Will's Oscar Preview!!

So I've gotten quite lazy on my blog, but I couldn't let the awards season slip by without a post.  So here's my Oscar extravaganza.  For each category, I will list my ballot (from favorite to least favorite), omitting the handful of movies I haven't seen yet, give my prediction for the award, and mention a movie or performance that should have been nominated but was snubbed.  Here goes:



Best Picture
I think this is a 2 horse race between Gravity and 12 Years a Slave.  American Hustle has a chance to pull the dark horse upset, but I think the Academy will go with the safe bet here and choose the front-runner since August.

My Ballot:
1. Her
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. American Hustle
4. Gravity
5. Captain Phillips
6. 12 Years a Slave
7. Nebraska

My Pick to Win:  12 Years a Slave
Shoulda been nominated:  Fruitvale Station and Short Term 12

Best Actor
I really really need to see Dallas Buyers Club.  If Matthew McConaughey was nominated for Mud, I would put him first on my ballot.  That being said he should win unless the Academy feels like giving DiCaprio a lifetime achievement award here.

My Ballot:
1. Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Bruce Dern - Nebraska
3. Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave
4. Christian Bale - American Hustle

My Pick to Win:  Matthew McConaughey
Shoulda been nominated:  Michael B. Jordan - Fruitvale Station and Robert Redford - All is Lost

Best Actress
Really the biggest lock of the night.  Cate Blanchett has won everything.  The last betting odds I saw were 1/50, which means you'd have to bet $50 to return $51.  Vegas knows what they're doing.

My Ballot:
1. Meryl Streep - August: Osage County
2. Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
3. Amy Adams - American Hustle
4. Sandra Bullock - Gravity

My Pick to Win: Cate Blanchett
Shoulda been nominated:  Brie Larson - Short Term 12

Best Supporting Actor
This won is the second biggest lock of the night.  Jared Leto hasn't lost a major award, and he'll get a bald little man to put on his mantle.

My Ballot:
1. Jonah Hill - The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Bradley Cooper - American Hustle
3. Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips
4. Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave

My Pick to Win: Jared Leto
Shoulda been nominated:  Moises Arias - The Kings of Summer

Best Supporting Actress
This is a toss-up between everybody's favorite starlet Jennifer Lawrence and the beautiful newcomer Lupita Nyong'o.  Both nailed roles of tortured females (albeit very, very differently).  The Academy likes to give this award to the new kid on the block which could work for both young ladies, but I think they'll go with Nyong'o since she's just a tad bit "newer".

My Ballot:
1. Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
2. Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine
3. Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave
4. June Squibb - Nebraska
5. Julia Roberts - August: Osage County

My Pick to Win: Lupita Nyong'o
Shoulda been nominated:  Scarlett Johansson - Her

Best Animated Feature
My Ballot:
1. Frozen
2. The Croods
3. Despicable Me 2
My Pick to Win: Frozen
Shoulda been nominated:  Monsters University

Best Cinematography
My Ballot:
1. Prisoners
2. Nebraska
3. Gravity
My Pick to Win: Gravity
Shoulda been nominated: Her

Best Costume Design
My Ballot:
1. American Hustle
2. The Great Gatsby
3. 12 Years a Slave
My Pick to Win: The Great Gatsby
Shoulda been nominated: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Best Directing
My Ballot:
1. Martin Scorsese - The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity
3. David O. Russell - American Hustle
4. Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave
5. Alexander Payne - Nebraska
My Pick to Win: Alfonso Cuaron
Shoulda been nominated: Spike Jonze - Her

Best Documentary
My Ballot:
1. Cutie and the Boxer
2. Dirty Wars
3. 20 Feet from Stardom
4. The Act of Killing
My Pick to Win: The Act of Killing
Shoulda been nominated: The House I Live In

Best Editing
My Ballot:
1. Captain Phillips
2. American Hustle
3. Gravity
4. 12 Years a Slave
My Pick to Win: Gravity
Shoulda been nominated: Short Term 12

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
My Ballot:
1. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
2. The Lone Ranger
My Pick to Win: Dallas Buyers Club
Shoulda been nominated: American Hustle

Best Original Score
My Ballot:
1. Her
2. Gravity
My Pick to Win: Gravity
Shoulda been nominated: Frozen

Best Original Song
My Ballot:
1. "Let it Go" - Frozen
2. "The Moon Song" - Her
3. "Happy" - Despicable Me 2
My Pick to Win: "Let it Go"
Shoulda been nominated: "Vicious" - Short Term 12

Best Production Design
My Ballot:
1. Her
2. American Hustle
3. The Great Gatsby
4. 12 Years a Slave
5. Gravity
My Pick to Win:  The Great Gatsby
Shoulda been nominated: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Best Sound Editing
My Ballot:
1. All is Lost
2. Gravity
3. Captain Phillips
My Pick to Win: Gravity
Shoulda been nominated: Star Trek: Into Darkness

Best Sound Mixing
My Ballot:
1. Gravity
2. Captain Phillips
My Pick to Win: Gravity
Shoulda been nominated: Her

Best Visual Effects
My Ballot:
1. Gravity
2. Star Trek: Into Darkness
3. Iron Man 3
4. The Lone Ranger
My Pick to Win: Gravity
Shoulda been nominated: Pacific Rim

Best Original Screenplay
My Ballot:
1. Her
2. Blue Jasmine
3. American Hustle
4. Nebraska
My Pick to Win: Her
Shoulda been nominated: Don Jon

Best Adapted Screenplay
My Ballot:
1. Before Midnight
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. 12 Years a Slave
4. Captain Phillips
My Pick to Win: 12 Years a Slave
Shoulda been nominated: August: Osage County

...whew.....  Should have a top 10 list ready in a week or so...