{"id":3398,"date":"2015-01-28T12:19:37","date_gmt":"2015-01-28T17:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/?p=3398"},"modified":"2015-01-28T12:19:37","modified_gmt":"2015-01-28T17:19:37","slug":"predictions-2015-oscars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/2015\/01\/28\/predictions-2015-oscars\/","title":{"rendered":"Predictions for the 2015 Oscars"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Academy is made up of mostly old, white men, which makes a lot of sense. I\u2019m not saying the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/2015\/01\/15\/oscar-nominations-2015-check-entire-list\/\">Oscar nominees<\/a> aren\u2019t diverse at times, but this year they seem to be a little on the light side. Despite all of that, the Oscars matter for some strange reason. I\u2019m here to predict the 2015 Oscar winners in the major categories, in case you\u2019re making bets on these bad boys. On top of that, I\u2019ll also tell you who I\u2019m rooting for, and who got snubbed (if there is anyone that got snubbed) from where I\u2019m sitting.<\/p>\n<p><b>Film Editing<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>American Sniper<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Boyhood<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Grand Budapest Hotel<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Imitation Game<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Whiplash<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s going to win?<\/strong> <i>Birdman<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who am I rooting for?<\/strong> <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who got snubbed?<\/strong><i> Gone Girl<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The scenes in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/2014\/10\/28\/birdman-soars-rest\/\"><i> Birdman<\/i><\/a> are so seamlessly put together that it feels like one long take, making the film more intimate and real. However, it\u2019s still cinematic and visually appealing, and not at all like a documentary. <i>Birdman <\/i>should take home the statue; however, I\u2019m rooting for <i>The<\/i> <i>Grand Budapest Hotel<\/i> because it\u2019s a beautifully edited film, which is expected from Wes Anderson. Every tick, every shot, and every transition in <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel <\/i>elevates the story and the familiar feel-good vibes of a time long ago.<\/p>\n<p><b>Best Actor<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Steve Carell \u2013 <i>Foxcatcher<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Bradley Cooper \u2013 <i>American Sniper<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Benedict Cumberbatch \u2013 <i>The Imitation Game<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Michael Keaton \u2013 <i>Birdman<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Eddie Redmayne\u00a0\u2013 <i>The Theory of Everything<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s going to win?<\/strong> Michael Keaton<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who am I rooting for?<\/strong> Michael Keaton<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who got snubbed?<\/strong> Jake Gyllenhaal in <i>Nightcrawler <\/i>and David Oyelowo in<i> Selma<\/i><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"702\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/s0lF1bKZk4g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Keaton was amazing in <i>Birdman <\/i>in so many levels. He\u2019s funny, suicidal, intense, zany, loopy, and sentimental; sometimes all in one scene. He pulls off such a complex character with ease, and really makes Riggan Thompson memorable (so memorable that I didn\u2019t have to look up his character\u2019s name). On top of that, Keaton\u2019s a veteran actor that finally got another leading role in a movie that soaked in a big spotlight. He knocked it out the park and into outer space. Oh yeah, he was also Batman, so he also has that going for him as well. Eddie Redmayne could win, but probably not.<\/p>\n<p><b>Best Actress<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Felicity Jones \u2013 <i>The Theory of Everything<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Julianne Moore \u2013 <i>Still Alice<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Rosamund Pike \u2013 <i>Gone Girl<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Reese Witherspoon \u2013 <i>Wild<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Marion Cotillard \u2013 <i>Two Days, One Night<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s going to win?<\/strong> Julianne Moore<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who am I rooting for?<\/strong> Rosamund Pike<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who got snubbed?<\/strong> Jennifer Aniston in <i>Cake<\/i><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"702\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WuFjzAD4ank?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Julianne Moore has always been one of my favorite actresses to watch, and it seems that it\u2019s finally her time to win an Oscar. She gives a heartbreaking, inspiring performance in <i>Still Alice<\/i>, playing a linguistics professor who is diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s. As usual, she gives a genuinely sincere performance that places you in the character\u2019s shoes. I\u2019m rooting for Rosamund Pike because her character in <i>Gone Girl<\/i> is beautifully insane, infecting you to the bone. She embodies an ideal evil that all men fear. Bravo. Moore takes it in this category though.<\/p>\n<p><b>Best Supporting Actor<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Robert Duvall \u2013 <i>The Judge<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Ethan Hawke \u2013 <i>Boyhood<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Edward Norton \u2013 <i>Birdman<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Mark Ruffalo \u2013 <i>Foxcatcher<\/i><\/p>\n<p>J.K. Simmons \u2013 <i>Whiplash<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s going to win?<\/strong> J.K. Simmons (duh)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who am I rooting for?<\/strong> Ethan Hawke and Edward Norton<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who got snubbed?<\/strong> Everyone in this category because Simmons is going to win.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"702\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7hTv2roEVes?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The guy is pounding through the awards shows, racking up the wins and adding to his bling. Simmons is the man to beat, hands down. Ethan Hawke was amazingly sincere in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/2014\/08\/14\/see-richard-linklaters-boyhood\/\"><i>Boyhood<\/i><\/a>, and Edward Norton was hilarious in <i>Birdman (<\/i>his first nomination since <i>American History X <\/i>in 1998!<i>)<\/i>, but it seems that Simmons is just too much of a powerhouse to lose to anybody in this category. No complaints here though, he\u2019s a tremendous actor.<\/p>\n<p><b>Best Supporting Actress<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Patricia Arquette\u00a0\u2013 <i>Boyhood<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Laura Dern \u2013 <i>Wild<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Keira Knightley \u2013 <i>The Imitation Game<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Emma Stone \u2013 <i>Birdman<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Meryl Streep \u2013 <i>Into the Woods<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s going to win?