The Young Folks Predict the 86th Academy Awards

We are just a couple days from Hollywood’s biggest and most prestigious night for film. Some may argue about the relevance of the Academy Awards in this day and age. Valid points are made, but at the same time, we can’t help but be interested in what the Academy deems as the best of the best for each year. 2013 turned out to be an exceptional year for film. It’s hard to be unhappy with the pool of talent congregating on Sunday night in Hollywood. With Ellen DeGeneres hosting, I’m sure it will be a year and show to remember.

Tradition has us once again sharing our predictions on who will take home the coveted golden statue on Sunday night. But we’ll also be adding a little bit more to our predictions. Often who we think WILL win and who we think SHOULD win are not the same. So we are sharing both choices. Because really, who doesn’t want a somewhat real say on who is the best of the year?

Click through the slideshow to see each of our predictions. Feel free to comment with your thoughts and predictions. 

By the way, if you haven’t checked our Oscar series on YouTube, you are missing out. Watch them here or in the playlist below:

Aaron Neuwirth’s 86^th Academy Awards Predictions

Best Picture:

Will Win – 12 Years A Slave

Should Win – Her

Her was my favorite film of 2013, so it goes without saying that I believe it should take the Best Picture prize, but realistically, it has all come down to Gravity and 12 Years A Slave.  Gravity will likely walk away with multiple Oscars, specifically in the technical categories, but I still feel that the Academy members will end up placing 12 Years A Slave as the winner of the top prize of the night.  Regardless, it is nice to not be completely sure about this for a change.

Best Director: Will Win – Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

Should Win – Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

Gravity is a tremendous feat any way you look at it and that largely comes down to Alfonso Cuaron managing to realize his vision on screen.  The film is impeccably made and an enormous accomplishment on a filmmaking standpoint, which is why Cauron has been awarded for his work as director every step of the way, leading up to the Oscars.

Best Actor: Will Win – Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Should Win – Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street

Given the string of well-received features that Matthew McConaughey has been involved in in recent years, along with his recent work on HBO’s True Detective, it seems like it has all lead up to an Oscar win for him.  It doesn’t hurt that he went through a physical transformation in order to play Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club, which Academy voters tend to like to recognize.  All that being said, I believe DiCaprio has given his best performance yet as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, so it is hard for me to not want to see that recognized, let alone his tremendous work, including previous nominations, that has led up to this point in his career.

Best Actress: Will Win – Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Should Win – Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

It seems like voting for Blanchett is one of the surest bets of the night, but it is certainly well deserved, as Jasmine is a character that I found to be fascinating in the presentation of a character who is suffering a breakdown.  Blanchett has already proven herself as a great actress, one of the best currently working, but Woody Allen’s screenplay allows her to embody a person who is funny, annoying, frustrating, and sad to watch, which is a great accomplishment, worthy of a Oscar statue.

Best Supporting Actor:

Will Win: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Should Win: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave

While not as recently prolific as Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto has certainly lived up to the similar praise that his co-star has received for his work in Dallas Buyers Club and it seems all but inevitable that he will be winning an Academy Award.  That said, I have long been a fan of all things Michael Fassbender and his work as the despicable, yet emotional complex character, Edwin Epps, is phenomenal.

Best Supporting Actress:

Will Win:  Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years A Slave

Should Win:  Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine

It is hard to say I “don’t” want Lupita to win an Oscar for her fantastic work as the long suffering slave, Patsey, in 12 Years A Slave, which could only be potentially upset by another win for Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle, but I have been championing Sally Hawkins for some time.  Nyong’o certainly seems capable enough to deliver another great performance down the road, but Hawkins has proven herself as a great actor for some time and I loved the balance she provide in Blue Jasmine.

Best Animated Feature Film:

Will Win:  Frozen

Should Win:  The Wind Rises

Frozen was a wonderful accomplishment for Disney, featuring memorable ballads, a great sense of fun, and superb animation.  I fully expect and do not mind it winning an Oscar.  With that said, Hayao Miyazaki has put forth a great final feature that serves a great, animated character drama, perfectly deserving of an Oscar as well.

Best Foreign Film:

Will Win:  The Great Beauty

Should Win:  The Hunt

The Great Beauty seems to have Oscar written all over it, given its previous wins of the Golden Globe and BAFTA, along with its comparisons to the work of Fellini.  The Hunt, however, was on my Top Ten List, as I found it to be a tremendous effort all around.

Best Original Screenplay:

Will Win: Her Should Win:  Her

If there is one place Her could score some Academy love, I hope it is here.  Also, recall the Best Original Screenplay win for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which has a similar quality. Best Adapted Screenplay:

Will Win:  12 Years A Slave

Should Win:  Before Midnight

This makes the most sense for one of the Best Picture frontrunners, but I have loved Richard Linklater’s ‘Before’ Trilogy and would love to see it finally be recognized.

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.