Tuesday, November 26, 2013

2014 Oscar Predictions

Best Supporting Actress

1. Lupita Nyong'o- 12 Years a Slave
The feature length film debut of a young Kenyan actress, people may not know how to pronounce her name, but if people see Lupita Nyong'o written on the internet, they'll recognize her as the current probable winner for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a slave in the 19th century. Best Supporting Actress is famous for giving it to young women in their breakout roles, but they are also known for upsets so we'll see.


2. American Hustle- Jennifer Lawrence
Formerly #6
Jennifer Lawrence became the second youngest Best Actress nominee at age 20 (now the 3rd). At 22, she was the 2nd youngest Best Actress winner. At 23, could she get a 3rd nomination? American Hustle has a lot of stars so we'll see who actually stands out, but I think she's a definitely possibility with the hype around this film alone.
UPDATE, JANUARY 14: Lawrence's hype, multiple award nominations and a golden globe win has made her an Oscar lock.

3. June Squibb- Nebraska
Formerly #2
June Squibb is the opposite of Lupita Nyong'o. She's 54 years older and has been in various supporting roles for many years, largely unnoticed. You go onto IMDB and you'll see that she hasn't been nominated for anything...from like any award show...ever. After performances in films like AliceScent of a WomanThe Age of InnocenceIn & Out, and Far from Heaven.


4. Julia Roberts- August: Osage County
Julia Roberts hasn't really had anything Oscar worthy since Erin Brockovich but she's a talented actress in a movie that the Academy will eat up. This could be a comeback.


5. Oprah Winfrey- The Butler
Formerly #3
Oprah Winfrey did fine in The Butler, her first role in four years and her first highly promoted lead role since Beloved back in 1998. Anyways, yeah. She's the wife of a butler (Forest Whitaker) and we see her relationship with him and her two sons. There's nothing wrong with Oprah's performance per se. I just didn't feel blown away by it. But people are digging it. She seems like a genuine contender.

UPDATE, 1/14/13: Her lack of a Globe nomination is noticable, but with a Critics choice award, a SAG, and a BAFTA nomination, it still seems likely that she'll make the cut.


6. Sally Hawkins- Blue Jasmine
Formerly #9
Blue Jasmine is Woody Allen's newest hit with praise for all the performances. Sally Hawkins is the 2nd most likely nominee in the film. Cate Blanchett is already a lock. Time will tell if Miss Hawkins moves up higher on the list.
UPDATE, 1/14/13: Scoring both a BAFTA and a Golden Globe nom makes Sally a definite contender but Blanchett still might overshadow her in the end.



7. Scarlett Johansson- Her
Formerly #8
This would be different. Scarlett Johannson makes no physical appearance in Her. Her character is Artificial Intelligence that Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with. I've never heard of someone getting an Oscar nomination for a 100% vocal performance, but I think it would take a lot of skill to pull off.
UPDATE, 1/14/13: With increased hype towards Her, Johnansson's odds become slightly more likely, but her performance is still probably too unusual for the Academy


8. Octavia Spencer- Fruitvale Station
Formerly #7
Octavia Spencer won an Oscar 2 years ago for The Help and i think she's definitely worthy of a 2nd nomination for Fruitvale Station, playing the mother of a convicted drug dealer struggling to turn his life around. Her role is subtle and nuanced and she's even scored a Spirit Award nomination, but has too much time passed for her to make the cut?



9. Margo Martindale- August: Osage County
Formerly #5
I first saw Margo Martindale on Dexter but fell in love with her after seeing Justified. Now, I couldn't be happier than to see her on the silver screen. She's a real talent with the ability to flawless go from sympathetic to unsympathetic.

UPDATE, 1/14/13: not getting nominations anywhere

10. Lea Seydoux- Blue is the Warmest Color
The Cannes Film Festival hit, Seydoux plays one half of a Lesbian romance. Both actresses have been given critical praise, but being a French film, she still may not have the proper recognition. It's happened before though.