<\/strong> Patricia Arquette<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who am I rooting for?<\/strong> Emma Stone<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who got snubbed?<\/strong> Tilda Swinton in <i>Snowpiercer\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"702\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fxVRZ2Z2wR4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Patricia Arquette gives a stellar performance as the single mom trying to raise her kids as best she can. She portrays a mom that any child should appreciate, but probably doesn\u2019t. Arquette is somewhat of a lock in this category with the only real competition being Keira Knightley or Emma Stone. Stone is solid in <i>Birdman<\/i>, but there is one scene that she absolutely triumphs in that makes her my favorite. If you watched the movie, you\u2019ll know what scene I\u2019m talking about.<\/p>\n<p><b>Directing<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Alejandro Inarritu \u2013 <i>Birdman<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Richard Linklater \u2013 <i>Boyhood<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Bennett Miller \u2013 <i>Foxcatcher<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Wes Anderson \u2013 <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Morten Tyldum \u2013 <i>The Imitation Game<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s going to win?<\/strong> Richard Linklater<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who am I rooting for?<\/strong> Richard Linklater and Alejandro Inarritu<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who got snubbed?<\/strong> Ava DuVernay<\/p>\n<p>Richard Linklater made a film that took 12 years to complete, and he managed to put together an unforgettable piece of cinema that covers the lessons and lost years of growing up. Linklater\u2019s style isn\u2019t flashy; he simply tells his story in a sincere way that really inspires you to reflect on the intricacies of life.\u00a0<i> Boyhood <\/i>will be a film to remember, and it will age like fine wine (the good kind too). Inarritu is equally amazing, but I feel the Academy will go on and award the more linear film.<\/p>\n<p><b>Adapted Screenplay<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>American Sniper<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Imitation Game<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Inherent Vice<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Theory of Everything<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Whiplash\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s going to win?<\/strong> <i>The Imitation Game<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who am I rooting for?<\/strong> <i>Gone Girl <\/i>(even if it\u2019s not nominated) or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/2015\/01\/19\/american-sniper-review-slow-start-heavy-remainder\/\"><i>American Sniper<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who got snubbed?<\/strong> <i>Gone Girl\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The <i>Imitation Game <\/i>will probably take this one, as it\u2019s losing Best Picture and probably won\u2019t win in any other major categories. I can also see <i>Whiplash <\/i>winning, and it would go good with J.K. Simmons\u2019 Best Supporting Actor win (yes, I\u2019m<i> that<\/i> sure he\u2019ll take it). Anyways, I would\u2019ve been rooting for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/2014\/10\/06\/gone-girl-takes-trust-issues-new-level\/\"><i>Gone Girl<\/i><\/a>, but it\u2019s obviously missing from this ensemble.<\/p>\n<p><b>Original Screenplay<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>Birdman<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Boyhood<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Foxcatcher<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Grand Budapest Hotel<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Nightcrawler<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s going to win?<\/strong> <em>Boyhood<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who am I rooting for?<\/strong> <em>Boyhood<\/em> and <em>Birdman<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who got snubbed?<\/strong> <em>A Most Violent Year<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Realistically, it\u2019s a tie between <i>Boyhood<\/i> and <i>Birdman<\/i>; however, I think <i>Boyhood<\/i> will take it home because it\u2019s the more straight forward story, as I\u2019ve mentioned before. The Academy usually plays it safe, so <i>Birdman <\/i>being inventive and a little more out there will be at a disadvantage. Both screenplays are heartfelt, humorous, and inspiring pieces of work. I say cut that statue in half and give it to both writers.<\/p>\n<p><b>Best Picture<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>American Sniper<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Birdman<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Boyhood<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Grand Budapest Hotel<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Imitation Game<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Selma<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Theory of Everything<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Whiplash<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s going to win?<\/strong> <i>Boyhood<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who am I rooting for?<\/strong> <i>Boyhood <\/i>and<i> Birdman<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who got snubbed?<\/strong> <i>Gone Girl<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Richard Linklater is an amazing filmmaker with a talent for capturing the big picture in a natural manner. This film is simply amazing for it\u2019s simplicity of showing the coming-of-age story from a perspective that\u2019s never been more true. It\u2019s a unique film that shouldn\u2019t go uncrowned. A close second would be <i>Birdman<\/i>, seeing as it\u2019s also a complex piece of art that\u2019s a breath of fresh are in the world of cinema. <i>Selma <\/i>is tied with <i>Birdman <\/i>as a big maybe as well because it\u2019s an Oscar type of film, and it didn\u2019t get Best Actor or Best Director nominations. My best guess is that <i>Boyhood<\/i> is taking home the big prize, but <i>Birdman<\/i> is right behind it.<\/p>\n<p>Throw an Oscars party and make some bets to see who can most accurately guess the preferences of old, white men that watch movies. The 87th Academy Awards will take place on February 22, 2015.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Academy is made up of mostly old, white men, which makes a lot of sense. I\u2019m not saying the Oscar nominees aren\u2019t diverse at times, but this year they seem to be a little on the light side. Despite all of that, the Oscars matter for some strange reason. I\u2019m here to predict the<\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/2015\/01\/28\/predictions-2015-oscars\/\" title=\"Read More\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":123,"featured_media":3399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[316,591,1612,1525,317,1515,592],"class_list":{"0":"post-3398","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-movies","8":"tag-birdman","9":"tag-boyhood","10":"tag-j-k-simmons","11":"tag-julianne-moore","12":"tag-michael-keaton","13":"tag-oscars","14":"tag-richard-linklater"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3398"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3398\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}