By AARON HOLMES – News Editor
Outer space! FBI hijinks! Computer romance! Parental estrangement! Somali pirates! AIDS! Slavery! Leo DiCaprio doing cocaine! The 2013 film season was jam-packed with thrills, chills and soul-aching despair. And now, the Oscars are approaching, which means it’s time to condense the works of art, to which of thousands of people and millions of dollars contributed, into easily digestible, 10-items-or-less lists, just to make sure we’re all on the same page with regard to what’s “good” and what isn’t. Let’s begin!
BEST PICTURE
The nominees:
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Nebraska
Philomena
This year’s Best Picture pool is pretty formulaic: It includes a period film, a couple of “indie darlings”, some character dramas, an examination of a historical atrocity and something by Martin Scorsese. Gravity and American Hustle are clear leaders, each with 10 total Academy Award nominations, while 12 Years a Slave is close behind. Predicting a winner, however, is trickier business. The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle are enjoying pretty consistent winning streaks so far, garnering nominations and awards from other organizations left and right. But, in the end, Steve McQueen’s stark epic is bound to win.
Winner: 12 Years a Slave
Alternate: Gravity
Dark Horse: Her
BEST ACTOR
The nominees:
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyer’s Club
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
There isn’t really any question here. None of these nominees has come close to the over 30 wins and twice as many total nominations racked up this year by the 12 Years a Slave star. Chiwetel’s got this.
Winner: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Alternate: Christian Bale
Dark Horse: Matthew McConaughey
BEST ACTRESS
The nominees:
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Judi Dench, Philomena
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Meryl Streep, August, Osage County
This is an extremely competitive year for Actress in a Leading Role. All five actresses have been nominated for an Oscar in the past, and four have won. This year’s winner will probably hinge on the extent to which each actress was able to stand out in her respective film (Cate Blanchett’s outstanding chemistry with co-star Alec Baldwin, for example, might lend her more leverage points than Sandra Bullock was able to rack up by panting into a space suit for 90 minutes).
Winner: Cate Blanchett
Alternate: Amy Adams
Dark Horse: Judi Dench
BEST DIRECTOR
The nominees:
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
This really seems like Steve McQueen’s year. 12 Years a Slave, his third-ever film, has already won a Golden Globe and dominated just about every festival it was a part of. But other directors proved highly convincing, either through their use of new-age film technology (Cuaron, Gravity) or old-fashioned style (Payne, Nebraska). David O. Russell may have been the most convincing of all– through a combination of wigs, light tricks and fierce PR campaigning, he somehow convinced the nation that American Hustle deserved ten Academy Award nominations. Meanwhile, Martin Scorsese is Martin Scorsese. It’s a toss-up
Winner: Alfonso Cuaron
Alternate: Steve McQueen
Dark Horse: Martin Scorsese
BEST ANIMATED PICTURE
The nominees:
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Frozen
Ernest & Celestine
The Wind Rises
If I have to hear another word about Frozen I’m going to scream.
Winner: Frozen
Alternate: The Wind Rises
Dark Horse: The Croods
This has been The ODYSSEY Predicts The Oscars! Thanks for entertaining our musings. Join us next month for The ODYSSEY Predicts the Season Finale of Scandal. Until then!
