Awards Blend: Boyhood Leads The Pack As We Make Our First Oscar Predictions
Tis the season for all things Oscar, as the prestigious era of adult dramas, period biopics and Disney musicals gets under way at neighborhood theaters. True, Dumb and Dumber might be the biggest release offered to audiences this weekend. But if you scour the listings for your closest multiplex, you’ll also see that awards hopefuls like Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, Jon Stewart’s Rosewater and Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash are opening in more markets – meaning the push for Oscar glory has begun.
We have been tracking the annual awards race up to this point, commenting on Birdman, Gone Girl and Boyhood -- to name just a few gender-driven titles. But with titles like Wild and The Imitation Game readying for release (and the slew of December titles sure to beef up the standings), this is the first time we’re going on record with official Oscar predictions, breaking films down into Frontrunners, Contenders, Dark Horses and Longshots. We still have a number of films left to screen between now and the end of the year. To date, here’s where I think all of the top films stand:
BEST PICTURE |
The initial pass of Best Director candidates lacks massive names like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese or the Coen brothers. But it is possible that this category could break major ground if two female directors (in Angelina Jolie and Ava DuVernay) are able to land nominations for their pictures Unbroken and Selma. The latter just started to screen. The former hasn’t been shown yet. So yes, a lot of things might change on this list, but here’s where I think we are right now.
BEST DIRECTOR |
Easily the toughest category in this year’s Oscar race. There will be at least five worthy Best Actor candidates who’ll be on the outside looking in on the morning of the Oscar announcements. When picking Frontrunners, I have four who I believe are mortal locks. That means there’s one possible slot open for nearly 20 possible contenders. Who’ll survive the lengthy Opening Stage of the awards campaign?
BEST ACTOR |
If the Best Actor is stacked, the Best Actress race is rail thin. A few candidates are emerging late, particularly Julianne Moore in the buzzworthy Still Alice. But I’m hoping Rob Marshall’s Into The Woods delivers a few noteworthy female performances, because right now, it’s looking like Reese Witherspoon’s show.
BEST ACTRESS |
If I had to place my money on one Best Supporting Actor candidate, it would have to be… too soon to tell. As much as I love JK Simmons in the breathtaking Whiplash, that movie hasn’t been setting the indie box office on fire. A few early critics’ groups could boost the profile of these candidates, but for now, it’s a level playing field.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR |
Much like the Best Picture race, I have one lock (in my mind) for the Supporting Actress race, and it’s tied to Boyhood. Patricia Arquette is the emotional anchor of Richard Linklater’s sprawling, 12-year journey, and her sentimental work should be enough to earn the actress her first Oscar nomination. Who will join her?
CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS |
Sean O’Connell is a journalist and CinemaBlend’s Managing Editor. Having been with the site since 2011, Sean interviewed myriad directors, actors and producers, and created ReelBlend, which he proudly cohosts with Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy. And he's the author of RELEASE THE SNYDER CUT, the Spider-Man history book WITH GREAT POWER, and an upcoming book about Bruce Willis.