For Your Consideration: Our 2015 Oscar Predictions

We cast our ballot for this year’s ceremony.
Film + TVStaff Picks
For Your Consideration: Our 2015 Oscar Predictions

We cast our ballot for this year’s ceremony.

Words: FLOOD Staff

photo by Aaron Poole / ©A.M.P.A.S.

February 21, 2015

Preparations continue Tuesday, February 25, 2014 for the the 86th Oscars® for outstanding film achievements of 2013 which will be…

On Sunday, film’s most prestigious awards will be handed out to a number of deserving films from the past year for the 87th Academy Awards, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris (maybe making a play for the first-ever hosting EGOT). A few of the Academy’s picks made our own best-of 2014 list, while others (puzzingly) didn’t even get a nod. This year’s ceremony, more than most others in recent past, carries with it a sizable hangover of controversy. On Oscar night, it’s guaranteed that not a single filmmaker of color will take home an Oscar in any of the major categories. Other familiar Academy themes are prevalent in the noms, including films about filmmaking, Wars, biopics about conflicted geniuses (male ones), and period films. Still, there’s a wide range of innovative, impressive movies being celebrated and there’s definitely one Best Song performance we’re really looking forward to.

Here, we posit our own picks for who will take home Oscar tomorrow night.


BEST PICTURE

American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

What Should Win: Boyhood or Birdman
What Will Win: Boyhood

BEST DIRECTOR

Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

Who Should Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu or Richard Linklater
Who Will Win: Richard Linklater, Boyhood

BEST ACTOR in a leading role

Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Who Should Win: Michael Keaton or Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Who Will Win: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

BEST ACTRESS in a leading role

Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Who Should Win: Marion Cotillard, Julianne Moore, or Rosamund Pike
Who Will Win: Julianne Moore

BEST ACTOR in a supporting role

Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J. K. Simmons, Whiplash

Who Should Win: Edward Norton, Mark Ruffalo, or J.K. Simmons
Who Will Win: J.K. Simmons

BEST ACTRESS in a supporting role

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into The Woods

Who Should Win: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Who Will Win: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

BEST WRITING adapted screenplay

Jason Hall, American Sniper
Graham Moore, The Imitation Game
Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice
Anthony McCarten, The Theory of Everything
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash

Who Should Win: Paul Thomas Anderson or Damien Chazelle
Who Will Win: Damien Chazelle, Whiplash

BEST WRITING original screenplay

Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr, and Armando Bo, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, story by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler

Who Should Win: Everyone
Who Will Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr, and Armando Bo, Birdman

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls

How To Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

What Should Win: The Lego Movie
What Will Win: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya or Big Hero 6

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, Ida
Dick Pope, Mr. Turner
Roger Deakins, Unbroken

Who Should Win: All of ’em.
Who Will Win: Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mark Bridges, Inherent Vice
Colleen Atwood, Into The Woods
Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Cliver, Maleficent
Jacqueline Durran, Mr. Turner

Who Should Win: Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel or Mark Bridges, Inherent Vice
Who Will Win: Jacqueline Durran, Mr. Turner

http://youtu.be/WeGaacZwhvQ

BEST DOCUMENTARY feature

CitzenFour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

What Should Win: All of ’em.
What Will Win: Virunga

BEST DOCUMENTARY short subject

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper (La Parka)
White Earth

What Should Win: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
What Will Win: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

BEST FILM EDITING

Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach, American Sniper
Sandra Adair, Boyhood
Barney Piling, The Grand Budapest hotel
William Goldenberg, The Imitation Game
Tom Cross, Whiplash

Who Should Win: Barney Piling, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Sandra Adair, Boyhood, or Tom Cross, Whiplash
Who Will Win: Sandra Adair, Boyhood

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Ida (Poland)
Leviathan (Russia)
Tangerines (Estonia)
Timbuktu (Mauritania)
Wild Tales (Argentina)

What Should Win: Ida
What Will Win: Leviathan

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard, Foxcatcher
Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White, Guardians of the Galaxy

What Should Win: Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White, Guardians of the Galaxy
What Will Win: Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White, Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST MUSIC original score

Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alexandre Desplat, The Imitation Game
Hans Zimmer, Interstellar
Gary Yershon, Mr. Turner
Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Theory of Everything

What Should Win: Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel or Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Theory of Everything
What Will Win: Jóhann Jóhannsson, The Theory of Everything

BEST MUSIC original song

“Everything Is Awesome,” from The Lego Movie
music and lyric by Shawn Patterson

“Glory,” from Selma
music and lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn

“Grateful,” from Beyond The Lights
music and lyric by Diane Warren

“I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” from Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
music and lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond

“Lost Stars,” from Begin Again
music and lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

What Should Win: “Glory,” from Selma
What Will Win: “Glory,” from Selma

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Adam Stockhausen (production design); Anna Pinnock (set decoration), The Grand Budapest Hotel
Maria Djurkovic (production design); Tatiana Macdonald (set decoration), The Imitation Game
Nathan Crowley (production design); Gary Fettis (set decoration), Interstellar
Dennis Gassner (production design); Anna Pinnock (set decoration), Into the Woods
Suzie Davies (production design); Charlotte Watts (set decoration), Mr. Turner

Who Should Win: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Who Will Win: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock, The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST SHORT FILM animated

The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life

What Should Win: Feast
What Will Win: Open field.

BEST SHORT FILM live action

Aya
Boogaloo and Graham

Butter Lamp (La Lampe au Beurre de Yak)
Parvaneh
The Phone Call

What Should Win: Butter Lamp
What Will Win: Open field.

BEST SOUND EDITING

Alan Robert Murray and Bob Asmun, American Sniper
Martin Hernández and Aaron Glascock, Birdman
Brent Burge and Jason Canovas, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Richard King, Interstellar
Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro, Unbroken

Who Should Win: Martin Hernández and Aaron Glascock, Birdman
Who Will Win: Alan Robert Murray and Bob Asmun, American Sniper

BEST SOUND MIXING

John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, and Walt Martin, American Sniper
Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, and Thomas Varga, Birdman
Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker, and Mark Weingarten, Interstellar
Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, and David Lee, Unbroken
Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley, Whiplash

Who Should Win: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley, Whiplash or Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, and Thomas Varga, Birdman
Who Will Win: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley, Whiplash

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill, and Dan Sudick, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, and Erik Winquist, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner, and Paul Corbould, Guardians of the Galaxy
Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher, Interstellar
Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie, and Cameron Waldbauer, X-Men: Days of Future Past

What Should Win: Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher, Interstellar
What Will Win: Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, and Erik Winquist, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

The 87th Academy Awards will air on this Sunday, February 21 on ABC at 7 p.m. EST.