Predicting the Oscars? Whew! It’s a tough one this year! Besides, honestly, Anne Hathaway and Daniel Day-Lewis, there’s no clear-cut favorite at the 85th Academy Awards. Even Hathaway and Day-Lewis are on shaky grounds, okay, not that much. They may be surefire but what about for Best Picture, or heck, Best Director with the presumed frontrunner, Ben Affleck, missing from the race?
But, every year, I slaved to give you my honest, heartfelt Oscar predictions, which should help you with your Oscar pool…I hope. If you win anything, just give me an Oscar buck!
So here you go, my complete 2013 Oscar predictions for all categories:
Best Picture
"Amour"
*** "Argo"
"Beasts Of The Southern Wild"
"Django Unchained"
"Les Miserables"
"Life Of Pi"
"Lincoln"
"Silver Linings Playbook"
"Zero Dark Thirty"
WILL WIN: “ARGO” – Why? Because it’s simply the best movie of 2012! Plus, it already won a Producer’s Guild Award which is a great sign.
Best Director
Michael Haneke - "Amour"
Benh Zeitlin - "Beasts Of The Southern Wild"
Ang Lee - "Life Of Pi"
*** Steven Spielberg - "Lincoln"
David O. Russell - "Silver Linings Playbook"
WILL WIN: STEVEN SPIELBERG – If Affleck was nominated, then heck, he would win, but alas, we’ll go to the second favorite film of the Academy, and that of course, is “Lincoln.” All hail Steven Spielberg.
Best Actor In A Leading Role
Denzel Washington - "Flight"
Hugh Jackman - "Les Miserables"
*** Daniel Day-Lewis - "Lincoln"
Joaquin Phoenix - "The Master"
Bradley Cooper - "Silver Linings Playbook"
WILL WIN: Without a doubt – Daniel Day-Lewis for “Lincoln”
Best Actress In A Leading Role
*** Emmanuelle Riva - "Amour"
Quvenzhane Wallis - "Beasts Of The Southern Wild"
Naomi Watts - "The Impossible"
Jennifer Lawrence - "Silver Linings PLaybook"
Jessica Chastain - "Zero Dark Thirty"
WILL WIN: If you asked me two months ago, my answer would have been Jessica Chastain. If you asked me three months ago, it would have been Jennifer Lawrence. But now? I have a sneaky feeling that Emmanuelle Riva will win for “Amour!” I think Lawrence and Chastain will cancel each other out. And the Academy loves sick characters (check), legends (check), foreign actors (check), and “Amour” garnering multiple Oscar nominations is a great big plus for Riva.
Best Actor In A Supporting Role
Alan Arkin - "Argo"
Christoph Waltz - "Django Unchained"
*** Tommy Lee Jones - "Lincoln"
Philip Seymour Hoffman - "The Master"
Robert De Niro - "Silver Linings Playbook"
WILL WIN: I will be happy if either Christoph Waltz or Philip Seymour Hoffman walk home with an Oscar but I think Tommy Lee Jones and his memorable wig from the movie will win! He won a Screen Actors Guild award already, and that’s a good sign.
Best Actress In A Supporting Role
*** Anne Hathaway - "Les Miserables"
Sally Field - "Lincoln"
Amy Adams "The Master"
Helen Hunt - "The Sessions"
Jacki Weaver - "Silver Linings Playbook"
WILL WIN: In any given year, Sally Field would have been deserving, but, she didn’t cut her hair, lose tremendous amount of weight, or sing her heart out. Hathaway did, and boy, did she leave us breathless in just barely fifteen minutes of on-screen time! Fantastic!
Best Original Screenplay
Michael Haneke - "Amour"
Quentin Tarantino - "Django Unchained"
John Gatins - "Flight"
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola - "Moonrise Kingdom"
*** Mark Boal - "Zero Dark Thirty"
WILL WIN: “Zero Dark Thirty” from scriptwriter Mark Boal. The script won the Writers Guild Award already which is a good sign.
Best Adapted Screenplay
*** Chris Terrio - "Argo
Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin - "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
David Magee - "Life Of Pi"
Tony Kushner - "Lincoln"
David O. Russell - "Silver Linings Playbook"
WILL WIN: This is a tough one. Sure, “Argo” won a WGA award, but “Lincoln” is also favored, as well as “Silver Linings Playbook.” But, I’ll go for “Argo.”
Best Foreign Language Film
*** "Amour"
"Kon-Tiki"
"No"
"A Royal Affair"
"War Witch"
WILL WIN: “Amour!” Great sign that it’s nominated for Best Picture, and it also received a lot of nods. And, the movie is just exquisite, it’s my favorite Foreign Language film of 2012.