11. Melissa Leo- Prisoners
Melissa Leo plays the aunt of a mentally retarded young man accused of kidnapping two young girls. Melissa Leo hits all the right notes even if only a couple scenes really qualify as "Oscar worthy"


12. Jennifer Garner- Dallas Buyers Club
.
13. Carey Mulligan- Inside Llewyn Davis

14. Sarah Paulson- 12 Years a Slave

15. Amy Adams- Her

16. Naomie Harris- Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

17. Melonie Diaz- Fruitvale Station


18. Viola Davis- Prisoners

19. Kristen Wiig- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

20. Cameron Diaz- The Counselor


21. Maria Bello- Prisoners


22. Kristin Scott Thomas- Only God Forgives






Best Supporting Actor always has tons of contenders and this year is no different. 37 possibilities. 5 will get in.
Best Supporting Actor
1. Jared Leto- Dallas Buyers Club
Yep. That's a dude. Jared Leto plays a transvestite prostitute who teams up with a homophobic Texan with HIV to smuggle alternative medicine across the border. Jared Leto has been around for awhile, but this is his first time getting Oscar consideration. But now, it's beyond Oscar consideration. It could be an Oscar win.

UPDATE, 1/14/13: His Globe win is only increasing his chances.

2. Michael Fassbender- 12 Years a Slave
Michael Fassbender should have gotten an Oscar nomination 2 years ago for Shame, but he didn't so whatever. The Academy can suck it. However, they may be able to right their wrong by giving him an Oscar nomination for 12 years a slave. Fassbender reunites with Shame director Steve McQueen as a brutal 19th century plantation owner, severely lacking in empathy. With the continued praise the film and his performance is getting, it's hard to picture him not getting nominated.


3. Barkhad Abdi- Captain Phillips
Barkhad Abdi tackles a very difficult role in Captain Phillips. He manages to be both sympathetic and menacing at the same time. Abdi plays the leader of a group of Somali pirates hijacking a U.S. freighter. Barkhad Abdi is a Somali himself and embodies his character with frightening realism. What could have been a one note villain is instead a very memorable character.

4. Daniel Brühl- Rush
Formerly #7
Brühl plays real life Formula One Driver Niki Lauda. Brühl succesfully captures Lauda's tics and behavior, creating one half of this year's most fascinating character study.
UPDATE, 1/14/13: Bruhl has been getting nominated at the majority of award shows therefore making him a likely candidate once again.

5. Bradley Cooper- American Hustle
Formerly #4
Bradley Cooper was barely known outside of Alias five years ago. Last year, he received his first Oscar nomination for Silver Linings Playbook. Now, he's reunited with Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell playing an FBI agent who teams up with a con man to take down a boatload of corruption, including the New Jersey mayor. All I can say is please google "Bradley Cooper American Hustle Curlers" and then try to tell me he doesn't deserve an Oscar nomination.

6. James Gandolfini- Enough Said
Formerly #13
Rest in Peace. James Gandolfini is an excellent actor who excelled on television playing Tony Soprano on the Sopranos. However, he somewhat struggled finding movie roles that would really break him out of The Sopranos syndrome. It's a shame that his seemingly best movie role to date didn't come out until after he died. A posthumous nomination wouldn't be out of the question, especially for an actor so talented.
UPDATE, 1/14/13: With a surprise SAG nomination, a posthumous nom isn't out of the question.

7. Jonah Hill- The Wolf of Wall Street
Formerly #8
Nobody would have expected Jonah Hill to be an Oscar nominee when he first became a hollywood star, but he surprised a lot of people with Moneyball 2 years ago. Now he may have a chance to receive Oscar nomination #2 for The Wolf of Wall Street as a young stockbroker who gets involved in white collar crime.

8. Tom Hanks- Saving Mr. Banks
Formerly #5
Tom Hanks is taking on a pretty big role as Walt Disney and while his performance for Captain Phillips seems like the more likely nominee, all signs point towards the possibility of him getting nominations for both films. Tom Hanks is playing Walt Disney as he tries to get Mary Poppins adapted into a feature length film. It's a big role to take on, but the reviews are saying that Tom Hanks pulls it off flawlessly.

UPDATE, 1/14/13: With the exception of a few minor award shows, Hanks has been ignored here with most attention placed at Captain Phillips.

9. Jake Gyllenhaal- Prisoners
Formerly #6
Jake Gyllenhall portrays Detective Loki, a young Police detective investigating the disappearances of two young girls. Gyllenhaal succesfully portrays a complex, multidimensional detective, showing a man with one of the toughest jobs in America trying to keep his sanity. It's subtle and it's real and Gyllenhaal absolutely deserves a nomination.
UPDATE, 1/14/13: Despite a strong performance, Gyllenhaal has only been nominated at a few minor award shows.


