of Emma Stone’s career so far and that’s why she should win, though I’m sure it’ll go to Patricia Arquette.
- Ari: I may get killed for this, but I was really underwhelmed by all of the supporting actress performances this year. From a purely statistical standpoint, Patricia Arquette is going to win it.
Best Adapted Screenplay: American Sniper, Jason Hall, The Imitation Game, Graham Moore, Inherent Vice, Paul Thomas Anderson, The Theory of Everything, Anthony McCarten, Whiplash, Damien Chazelle.
- David: It will go to The Imitation Game. P.T. Anderson for his impossible script is my should win for Inherent Vice.
- Myrna: I’m going with Inherent Vice! PT its all about you.
- Mariana: What do you mean Gillian Flynn wasn’t nominated for Gone Girl? She’s winning anyway. Everyone needs to stop being over Gone Girl.
- Ari: I think that Graham Moore will take it for The Imitation Game, which is well deserved. I would also be really pleased if Damien Chazelle won for Whiplash.
Best Original Screenplay: Birdman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo; Boyhood, Richard Linklater, Foxcatcher, E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness, Nightcrawler, Dan Gilroy.
- David:I’m going with a win for Wes Anderson. Who should win? Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s timely script deserves this Oscar.
- Myrna: Wes Anderson should win and will win but would love to see Nightcrawler walk away with something.
- Mariana: Honestly, I don’t have strong feelings about this category for once. Truly don’t.
- Ari: I want Birdman to win this category so badly! I basically want to tackle the Pricewaterhouse Cooper accountants and slip Birdman in as the winner. Grand Budapest is going to win, though. Anderson’s screenplay was good, but Birdman was so much better!
Best Animated Feature: Big Hero 6, The Boxtrolls, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Song of the Sea, The Tale of Princess Kaguya.
- David: It will likely go to Big Hero 6. The Lego Movie should have been nominated, but The Tale of Princess Kaguya should definitely win.
- Myrna: Big Hero 6.
- Mariana: I cried for ten years watching Big Hero 6 and it should win without a doubt. HTTYD2 was amazing too, however.
- Ari: Big Hero 6 is going to win. I really have no strong feeling for this category, so there is no should win.
Best Animated Short: The Bigger Picture, The Dam Keeper, Feast, Me and My Moulton, A Single Life.
- David: Disney’s Feast will win. I would love to see The Dam Keeper, layered with dark tones, themes of bullying and loneliness, and its hand-drawn animation win.
- Myrna: Disney’s Feast should and will win.
- Mariana: Abstaining, because I unfortunately haven’t seen any this year!
- Ari: I agree with the consensus about Feast, especially since Disney lost last year for the fantastic Get a Horse!
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman; Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski Ida; Dick Pope, Mr. Turner; Roger Deakins, Unbroken.
- David: All are fantastically shot films, but Birdman will likely take it. Ida‘s classic cinematic composition deserves an Oscar.
- Myrna: Emmanuel Lubezki should and will but my heart belongs to Robert Yeoman.
- Mariana: Emmanuel Lubezki for his insane rabbit-warren cinematography in Birdman.
- Ari: Emmanuel Lubezki will probably win his second consecutive Oscar for Birdman. However, I am with David, Ida was a visually beautiful film.
Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Mark Bridges, Inherent Vice; Colleen Atwood, Into the Woods: Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive, Maleficent; Jacqueline Durran, Mr. Turner.
- David: This years best dressed film is The Grand Budapest Hotel—will and should.
- Myrna: The Grand Budapest Hotel, will and should.
- Mariana: 70s-era costume design has a soft spot in my heart (The Ice Storm, anyone?) so I’m pulling for Inherent Vice.
- Ari: This is really a toss up between Grand Budapest and Into the Woods. I am going to give the edge to Grand Budapest for the vibrant costumes which beautifully captured the whimsical nature of the film.
Best Documentary—Feature: Citizenfour, Finding Vivien Maier, Last Days of Vietnam, The Salt of the Earth, Virunga.
- David: Citizenfour will win. While they were all quite good, Citizenfour was an experience, it felt like being part of history.
- Myrna: I loved looking at Finding Vivian Maier but feel that Citzenfour will and should win as such a relevant piece of history.
- Mariana: If Citizenfour doesn’t win, I’ll be really surprised.
- Ari: Due to the timeliness of the subject matter, Citizenfour will probably take home the Oscar. However, Last Days of Vietnam was an astounding film and Rory Kennedy deserves this win.
Best Documentary—Short: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, Joanna, Our Curse, The Reaper, White Earth.
- David: This will and should go to Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1. The Reaper would be a lovely surprise.
- Myrna: I’m abstaining.
- Mariana: As with Animated Short, I’m abstaining.
- Ari: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 will and should win.
Best Film Editing: Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach, American Sniper; Sandra Adair, Boyhood; Barney Pilling, The Grand Budapest Hotel; William Goldenberg, The Imitation Game; Tom Cross, Whiplash.
