The Oscars are always one of my favorite events of year. Even when I don’t agree with some of the nominees and winners, it’s still a fun show and I love having a celebration of the year in film. Well, the nominees for the 87th Academy Awards were announced a few days ago, and I’ve finally gotten all my thoughts on them straight.
DISCLAIMER: All film is subjective, so just like my reviews this list will be completely opinion-based.
BEST PICTURE
American Sniper: This should definitely not be on here. Great lead performance, bad movie.
Birdman: Terrific. This belongs here, and is probably gonna be the winner.
Boyhood: This is my pick for most overrated movie of the year. It wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t enthralled by it like most people.
The Grand Budapest Hotel: Sure, why not?
The Imitation Game: My favorite movie on this list, but it doesn’t have a strong chance of winning.
Selma: CONTROVERSY: It was just okay. Not worth a nomination in my opinion.
The Theory of Everything: Very nice to see this nominated.
Whiplash: Even nicer to see this nominated. One of the best movies of the year, and it gets better every time I see it. If I haven’t seen it I won’t comment.
Will win: Either Birdman or Boyhood
Should win: The Imitation Game
BEST ACTOR
Steve Carrell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper: In a weaker year, I would’ve put him on here. But this was a stacked year, and I would rather have seen David Oyelowo or Jake Gyllenhaal in his spot.
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game: He belongs here for sure.
Michael Keaton, Birdman: So does he. One of Keaton’s best performances.
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything: Yet another extremely strong contender. This is Redmayne’s best performance to date.
Will and should win: Michael Keaton, Birdman
BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything: I loved her performance. She belongs her for sure.
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl: YES YES YES!! I would’ve freaked out if she wasn’t nominated.
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Will win: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Should win: Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall, The Judge: He’s got no chance, but he was the best part of that movie and deserves a nomination.
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood: He should be on here. The parents in Boyhood were much more compelling than Mason.
Edward Norton, Birdman: Another great performance in a movie filled with them.
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash: This is a very strong category, but I don’t see how he doesn’t win.
Will and should win: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood: She and Ethan Hawke made the movie watchable for me. That enough is worth win.
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game: Knightley has come a long way in the last few years, and this is a vindication of all her efforts.
Emma Stone, Birdman: She was terrific.
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods: I didn’t like the movie. It was about an hour too long. But Streep was great, same as always.
Will and should win: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: I don’t like this category. It exists only to give the Academy an excuse not to nominate animated films for Best Picture. BUT HOW THE HELL DOES THE LEGO MOVIE NOT GET NOMINATED? I don’t use the term snub lightly, but this is a snub.
Big Hero 6: I loved it. Lots of fun, and yet another credit to Disney.
The Boxtrolls: I enjoyed it, and it’s nice to see it get nominated.
How to Train Your Dragon 2: Without The Lego Movie in competition, this is my clear favorite.
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Will and should win: How to Train Your Dragon 2
BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman: This is the first time that I can honestly say he did a great job directing. He did a truly amazing job.
Richard Linklater, Boyhood: I wouldn’t put him on here. I don’t think he did a very good job creating a compelling story. But I appreciate his ambition.
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel: A good one for Anderson to get nominated for.
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game: It wasn’t very showy direction, but Tyldum told this story very well and pulled good performances out of everyone.
Will and should win: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jason Hall, American Sniper: No thanks.
Graham Moore, The Imitation Game: I’m surprised this is Moore’s first screenplay. He did a fantastic job.
Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice: I love PTA, but this screenplay was not a strong one.
Anthony McCarten, The Theory of Everything: A great screenplay. He deserves the nomination.
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash: Yet another great screenplay.
Will win: Too close to call.
Should win: Graham Moore, The Imitation Game
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo, Birdman: With a movie this good, how can the screenplay not be nominated?
Richard Linklater, Boyhood: I wouldn’t give it to him, but I understand why he’s nominated. I was an ambitious effort.
E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness (story), The Grand Budapest Hotel: I’m kind of surprised to see this get so many nominations, but I can’t complain.
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler: A better movie than any of these, and yet this is its only nomination. Glad to see it get something.
Will win: All those unpronounceable names, Birdman
Should win: Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler
So, there’s all the big ones. I might not agree with all the Academy’s decisions, but that doesn’t matter. Like all art forms, film is subjective, and it’s nice to see that people have varying opinions. I’m sure this year’s show will be a lot of fun, especially with all of the surprises. The Lego Movie not getting nominated is insane, though.
Pierce at the Movies 