10. Will Forte- Nebraska
Formerly #11
Similar to Steve Coogan, Will Forte (Saturday Night Live) is another comedic actor tackling Drama. Forte plays a man traveling with his father to Nebraska to collect prize money, meeting numerous acquaintances along the way.

UPDATE, 1/14/13: A spirit award nomination, not that it counts for much.
11. John Goodman- Inside Llewyn Davis

Formerly #9
Inside Llewyn Davis is John Goodman's 6th collaboration with the Coen Brothers, but his first collaboration with them in 13 years, the last being O brother where art thou? Goodman has always been an excellent character actor and with enough hype, he MAY even get his first Oscar due.
12. Steve Coogan- Philomena
Formerly #10 
Usually a comedic actor, Philomena has Steve Coogan changing things up. He's playing a journalist who helps an elderly woman find her long lost who was taken away from her when he was still a baby while she was forced to live in a covent. The Oscars have always liked seeing comedic actors test out their dramatic abilities.



13. Matthew McConaughey- The Wolf of Wall Street
Formerly #12
McConaughey is experiencing one of the biggest career comebacks I've ever seen, so I have to include everything he's in, even though Dallas Buyer's club is his best chance.



14. Jeremy Renner- American Hustle
Jeremy Renner was on a hell of a roll after The Hurt Locker. Then more of a roll after The Town, scoring Oscar nominations for both movies. Then he took a different route, starring in Hollywood action films The Avengers, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and The Bourne Legacy. Then he was in Hansel and Gretel witch hunters and we all started wondering what he was doing with his life. Well it looks like he's back to his Oscar worthy drama roots and I couldn't be happier, but with the talented cast, it's hard to know if any of the actors will outshine the others or not.

15. Casey Affleck- Out of the Furnace
Casey Affleck is a very talented actor, most famous in the year 2007 for The Assassination of Jesse James and Gone Baby Gone. Now, he's playing a military veteran who's gone missing. Since his disappearance is the central point of the plot, it's unclear as to how much screentime he'll actually have, but the scenes seen in the trailer were impressive.


16. David Oyelowo- The Butler
Oyelowo gave the strongest performance in the Butler and is ironically the least likely to get a nomination of the 3 main characters. Oyelowo's performance as a Civil Rights Activist becoming more and more radical is by far the best part of the film, yet Whitaker and Winfrey are far more likely to get nominated. Why? Who knows?


17. Paul Dano- Prisoners
Paul Dano has a difficult role playing a mentally challenged man accused of kidnapping two young girls. The question you wonder throughout the film is whether or not he is guilty. Dano has the challenge of playing a character who's motivations are unclear while still being believable.


18. Matthew McConaughey- Mud
Matthew McConaughey brings joy to everything he touches!


19. Woody Harrelson- Out of the Furnace


20. Benedict Cumberbatch- August: Osage County


21. Paul Dano- 12 Years a Slave


22. George Clooney- Gravity


23. Harrison Ford- 42


24. Sam Rockwell- The Way, Way Back

25. Ewan McGregor- August: Osage County


26. James Franco- Spring Breakers


27. Willem Dafoe- Out of the Furnace


28. Brad Pitt- 12 Years a Slave


29. Ben Foster- Ain't Them Body Saints


30. Chris Cooper- August: Osage County

31. Ryan Gosling- The Place beyond the pines


32. Geoffrey Rush- The Book Thief 


33. Javier Bardem- The Counselor


34. Brad Pitt- The Counselor


35. Ben Foster- Lone Survivor


36. Taylor Kitsch- Lone Survivor

37. Emile Hirsch- Lone Survivor




May be similar to "Best Supporting Actor" last year, with numerous Oscar Winners as contenders, possibly even 5 previous winners as the nominees.

Best Actress
1. Cate Blanchett- Blue Jasmine
Blanchett may win her 2nd Academy award for her performance as a middle aged New Yorker who arrives in San Fransisco to see her estranged sister. The performance has received raves all over the board and I'm just one of many people who's predicting a win from her, though the hype could potentially switch to someone else eventually.







