Though it felt longer than usual this year, Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony finally will complete award season for the best in cinema for 2013.
Two months of speculation and colorful dresses and crazy acceptance speeches from the previous award shows lead up to this night. Who will have a wardrobe malfunction? Who will be wasted? Will there be another scandal? Who will act like a diva?
Anything could happen, and this Oscar season already was one of the most entertaining of the last decade. From the overwhelming amount of great movies to the unpredictable winners, all awards seasons should be this fun.
As the most likely lock of the night, Jared Leto probably will win Best Supporting Actor for his work in “Dallas Buyers Club,” just as he has the rest of the season. But if the voters do decide on a shocking upset, Barkhad Abdi for “Captain Phillips” could be the one. This reviewer, though, still wishes Will Forte had gotten a little bit more credit and had snagged a nomination for his efforts in “Nebraska.” PREDICTION: Jared Leto. MY PREFERENCE: Will Forte (not nominated)
Another frontrunner this season is Cate Blanchett as Best Actress for her tour-de-force acting in “Blue Jasmine.” While the rebirth of Woody Allen’s controversy has made viewers reluctant to support him, history has shown that voters don’t let personal problems affect their decisions (and it honestly is a deserving performance). That’s not to say some might be choosing Sandra Bullock for her one-woman show with “Gravity,” or the academy could go the predictable route with Oscar favorites Meryl Streep (“August”) or Judi Dench (“Philomena”). PREDICTION AND PREFERENCE: Cate Blanchett.
The big toss-up this year is between Jennifer Lawrence (“American Hustle”) and Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave”) for Best Supporting Actress. But Julia Roberts could steal the vote with category fraud for “August: Osage County.” Yours truly’s choice would be Sally Hawkins in “Blue Jasmine,” who was one of the more underrated and delightful performances of 2013. PREDICTION: Jennifer Lawrence or Lupita Nyong’o (pick ’em). MY PREFERENCE: Sally Hawkins.
Best Actor was up in the air until Matthew McConaughey stole the title at the last three televised award shows for “Dallas Buyers Club.” His main competition is Leonardo DiCaprio for “The Wolf of Wall Street,” who has been gaining accolades for his comedic timing, and Chiwetel Ejiofor has been another favorite in “12 Years.” The underdogs are Christian Bale (“Hustle”) and Bruce Dern (“Nebraska”). In truth, all five nominees are worthy of receiving the trophy regardless of who wins. PREDICTION: Matthew McConaughey. MY PREFERENCE: Leonardo DiCaprio.
On a side note, this also would be a good year for the academy to have another big tie in its main categories. It’s been 45 years since Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand both won for Best Actress, and the Actor and Supporting Actress categories presently would be the perfect time to tie again.
It’s pretty easy to guess Spike Jonze’s “Her” will win Best Original Screenplay while Adapted might be John Ridley’s “12 Years,” unless Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope’s “Philomena” gets there first. Personally I think “Blue Jasmine” and “Wolf” are the strongest, but now is not Allen’s or Terence Winter’s moment with such heavy competition. PREDICTION: Spike Jonze and John Ridley. PREFERENCE: Woody Allen and Terence Winter.
Best Director and Best Picture are neck-in-neck between “12 Years” and “Gravity.” Such a tough choice, as both films are extraordinary in completely different ways. The academy could do another toss-up and give Director to Alfonso Cuarón (“Gravity”) and Picture to “12 Years,” or vice versa, or favor either film twice. “Wolf” and “Nebraska” are my favorites of the nine nominations, but one of the major snubs this past season was “Inside Llewyn Davis” – not only for Picture, but also for its soundtrack. PREDICTION (DIRECTOR): Alfonso Cuarón. PREFERENCE: Martin Scorsese. PREDICTION (BEST PICTURE): “12 Years a Slave.” PREFERENCE: “Inside Llewyn Davis” (not nominated).
Not only are the Oscars this weekend, but so are the Independent Spirit Awards to celebrate independent films from the past year. Whoever the academy’s winners are and in spite of the debates those choices will inevitably spur, we all can agree that it’s a good time to be a film fan right now, and here’s to another versatile year in entertainment.
mbianco@durangoherald.com. Megan Bianco is a movie reviewer and contributes other entertainment-related features and articles. She is a graduate of Cal State University, Northridge, where she studied film criticism and screenwriting.
