The Young Folks Predict the 86th Academy Awards

Evan Griffin’s Oscar Picks

Note: I’ve offered up a pick for every category save for any foreign films, short films, documentary films, shot documentary films or foreign documentary short films*

*(that’s not a real category, but it may as well be)

Best Picture

The Academy – 12 Years a Slave / Gravity

Evan – 12 Years a Slave / Gravity / Her

I’m pretty sure history is being made with how evenly the awards are being given to both 12 Years a Slave and Gravity. I can hardly complain if either of them win because they both deserve it, but I really would love to see Her be an underdog all the same.

Best Actor

The Academy – Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyer’s Club

Evan – Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave

Needless to say, all the 5 actors nominated this year did a fantastic job with their respective roles.

Leo made me laugh hysterically with his roller coaster of a character arc in Wolf of Wall Street.

Bruce Dern evokes truthful, deep cutting family drama in Nebraska.

Matthew McConaughey portrayed an amazing account of a man changing his life to be something worth fighting for.

Christian Bale even did a solid Robert De Niro impression.

But the absolutely most deserving of an award is Ejiofor portraying the brutal hardships of Solomon Northup. This film, this performance, demands our attention with how important it is, and despite the fact that we’ve seen slavery portrayed on film before, I stand by the fact that it’s never been done as honestly as this.

Best Actress

The Academy – Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine

Evan – Sandra Bullock in Gravity

Apparently people are still talking about Blue Jasmine despite the recent outing of Woody Allen being a terrible person? Beats me, I didn’t see it, thought I’m sure Cate Blanchett is as wonderful as she is in everything she touches (maybe except for Indiana Jones. Sorry to make you remember that)

But I really believe that if Sandra Bullock’s performance in Gravity did not work, the film as a whole would not have the same… *ahem* weight… sorry.

Best Supporting Actor

The Academy – Jared Leto in Dallas Buyer’s Club

Evan – Barkhad Abdi in Captain Phillips / Michael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave

This was my biggest toss up. Yes, Jared Leto was good, but the people who argue why have a straight man play a transgender woman as opposed to an actual transgendered woman make an excellent point, especially in consideration of the fact that Captain Phillips turns an excellent performance, arguably the best part of the film, out of first time actor Barkhad Abdi, who is truly from Somalia playing a Somali Pirate!

I do have to note, on the site, how incredible, and by incredible, I mean horrifyingly devious, Fassbender was as the hated, entitled plantation owner in 12 Years a Slave.

Best Supporting Actress

The Academy – Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle

Evan – Lupita Nyong’o in 12 Years a Slave

Same argument as everyone else, ain’t even gonna bother touching this, despite the fact I like Jennifer Lawrence. Sorry, Jen. Hear you’re taking a year break from acting, please enjoy it.

Best Animated Feature

The Academy – Frozen

Evan – The Wind Rises

People are sleighing out in droves for Frozen. I saw it, I get it, I liked it. But this year’s The Wind Rises is the last directorial effort of the amazing visionary man, Hayao Miyazaki. This man deserves more awards for his existing work, and as his last film, this counts among some of his best.

Best Directing

The Academy – Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity

Evan – Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity / Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave

Again, these two movies are neck and neck. Most people, as I predicted, are throwing their picks to Gravity that are similar to what Ang Lee was given last year for Life of Pi: all the technical awards. As they should be, this has been Cuarón’s baby that he slaved over for many years. However, i just want to remind people that, while the performances were some of the strongest pieces within 12 Years a Slave, McQueen’s directing is equally phenomenal. Both directors are great at their craft and I would be happy to see either one get this award.

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