In my day-to-day writing I don’t do a lot of predicting about the awards season anymore. In fact, I’m involved in picking which films should be appreciated for their successes. I’d like to take a moment and have some fun before I get to more meaty pieces. Anyways, did you hear that the Academy Awards are right around the corner?! Well they are announcing their selections on Thursday morning and here’s who I think will be invited to the big dance.
Best Picture
1. Boyhood
2. Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Selma
4. The Imitation Game
5. Birdman
6. Theory of Everything
7. Unbroken
8. Whiplash
9. Gone Girl
10. American Sniper
Best Director
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game
Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
Alternatives:
Clint Eastwood – American Sniper
Best Actor
Michael Keaton – Birdman
David Oyelowo – Selma
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Actress
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Amy Adams – Big Eyes
Reese Witherspoon – Wild
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Best Supporting Actor
JK Simmons – Whiplash
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
Edward Norton – Birdman
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Robert Duvall – The Judge
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
Emma Stone – Birdman
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Best Original Screenplay
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler
Foxcatcher
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Imitation Game
Gone Girl
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Wild
Best Animated Film
The Lego Movie
Big Hero 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
Best Foreign Language Film
Ida
Force Majeure
Leviathan
Wild Tales
Timbuktu
Best Documentary Feature
Citizen Four
Life Itself
The Overnighters
Virunga
Finding Vivian Maier
Best Cinematography
Birdman
Mr Turner
Unbroken
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Interstellar
Best Film Editing
Boyhood
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Whiplash
The Imitation Game
Best Original Score
The Theory of Everything
Interstellar
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Under the Skin
Gone Girl
Best Original Song
Selma
Begin Again
The Lego Movie
Unbroken
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
