Sunday, March 2, 2014

Your Guide to the Oscars

Movies with Abe presents your guide to tonight's Oscars. Click on each category heading for detailed analysis of all nominees in every category. Below please find my final predictions for the winners.

I’ve never been able to see every single one of the nominees in all categories, but this year I came pretty close. I haven’t seen a total of ten films. One – “The Missing Picture” – I’d really like to see, but the press screenings don’t start until next week since its theatrical release is in March. I would have been happy to see “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” and “The Grandmaster,” but just didn’t have the chance. I haven’t seen the first two installments that precede “Before Midnight,” and my interest in “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “Lone Survivor,” “The Book Thief,” and “The Invisible Woman” was just lukewarm. And, though their makeup and hairstyling may be excellent, I have absolutely no desire to see “The Lone Ranger” and especially “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.”

Now to what I have seen. My favorite film out of all the Oscar nominees is “Her,” and I’m just hoping that it will take home its well-deserved Best Original Screenplay trophy. I’m also pulling for “Captain Phillips” to win that Best Film Editing award, which it so merited and might make up in part for Oscar voters’ horrendous snubs of Tom Hanks and director Paul Greengrass. The only true upset I’m predicting is Amy Adams for Best Actress, since I think “American Hustle” has to be rewarded somewhere and I really hope it’s not Best Picture. I do think that “Gravity” and “12 Years a Slave” can peacefully split Best Director and Best Picture, though we’ll have to see if one film gains more momentum over the other. I’ll be furious if “Frozen” doesn’t win both of its bids (though you could make a legitimate case for two of the other Best Animated Feature nominees). I hope it’s a fun show overall. I’m in D.C. and will be hosting a viewing party.

I’ll also be live-tweeting, so follow @movieswithabe during the show and let me know how you’re enjoying it! Leave your comments on these final predictions below!

BEST PICTURE
12 Years a Slave

BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Amy Adams (American Hustle)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Lupita Nyongo (12 Years a Slave)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Her

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
12 Years a Slave

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Gravity

BEST ART DIRECTION
The Great Gatsby

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Great Gatsby

BEST FILM EDITING
Captain Phillips

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Gravity

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Let It Go”

BEST SOUND
Gravity

BEST SOUND EDITING
Gravity

BEST MAKEUP
Dallas Buyers Club

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity

BEST FOREIGN FILM
The Great Beauty

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Frozen

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Act of Killing

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Lady in Number 6

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Room on the Broom

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
Helium

Predicted totals:
Gravity – 6
12 Years a Slave – 3
Dallas Buyers Club – 3
Frozen – 2
The Great Gatsby – 2
American Hustle – 1
Her – 1

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