Best Animated Feature Film
"Brave"
"Frankenweenie"
"ParaNorman"
"The Pirates"
*** "Wreck-It Ralph"
WILL WIN: My heart belongs to “Paranorman,” but “Wreck-It-Ralph” has been getting all the accolades, and it’s more palatable. Isn’t it sad that Pixar lost its magic at least last year? “Brave” anyone?
Best Original Song
"Chasing Ice"
"Life Of Pi"
"Ted"
"Les Miserables"
*** "Skyfall"
WILL WIN: My heart belongs to “Suddenly” from “Les Miserables” but the Academy loves a James Bond song and we all bow down to Adele who will be singing live at the Oscars! So yes, this category belongs to Bond, James Bond.
Best Cinematography
Seamus McGarvey - "Anna Karenina"
Robert Richardson - "Django Unchained"
*** Claudio Miranda - "Life Of Pi"
Janusz Kaminski - "Lincoln"
Roger Deakins - "Skyfall"
WILL WIN: Yes, Roger Deakins, always an Oscar bridesmaid, never a bride, may bow down to Claudio Miranda who created the most beautiful film of 2012, “Life of Pi.” Deakins did win at the ASC, American Society of Cinematographers, so there’s still hope!
Best Film Editing
*** William Goldenberg - "Argo"
Tim Squyres - "Life Of Pi"
Michael Kahn - Lincoln
Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers - "Silver Linings Playbook"
William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor - Zero Dark Thirty
WILL WIN: “Argo”! Sure, both “Argo” and “Silver Lining Playbook” won at the recently concluded ACE Eddie Awards (American Cinema Editors), “Argo” for dramatic feature and “Silver Linings Playbook” for comedy/musical category, but in the end, the Academy prefers drama more than comedy and “Argo’s” perfectly edited scenes that jumped between real and reel footage deserve recognition.
Best Costume Design
*** Jacqueline Durran - "Anna Karenina"
Paco Delgado - "Les Miserables"
Joanna Johnston - "Lincoln"
Eiko Ishioka - "Mirror Mirror"
Colleen Atwood - "Snow White and the Huntsman"
WILL WIN: If “Anna Karenina” deserves one Oscar, it’s for the fabulous costumes!
Best Documentary Feature
"5 Broken Cameras"
"The Gatekeepers"
"How To Survive A Plague"
"The Invisible War"
"Searching For Sugar Man"
WILL WIN: “Searching for Sugar Man” has been and will always be my favorite to win!
Best Visual Effects
"The Avengers"
"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
*** "Life Of Pi"
"Prometheus"
"Snow White And The Huntsman"
WILL WIN: “Life of Pi”
Best Production Design
Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer - "Anna Karenina"
Dan Hennah, Ra Vincent, Simon Bright - "The Hobbit"
Eve Stewart - "Les Miserables"
*** David Gropman, Anna Pinnock - "Life Of Pi"
Rick Carter, Jim Erickson, Peter T Frank - "Lincoln"
WILL WIN: “Life of Pi” – this movie didn’t reach $500 million in box-office revenue just to be ignored by the Academy HA!
Best Original Score
Dario Marianelli - "Anna Karenina"
Alexandre Desplat - "Argo"
*** Mychael Danna - "Life Of Pi"
John Williams - "Lincoln"
Thomas Newman - "Skyfall"
WILL WIN: “Life of Pi” – Mychael Danna’s heartfelt score deserves to win!
Best Make Up
"Hitchcock"
*** "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
"Les Miserables"
WILL WIN: I’m thinking “The Hobbit” – compare each nominated film and imagine how many hours each movie devote in make-up and styling. Yup, “The Hobbit” took more time right?
Best Sound Editing
"Argo"
"Django Unchained"
*** "Life Of Pi"
"Skyfall"
"Zero Dark Thirty"
WILL WIN: “Life of PI”
Best Sound Mixing
"Argo"
"Les Miserables"
"Life Of Pi"
"Lincoln"
*** "Skyfall
WILL WIN: “Skyfall”
Best Documentary Short Film
"Inocente"
"Kings Point"
*** "Mondays At Racine"
"Open Heart"
"Redemption"
WILL WIN: “Mondays at Racine” – an excellent documentary short about women with cancer who meet at a beauty salon in Long Island.
Best Animated Short
"Adam And Dog"
"Fresh Guacamole"
"Head Over Heels"
"Maggie Simpson In The Longest Daycare"
*** "Paperman"
WILL WIN: I love both “Paperman” and “Adam and Dog” but I just fall more for “Paperman” just a bit higher plus, “Paperman” won the Annie Award already, so, another good sign.
Best Live-Action Short Film
"Asad"
"Buzkashi Boys"
*** "Curfew"
"Death Of A Shadow"
"Henry"
WILL WIN: “Curfew” by Shawn Christensen left an indelible mark
