OSCAR NOMINEE PREDICTIONS 2019!

What an odd awards season it's been so far. A middle-of-the-road Queen biopic bested Black Panther, A Star Is Born and BlacKkKlansman for the best drama of the year at the Globes, crowd-pleaser Green Book took Best Comedy and Best Production from the PGA Awards, and the Netflix darling Roma took the Critic's Choice Award for Best Picture. Neither Green Book or Roma are up for Best Ensemble at the SAGs. It's a true shot in the dark for who's taking home Best Picture, as opposed to the pitting of two films against each other we've gotten the past few years (Three Billboards... vs. Shape of Water, La La Land vs. Moonlight, Spotlight vs. Revenant) and I love it! Nobody will be so sure who's getting what on Oscar night. Before the nominations are announced tomorrow, here are my picks.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
  • The Favourite
  • First Reformed
  • Green Book
  • Roma
  • Eighth Grade (my generation, the ones raised on writer/director Bo Burnham's hysterical stand-up comedy should all cheer)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
  • BlacKkKlansman
  • Can You Ever Forgive Me?
  • If Beale Street Could Talk
  • Black Panther (not even the best comic-book superhero movie released in the past five years, the Academy will be awarding Black Panther in part because of its "Most Popular Movie" blunder)
  • A Star Is Born
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
  • Amy Adams- Vice
  • Rachel Weisz- The Favourite
  • Emma Stone- The Favourite
  • Regina King- If Beale Street Could Talk
  • Claire Foy- First Man (even though Foy's performance was mostly staring at you with her buffet-plate eyes, she's gotten nominated enough times to warrant this guess prediction)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
  • Mahershala Ali- Green Book (beyond happy Ali will likely become a double Oscar-winner, but he should be rightfully competing alongside co-star Mortensen in Best Actor)
  • Timothee Chalamet- Beautiful Boy
  • Richard E. Grant- Can You Ever Forgive Me?
  • Adam Driver- BlacKkKlansman
  • Sam Elliot- A Star Is Born
BEST DIRECTOR:
  • Bradley Cooper- A Star Is Born
  • Alfonso Cuarón- Roma
  • Spike Lee- BlacKkKlansman
  • Peter Farrelly- Green Book
  • Yorgos Lanthimos- The Favourite (I think indie favorite Lanthimos can pull through for what I thought was one of the year's best. Vice's reception is more and more polarized as the weeks go on, so he's a safe one to reward)
BEST ANIMATED FILM:
  • Incredibles 2
  • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (no surprises here, but I'll be happy to see this left-field film win the Oscar, though I'd be happy if Wes Anderson's pet project *buh dun tss* also won)
  • Mirai
  • Isle of Dogs
  • Ralph Breaks the Internet
BEST ACTOR:
  • Viggo Mortensen- Green Book
  • Rami Malek- Bohemian Rhapsody
  • Christian Bale- Vice
  • John David Washington- BlacKkKlansman (Washington is the only maybe here. Ethan Hawke's acclaimed turn as a priest in First Reformed could eke in)
  • Bradley Cooper- A Star Is Born
BEST ACTRESS:
  • Olivia Colman- The Favourite
  • Lady Gaga- A Star Is Born (this is a dead heat between her...)
  • Glenn Close- The Wife (and her! The veteran film star vs. the singer turned silver screen queen)
  • Melissa McCarthy- Can You Ever Forgive Me?
  • Yalitza Aparicio- Roma (from maid to made in the shade, I think Miss Aparicio's quiet, heartbreaking turn will be recognized because of all the love Roma will be showered with)
BEST PICTURE: While I still haven't seen the rom-com-phenom, I doubt Crazy Rich Asians will actually earn a spot, but the Academy does love to pat themselves on the backs for diversity. I will be truly upset if Bryan Singer and Dexter Fletcher's Bohemian Rhapsody is among these other excellent films, because only star Malek deserves any hardware. And if it ends up winning like it did at the Globes, old Oscar will need "somebody to looooooooooove" because it won't be me. 
  • Roma
  • The Favourite
  • Green Book
  • A Star Is Born
  • Vice
  • Bohemian Rhapsody
  • Crazy Rich Asians
  • BlacKkKlansman
  • Black Panther
  • If Beale Street Could Talk

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