Well Oscars Sunday has arrived and while I have my gripes with how many good to great films and performances from an awesome year for movies will get zero recognition tonight, some of my personal favorites from 2021 are in contention as well.
I originally wrote about my final predictions of the ceremony for the Ordinary Times online magazine earlier in the week, so you can go read that piece if you want my in-depth thinking on all of these categories, but this version will include minor differences in where I rank certain films and performances’ chances; and I have made a major last second change to my Adapted Screenplay prediction as well that I will probably come to regret tomorrow morning knowing my luck.
BEST PICTURE
My Prediction:The Power Of The Dog
Upset Alert:CODA
Dark Horse(s):Belfast
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Dune; Don’t Look Up; Drive My Car; King Richard; Licorice Pizza; Nightmare Alley; West Side Story
My Vote: 1. Belfast; 2. Licorice Pizza; 3. Dune; 4. The Power Of The Dog; 5. Drive My Car; 6. Nightmare Alley; 7. CODA; 8. King Richard; 9. West Side Story; 10. Don’t Look Up
BEST DIRECTOR
My Prediction: Jane Campion; The Power Of The Dog
Upset Alert: Kenneth Branagh; Belfast
Dark Horse(s): Paul Thomas Anderson; Licorice Pizza, Steven Spielberg; West Side Story
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”: Ryusuke Hamaguchi; Drive My Car
My Vote: Paul Thomas Anderson; Licorice Pizza
BEST ACTOR
My Prediction: Will Smith; King Richard
Upset Alert: Benedict Cumberbatch; The Power Of The Dog
Dark Horse(s): Andrew Garfield; Tick, Tick…Boom!
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”: Javier Bardem; Being The Ricardos, Denzel Washington; The Tragedy Of Macbeth
My Vote: Denzel Washington; The Tragedy Of Macbeth
BEST ACTRESS
My Prediction: Jessica Chastain; The Eyes Of Tammy Faye
Upset Alert: Nicole Kidman; Being The Ricardos
Dark Horse(s): Penelope Cruz; Parallel Mothers, Olivia Coleman; The Lost Daughter
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”: Kirsten Stewart; Spencer
My Vote: Jessica Chastain; The Eyes Of Tammy Faye
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
My Prediction: Troy Kotsur; CODA
Upset Alert: Kodi Smit-McPhee; The Power Of The Dog
Dark Horse(s): Ciaran Hinds; Belfast
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”: Jesse Plemons; The Power Of The Dog,J.K Simmons; Being The Ricardos
My Vote: Ciaran Hinds; Belfast
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
My Prediction: Ariana Debose; West Side Story
Upset Alert: Kirsten Dunst; The Power Of The Dog
Dark Horse(s): Aunjanue Ellis; King Richard
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”: Jessie Buckley; The Lost Daughter,Judi Dench; Belfast
My Vote: Kirsten Dunst; The Power Of The Dog
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
My Prediction:Belfast
Upset Alert:Licorice Pizza
Dark Horse(s):Don’t Look Up; The Worst Person In The World
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:King Richard
My Vote:Belfast
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
My Prediction:CODA
Upset Alert:The Power Of The Dog
Dark Horse(s):Drive My Car; The Lost Daughter
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Dune
My Vote:Dune
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
My Prediction:Encanto
Upset Alert:The Mitchells VS The Machines
Dark Horse(s):Luca
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Flee; Raya And The Last Dragon
My Vote:Luca
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
My Prediction:Robin Robin
Upset Alert:Bestia
Dark Horse(s):Boxballet; The Windshield Wiper
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Affairs Of The Art
My Vote:Robin Robin
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
My Prediction:Drive My Car
Upset Alert:The Worst Person In The World
Dark Horse(s):Flee; The Hand Of God
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom
My Vote:Drive My Car
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
My Prediction:The Long Goodbye
Upset Alert:The Dress
Dark Horse(s):Ala Kachuu: Take And Run; Please Hold
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:On My Mind
My Vote:The Dress
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
My Prediction:Summer Of Soul
Upset Alert:Flee
Dark Horse(s):Attica
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Ascension; Writing With Fire
My Vote:Summer Of Soul
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
My Prediction:The Queen Of Basketball
Upset Alert:Audible
Dark Horse(s):Three Songs For Benazir
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Lead Me Home; When We Were Bullies
My Vote:The Queen Of Basketball
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
My Prediction: “No Time To Die”; No Time To Die
Upset Alert: Dos Oruguitas; Encanto
Dark Horse(s): “Be Alive”; King Richard
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”: “Down To Joy”; Belfast,“Somehow You Do”; Four Good Days
My Vote: “Be Alive”; King Richard
BEST SCORE
My Prediction:Dune
Upset Alert:The Power Of The Dog
Dark Horse(s):Encanto
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Don’t Look Up; Parallel Mothers
My Vote:The Power Of The Dog
BEST SOUND
My Prediction:Dune
Upset Alert:West Side Story
Dark Horse(s):Belfast; The Power Of The Dog
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:No Time To Die
My Vote:Dune
BEST EDITING
My Prediction:Dune
Upset Alert:King Richard
Dark Horse(s):The Power Of The Dog; Tick, Tick…Boom!
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Don’t Look Up
My Vote:Tick, Tick…Boom!
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
My Prediction:Dune
Upset Alert:The Power Of The Dog
Dark Horse(s):The Tragedy Of Macbeth
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Nightmare Alley; West Side Story
My Vote:The Tragedy Of Macbeth
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
My Prediction:Dune
Upset Alert:Spider-Man: No Way Home
Dark Horse(s):No Time To Die
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Free Guy; Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
My Vote:Dune
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
My Prediction:Dune
Upset Alert:Nightmare Alley
Dark Horse(s):The Power Of The Dog; The Tragedy Of Macbeth
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:West Side Story
My Vote:The Tragedy Of Macbeth
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
My Prediction:Cruella
Upset Alert:Dune
Dark Horse(s):West Side Story
“Just Happy To Be Nominated”:Cyrano; Nightmare Alley
