Oscar season has long been a special time for me, although each year, more and more scrutiny seems to enshroud the nominees and the accompanying ceremony. I think it's a good time to reiterate a belief I've long had: it's about the movies. Every year, many great films — some of the year's best — are given a mainstream platform and an opportunity to find their way into the public sphere. I'm elated that Parasite has received more recognition than I could've imagined when I gave it a four-star review last year and went on to name it my favorite film of 2019. I couldn't be happier for The Irishman and Marriage Story finding a larger audience via Netflix as opposed to belonging to an ever-growing list of great films that underperformed at the box office. And there are still several films (Harriet, Jojo Rabbit) I have yet to see. All in due time.
Nonetheless, this is a time of the year I look forward to. It's my Super Bowl and I treat it as such. For the 11th year in a row, I present to you, my picks for the Academy Awards.
Predicted winners will be in bold.
Best Picture:
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
I was 6-0 my first six years of picking Best Picture. Now I'm 6-4. A few years ago, the voting process for the Oscars drastically changed, and the chalk for the Best Picture category has lost four consecutive years in a row. I pick 1917 to win still harboring doubt due to the strong case for [i]Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and even Parasite. We shall see. Even I'm taking me with a grain of salt with this one.
Best Director:
Martin Scorcese – The Irishman
Joker – Todd Phillips
1917 – Sam Mendes
Quentin Taratino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite – Bong Joon-ho
I can lament that Greta Gerwig should be in this category as opposed to Todd Phillips, although I did like Joker more than I did Little Women. I can also say that I'm picking Mendes to win whilst crossing my fingers we get a surprise win for Bong Joon-ho.
Best Actor:
Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver – Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes
Yes, Joaquin Phoenix will win for Joker. Yes, he does deserve it based on the other nominees. The sun will still rise Monday, I promise.
Best Supporting Actor:
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
Al Pacino – The Irishman
Joe Pesci – The Irishman
Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Richard Roeper said it best: you know a category is stacked when Anthony Hopkins of all souls seems like the long shot. I can't think of a more Hall of Fame crop of performers in any category in any year. Fingers crossed Pacino or Pesci pull an upset, but my money's on Brad Pitt, the only one of the five to have never received an acting Oscar despite being nominated seven times.
Best Actress:
Cynthia Ervio – Harriett
Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan – Little Women
Charlize Theron – Bombshell
Renee Zellweger – Judy
I haven't seen Judy, but I don't need to in order to know how much the Academy loves their biopics.
Best Supporting Actress:
Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell
Laura Dern – Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh – Little Women
Margot Robbie – Bombshell
It warms my heart to see Kathy Bates nominated for her affecting performance in Richard Jewell, which I wrote at length about in my review of that film. Bates will inevitably be overshadowed by the strength of her worthy competition. Margot Robbie was an integral piece in Bombshell, and Florence Pugh continues to impress me whenever she's on-screen (although I still don't think she's as good in Little Women as she was in Midsommar, or even the under-seen Lady MacBeth). That being said, give it to Laura Dern, on the basis of her "imperfect mother" monologue in Marriage Story alone.
Best Animated Feature Film:
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4
I'm picking the dark horse Klaus here, a film I thoroughly enjoyed. It's currently available on Netflix, and even though the Christmas season has passed, it's well worth your time.
Achievement in Cinematography:
The Irishman
Joker
The Lighthouse
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Big Deak Energy.
Achievement in Costume Design:
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Best Documentary Feature:
American Factory
The Cave
The Edge of Democracy
For Sama
Honeyland
This category reminds me I've been lacking on documentaries for a couple years now. Hope to schedule more to watch later on this year.
Best Documentary Short:
In the Absence
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
Life Overtakes Me
St. Louis Superman
Walk Run Cha-Cha
Achievement in Film Editing:
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Parasite
Best International Feature Film:
Corpus Christi – Aurum Film (Poland)
Honeyland (North Macedonia)
Les Miserables – Le Pacte (France)
Pain and Glory (Spain)
Parasite (South Korea)
When a foreign film is nominated for more than just the obligatory foreign film category, you can mark it down it's going to win the aforementioned category.
Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling:
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
1917
The impeccable makeup work in Bombshell didn't garner nearly as much mainstream buzz as Vice and that makes me a little sad.
Best Original Score:
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Original Song:
I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away – Randy Newman (Toy Story 4)
(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again – Sir Elton John and Taron Egerton (Rocketman)
I’m Standing With You – Chrissy Metz (Breakthrough)
Into the Unknown – Idina Menzel and AURORA (Frozen II)
Stand Up – Cynthia Erivo (Harriet)
At least Rocketman got one nomination, right?
Achievement in Production Design:
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
This category could go multiple different ways, and I'm shocked Little Women didn't merit a nomination here. 1917 is a good guess, but I am going with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood after remembering just how much the film was elevated by its immersive settings.
Best Animated Short Film:
Dcera (Daughter)
Hair Love
Kitbull
Memorable
Sister
Best Live Action Short Film:
Brotherhood – Cinetelefilms/Midi la Nuit
Nefta Football Club – Les Valseurs
The Neighbors’ Window
Saria
A Sister – Versus Production
Somebody remind Shorts TV about the several years they released the Oscar-nominated short films well in advance of the ceremony and not day-of like last year, handicapping myself and many others from watching the shorts before the Oscars.
Achievement in Sound Editing:
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Achievement in Sound Mixing:
Ad Astra
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
I feel 1917 is gonna nab both, but don't sleep on Ford v Ferrari.
Achievement in Visual Effects:
The Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
1917
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
The Two Popes
I don't think Jojo Rabbit will end the night empty-handed, so to speak, but I cross my fingers for The Irishman here.
Best Original Screenplay:
Knives Out
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
You want to talk original? Let's talk Parasite.
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