2. Judi Dench- Philomena
Formerly #4
Judi Dench has gotten Oscar nominations pretty consistently, scoring 6 nominations in the last 16 years. It's also been 7 years since her last nomination for Notes on a Scandal, but she appears to be returning to form playing an elderly woman searching for the son she never met.



3. Sandra Bullock- Gravity
Formerly #5
Sandra Bullock gives a very powerful performance in Gravity, flawlessly creating a very believable character. I think Gravity has enough weight to score her a nomination, but it's still a genre film and thus could also slip out.


4. Emma Thompson- Saving Mr. Banks
Formerly #3
Emma Thompson plays P.L. James, the author of Mary Poppins as she works with Walt Disney to adapt her story. Thompson has received much acclaim and I think it's very likely that she'll get an Oscar nomination. This would be her first nomination since Sense and Sensibility 18 years ago.

UPDATE 1/14/2014: Her support is certainly decreasing but I think he still has a shot


5. Amy Adams- American Hustle
Formerly #6
The ever so talented Amy Adams is still going strong. She's received 4 Oscar nominations in 8 years. Time will tell if that can be upgraded to 5 nominations in 9 years. She plays the (apparently) British con artist partner of Christian Bale, but I'm not hearing any British accent in the trailer.

UPDATE, 1/14/13: Her Golden Globe win came as a surprise but puts her right back in the race again


6. Meryl Streep- August: Osage County
Formerly #2
Meryl Strep on an Oscar predictions list? No way! That's all I'll say. She's in this movie. She's talented. The Academy will love it.

UPDATE, 1/14/13: I feel weird doing this and I'll probably be wrong, but the only 2 of the main 6 candidates who haven't been nominated at the Critics choice, Baftas, SAG, AND Golden Globes are Streep and Adams and Adams just won Globe so she might stand a better chance.


7. Kate Winslet- Labor Day


8. Julie Delpy- Before Midnight
Formerly #9


9. Adèle Exarchopoulos- Blue is the Warmest Color
Formerly #8



10. Berenice Bejo- The Past


11. Rooney Mara- Ain't Them Body Saints


12. Shailene Woodley- The Spectacular Now


13. Julia Louis-Dreyfus- Enough Said


14. Brie Larson- Short Term 12


15. Greta Gerwig- Frances Ha


16. Felicity Jones - "The Invisible Woman


17. Angela Basset- Black Nativity


18. Paulina García - Gloria


19. Naomi Watts- Diana

Best Actor


1. Matthew McConaughey- Dallas Buyers Club
Formerly #3

UPDATE, 1/14/13: His golden globe win places him at the top of the race


2. Chiwetel Ejiofor- 12 Years a Slave
Formerly #1
Ejiofor has been around for many years, but this is his first true breakout, playing a man kidnapped and sold into slavery. His performance has been praised highly with "powerful" being a common adjective.


3. Tom Hanks- Captain Phillips
Formerly #2



4. Bruce Dern- Nebraska


5. Leonardo Dicaprio- The Wolf of Wall Street
UPDATE, 1/14/13: His Globe win is increasing his chances.


#6. Christian Bale- American Hustle
Formerly #7
7. Robert Redford- All is Lost
Formerly #6


8. Oscar Issac- Inside Llewyn Davis
Formerly #9


9. Joaquin Phoenix- Her
Formerly #10


10. Michael B. Jordan- Fruitvale Station
Formerly #8

UPDATE, 1/14/13: Lots of nominations at minor film award shows but none of the major ones



11. Forest Whitaker- The Butler
Formerly #15
UPDATE, 1/14/13: A SAG nomination keeps him in the race


12. Idris Elba- Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Formerly #14
UPDATE, 1/14/13: A surprise globe nomination makes him a small possibility.

13. Hugh Jackman- Prisoners
Formerly #11


14. Chris Hemsworth- Rush
Formerly #13


15. Christian Bale- Out of the Furnace
Formerly #12



16. Ben Stiller- Secret Life of Walter Mitty


17. Ethan Hawke- Before Midnight


18. Mark Wahlberg- Lone Survivor

19. Daniel Radcliffe- Kill Your Darlings
20. Josh Brolin- Labor Day


21. Michael Fassbender- The Counselor


22. Benedict Cumberbatch- The Fifth Estate


23. Tye Sherdian- Mud

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