- David: Twelve years in the making goes to Boyhood. Who should win? Boyhood.
- Myrna: Whiplash 100 %.
- Mariana: As long as it’s not The Imitation Game, I’m open to anything.
- Ari: This is such a hard choice for me. I loved the intensity of Whiplash, much of which was due to the brilliant editing by Tom Cross. David has a point though, Sandra Adair took a dozen years worth of work and edited it into a seamlessly beautiful tale. Boyhood for the win.
Best Foreign Language Film: Ida, Poland, Leviathan, Russia; Tangerines, Estonia; Timbuktu, Mauritania; Wild Tales, Argentina.
- David: Ida might just win it and Ida should definitely win it.
- Myrna: I have not seen them all, so based on what I have seen I’m agreeing with Mariana, Wild Tales.
- Mariana: Wild Tales was probably the most refreshing, barbaric, and hilarious film I’ve seen all year, and I’m rooting for it.
- Ari: This needs to go to Ida.
Best Live Action—Short: Aya, Boogaloo and Graham, Butter Lamp, Parvaneh, The Phone Call.
- David: The Phone Call was quite moving, with fine performances from Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent, so the Oscar goes to The Phone Call—and it should.
- Myrna: Abstaining.
- Mariana: Abstaining.
- Ari: Another tough category. I am going to say that Aya will win, but it should go to the lighthearted Boogaloo and Graham.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard, Foxcatcher; Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White, Guardians of the Galaxy.
- David: I have a feeling Foxcatcher is going to win this one. The Grand Budapest Hotel should win.
- Myrna: I think this is Foxcatchers to loose.
- Mariana: Guardians of the Galaxy is probably the obvious choice but Foxcatcher or Grand Budapest have my vote.
- Ari: This is a close race, but ultimately it is going to come down to the fact that the Academy loves transformations. Therefore, Foxcatcher for the win. Steve Carell’s nose alone was award-worthy.
Best Original Score: The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Interstellar, Mr. Turner, The Theory of Everything.
- David: The Theory of Everything will likely take it. The fun score for The Grand Budapest Hotel should win.
- Myrna: The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Mariana: Just not Alexandre Desplat or Hans Zimmer, for the sake of breaking up the monotony.
- Ari: I would really like to pick The Imitation Game for the win. The score was subtle and brilliant, just like its subject. However, Alexandre Desplat is nominated for Imitation and Grand Budapest which will likely split his own vote. Therefore, I will give the edge to Johann Johannsson for The Theory of Everything.
Best 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.
- David: It might be a sentimental choice to give it to Glen Campbell for “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” but the Oscar song will likely be “Glory,” an unfortunate gesture as the song is the weakest element in a good, under-appreciated film (Selma), “Glory” is painfully sappy and hokey! The award should go to one of the Lego Movie‘s best moments, the song “Everything Is Awesome.” It might be time to cut this category from future Academy Awards.
- Myrna: “Glory,” from Selma but I dread and fear it will be The Lego Movie.
- Mariana: “Glory,” from Selma, without a doubt.
- Ari: “Glory” will and should win. Well, the only reason it should win is because I want to see what face Chrissy Teigen will make when John Legend wins.
Best Production Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock; The Imitation Game, Production Design: Maria Djurkovic; Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald; Interstellar, Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis; Into the Woods, Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock; Mr. Turner, Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts.
- David: The Grand Budapest Hotel will win and it should win for the amazing world that team Anderson created.
- Myrna: The Grand Budapest Hotel will win, I want to live there.
- Mariana: I’m a sucker for the 40s, so The Imitation Game.
- Ari: The Grand Budapest Hotel was really glorious. It will and should win in this category.
Best Sound Editing: American Sniper, Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman; Birdman, Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock; The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Brent Burge and Jason Canovas; Interstellar, Richard King; Unbroken, Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro.
- David: American Sniper will win and should.
- Myrna: American Sniper will win and should.
- Mariana: I’m actually going with The Hobbit for this one.
- Ari: This will be American Sniper‘s only win of the night.
Best Sound Mixing: American Sniper, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin; Birdman, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga; Interstellar, Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten; Unbroken, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee; Whiplash, Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley.
- David: American Sniper will win and Whiplash should win.
- Myrna: Whiplash should win but American Sniper will win.
- Mariana: Whiplash.
- Ari: This might be one of those few years where Sound Editing and Sound Mixing go to different movies. I have to go with Whiplash on this one. The win will be well deserved.
Best Visual Effects: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist; Guardians of the Galaxy, Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould; Interstellar, Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher; X-Men: Days of Future Past, Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer.
- David: The winner is Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Should win goes to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
- Myrna: No competition in my eyes, Interstellar.
- Mariana: Is it wrong to want Captain America: The Winter Soldier to win an Oscar for literally anything? Yes? Alright, Interstellar, I suppose.
- Ari: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will and should win.
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