Forecasting the Oscars

The 87th annual Academy Awards, best known as The Oscars, premieres on February 22 on ABC. For the sake of brevity, my predictions for the winners will only cover the categories of Best Actor/Actress, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture. Without further ado…
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne from The Theory of Everything will win. Redmayne’s portrayal of a young but debilitating Stephen Hawking showcased both emotional depth and a caring accuracy that none of the other nominees can measure up to. However, Michael Keaton’s raw performance in Birdman or Steve Carell’s career-transcending performance in Foxcatcher deserve mention.
Best Actress: Julianne Moore will easily take this category. Her performance as an linguistics professor who struggles to keep her life together after she is diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer’s in Still Alice places her well above the competition. Marion Cotillard’s nomination in the French film Two Days, One Night and Rosamund Pike’s nomination in Gone Girl (the film’s only representation for the awards) are notable nonetheless.
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons has this category locked down. His performance as an intense, almost sadistic jazz conductor in Whiplash is simply more bombastic and impressive than the other nominees. Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher and Ethan Hawke in Boyhood are the closest runner-ups.
Best Supporting Actress: Much like J.K. Simmons, Patricia Arquette has this category tied up. Her turn as an underappreciated single mother in Boyhood has made her the clear frontrunner.
Best Director: The running is split between Alejandro Iñárritu for Birdman and Richard Linklater for Boyhood. Although both directors were innovative and experimental with their movies, Linklater has the edge for managing to create a cohesive and impactful film over a span of 12 years. Wes Anderson deserves a mention for his wonderfully realized vision in The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Best Picture: This race, like Best Director, is between Birdman and Boyhood. The award will ultimately go to Boyhood for being able to execute its ambitious concept with passion and grace. However, Birdman, American Sniper or The Theory of Everything have a very real chance of pulling an upset.
2014 was a great year for movies and the nominees for this year reflect that. Be sure to tune in for the Oscars on the 22nd.