MERYL STREEP AND FOUR OTHER WOMEN: Patricia Arquette ("Boyhood"), Laura Dern ("Wild"), Keira Knightley ("The Imitation Game"), Emma Stone ("Birdman"), Meryl Streep ("Into The Woods")
SHOULD WIN: Patricia Aquette
WILL WIN: Patricia Arquette
Again, I have to say it and I don't care if it makes me sound just petulant but I am sorry...I am just sick of the Academy nominating Meryl Streep for Oscars just for showing up on a film set. At this stage, it is just a forgone conclusion that if she appears in a film within a given year, she will be nominated whether she deserves to be or not. With "Into The Woods," I haven't seen the film to judge her performance fairly but it really doesn't matter because...she's Meryl Streep and for just existing as Meryl Streep, shouldn't she just be given an automatic pass? Urgh!!!
Now that I have gotten that rant out of my system, I think this category will be the first of the awards to go to "Boyhood," and with all due respect to Laura Dern and Emma Stone, who each gave rightfully nominated performances, I really believe that Patricia Arquette's soulful, completely naturalistic performance, as delivered in piecemeal over the 12 year filming period, was as seamless as the film itself. More importantly, she truly gave us a tremendous sense of evolution with her character as we witness a single Mother growing in independence, a greater knowledge of her own sense of self-worth as well as a stronger sense of self respect over time. Arquette perfectly illustrated how we all, at times, find ourselves making the worst decisions for ourselves over and again, until we find ourselves finally making the right decisions. In many ways, what Patricia Arquette accomplished was the creation of a full three dimensional life so perceptively and with great empathy and understanding that the movie could have easily been re-edited to be about her and entitled "Motherhood." That's how strong she was and without ever calling attention to herself in any self-congratulatory fashion.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Robert Duvall ("The Judge"), Ethan Hawke ("Boyhood"), Edward Norton ("Birdman"), Mark Ruffalo ("Foxcatcher"), J.K. Simmons ('Whiplash")
SHOULD WIN: J.K. Simmons
WILL WIN: J.K. Simmons
Yes, I think that this category is essentially Simmons' to lose as his volcanic work as the tyrannical, darkly manipulative band conductor who torments the 19 year old drummer made for the most explosive and distinctly layered work within this group of five actors. While Ethan Hawke achieved the same scope and demands that Patricia Arquette achieved in "boyhood," and Edward Norton gave a searing, swaggering performance in "Birdman," Simmons had me pinned to my seat as he was indeed that ticking time bomb.
BEST ACTRESS: Marion Cotillard ("Two Days, One Night"), Felicity Jones ("The Theory Of Everything"), Julianne Moore ("Still Alice"), Rosamund Pike ("Gone Girl"), Reese Witherspoon ("Wild")
SHOULD WIN: Rosamund Pike
WILL WIN: Julianne Moore
This category feels to be very tricky to me. Now as much as I loved Felicity Jones' subtle, layered work and yes, Ms. Witherspoon was indeed a powerhouse in one of her richest and deepest performances, Rosamund Pike's work completely spun my head around. I have now seen "Gone Girl" twice and even knowing how the story played out on that second viewing, Pike held me in her sinister grasp all over again and I think that is what makes her performance so special. On first viewing, she had to upend you and your perceptions, which she most certainly did. But on any subsequent viewings, she had to create a performance that would indeed be captivating to watch again and not feel like some sort of stunt. It was a malevolent, devious magic act on disturbing display and for me, I think that is why she should receive the gold. And perhaps, she probably will but...
...I just have this nagging feeling that there just may be an upset of some sort. Based upon her win at the Golden Globes, I wonder if Julianne Moore has a serious shot at the award. Notices for her performance have been highly regarded even as the film itself, which hasn't really been that widely seen, has received fair to good reviews. And surprisingly, Moore has never won an Oscar before and Pink is still a relative newcomer. After receiving five Academy Award nominations, maybe now is Julianne Moore's time.
BEST ACTOR: Steve Carell ("Foxcatcher"), Bradley Cooper ("American Sniper"), Benedict Cumberbatch ('The Imitation Game"), Michael Keaton ("Birdman"), Eddie Redmayne ("The Theory Of Everything")
SHOULD WIN: Eddie Redmayne
WILL WIN: Eddie Redmayne
As in the Best Supporting Actor category, I think that this is Redmayne's category to lose. Despite how astonishing Redmayne's compete physical transformation in his performance as Stephen Hawking was, Oscar LOVES those performances where full, physically abled actors portray characters and figures with some manner of physical disabilities and I just don't see them breaking a pattern this time around. While I would love to see Michael Keaton's electrifying work in "Birdman" take the to prize, be prepared to see Eddie Redmayne deservedly rush to the stage to collect his trophy,
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Paul Thomas Anderson ("Inherent Vice"), Damien Chazelle ("Whiplash"), Jason Hall ("American Sniper"), Anthony McCarten ("The Theory Of Everything"), Graham Moore ("The Imitation Game")
SHOULD WIN: Damien Chazelle
WILL WIN: Graham Moore
This one will really be a stab in the dark for me. While I have seen four of the five nominated films in this category, and would love for Damien Chazelle to take the prize for his blistering work, I think that I would possibly lean towards my fellow University of Chicago Lab School graduate Graham Moore's work as this just may be the place to honor this film as I feel "Birdman" and "Boyhood" will dominate the night.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Wes Anderson ("The Grand Budapest Hotel"), E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman ("Foxcatcher"), Dan Gilroy ('Nightcrawler"), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., & Armando Bo ("Birdman"), Richard Linklater ("Boyhood")
SHOULD WIN: Wes Anderson
WILL WIN: Wes Anderson
As always, the key word is "original," and even with the sensational work the writing team of "Birdman" displayed, there was no screenplay more original than the melancholic, mythical Eastern European dreamworld fantasia of Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel," and if he doesn't take the prize, then we can just add this to the list of the Academy's long list of cinematic crimes. 'Nuff said!!!!
BEST DIRECTOR: Wes Anderson ("The Grand Budapest Hotel"), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ("Birdman"), Richard Linklater ("Boyhood"), Bennett Miller ("Foxcatcher"), Morten Tyldum ("The Imitation Game")
SHOULD WIN: Richard Linklater
WILL WIN: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Now it gets REALLY tough! By this point, the Oscar race essentially boils down to "Boyhood" and "Birdman" and on the awards circuit, "Birdman" has been gaining some steam and traction. So, I think that Oscar will award Best Director to one film and Best Picture to the other--no, it doesn't make sense at all to do it that way but I feel this is how it will play out. Taking all of that into consideration, I feel that here will be the place where Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will take the top prize and if he does, then...
BEST PICTURE: "American Sniper," "Birdman," "Boyhood," "The Grand Budapest Hotel," "The Imitation Game," "Selma," "The Theory Of Everything," "Whiplash"
SHOULD WIN: "Boyhood"
WILL WIN: "Boyhood"
...THIS will be the big winner of the night. For me, I feel that it should be the biggest winner of the night as it was the film that had the furthest reach, as well as the largest and greatest scope while also existing as the finest film of Richard Linklater's truly idiosyncratic career. It would be wonderful to see this filmmaker scale the heights of the industry with a film that I am certain no one saw coming before it was initially screened to audiences for the first time.
There you have it once again, dear readers. And we'll have to check out the results on Sunday, February 22nd!!!!
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