The posters for the eight nominees for the Best Picture category of the Oscars are shown in a collage. Despite many setbacks in the film industry due to COVID-19, many strong movies have still been produced. Images fair use of their respective owners, graphic by Ireland McCage
This has been a strange year for movies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many movies were written off or delayed due to safety precautions, audiences were still gifted with numerous Oscar-worthy performances. With the 93rd Academy Awards coming up on Sunday, here are a few predictions for the most anticipated categories.
Best Picture:
“Mank”
“Minari”
This was a strong year for movies, especially considering how difficult it was to produce them safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The nominees this year all had a common theme of telling the stories of marginalized voices. Although Best Picture is going to be a very tight race, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is a strong pick. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” takes you through the 1969 trial of seven people charged with conspiracy and other similar counts by the federal government during rising protests in Chicago following the 1968 Democratic National Convention. It features amazing storytelling and a compelling portrayal of racially motivated incidents in the ‘60s in contrast with the present day.
Predicted Winner: The Trial of the Chicago 7
Honorable Mentions: Nomadland, Promising Young Woman
Best Actor:
Anthony Hopkins – “The Father”
Riz Ahmed – “Sound of Metal”
Steven Yeun – “Minari”
Chadwick Boseman – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Gary Oldman – “Mank”
With Chadwick Boseman’s recent death, he becomes the ninth actor/actress to be nominated for an Oscar posthumously, the last being Heath Ledger’s extraordinary performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Boseman, battling the late stages of cancer, decided to take on the role of Levee Green in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which was an extremely demanding role due to the emotional depths of the character. Boseman never put forth anything less than 100%, making him the clear winner here.
Predicted Winner: Chadwick Boseman
Honorable Mentions: Riz Ahmed
Best Actress:
Andra Day – “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Vanessa Kirby – “Pieces of a Woman”
Carey Mulligan – “Promising Young Woman”
Viola Davis – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Frances McDormand – “Nomadland”
This actress class is quite competitive, with each nominee telling a powerful story in an inspiring way. This is an extremely competitive category, almost to the point where it may be impossible to predict the winner. Will it be Viola Davis’ exceptional performance portraying the struggles of race, religion, and the exploitation of Black artists in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom?” Or will it be Carey Mulligan’s revenge-inspired performance against sexual abuse and the system in “Promising Young Woman?” The strongest bet though would be going with Frances McDormand’s amazing performance in “Nomadland.” McDormand’s acting went hand and hand with Chloé Zhao’s directing style, fitting each other perfectly and creating an Oscar-winning acting performance.
Predicted Winner: Frances McDormand
Honorable mention: Viola Davis
Best Director:
Thomas Vinterberg – “Another Round”
David Fincher – “Mank”
Chloé Zhao – “Nomadland”
Emerald Fennell – “Promising Young Woman”
Lee Isaac Chung – “Minari”
This year is a historical year for Best Director nominees, being the first time two women have been up for best director, along with Chloé Zhao being the first person of color to have been nominated. Zhao is also the first female to be nominated for four awards in a single year. Along with the historical aspect of her nomination, Zhao’s eye for detail shaped this story so that with minimalistic acting, it would be an award-winning directing performance.
Predicted Winner: Chloé Zhao
Honorable Mention: Emerald Fennell
Best Supporting Actor:
Paul Raci – “Sound of Metal”
Sacha Baron Cohen – “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
LaKeith Stanfield – “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Leslie Odom Jr. – “One Night in Miami…”
Daniel Kaluuya – “Judas and the Black Messiah”
The Best Supporting Actor class will be a close one with standout performances from both Daniel Kaluuya and Sacha Baron Cohen. Both have been nominated for Oscars in the past and had amazing performances in their corresponding films. However, Sacha Baron Cohen’s incredible scene portraying Abbie Hoffman testifying on the stand about his actions as one of the Chicago Seven was enough to solidify him being the predicted winner.
Predicted Winner: Sacha Baron Cohen
Honorable Mentions: Daniel Kaluuya
Best Supporting Actress:
Amanda Seyfried – “Mank”
Olivia Colman – “The Father”
Youn Yuh-jung – “Minari”
Maria Bakalova – “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
Glenn Close – “Hillbilly Elegy”
Maria Bakalova’s scene exposing Rudy Giuliani in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” was enough to make everyone who watched the film, and even many who didn’t, astounded. Bakalova, posing as a 15-year-old in an interview with former President Donald Trump’s lawyer and former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, discovered that he acts inappropriately around minors and went public with the information. The scene stirred up major controversy and was all over the news, and if your acting performance is good enough to do that, it is also good enough to get pretty close to a clear win.
Predicted Winner: Maria Bakalova
Honorable Mention: Youn Yuh-jung
