Oscars Winners and Losers Predicted 2014
We (I) love movies here at THinc. Love to love to love to love movies. (Whatever the heck that means.) And we (I) thought we (I) could post our (my) hopes and dreams for the night. I’m already on record that I think Sandra Bullock should win best actress… but I don’t think she gives a piece of buttered toast whether she wins or not it is now apparent that she took home $75 million (yes… $75) for her part in that film. She made a rare frontside 15% deal on this one I do believe. Absolutely killed it with that pick Sandra.
Regardless, I figured I would post the nominees – and the movie I think SHOULD win, and the movie I think WILL win. Ok? Simple enough for ya? Fantastic then.
BEST PICTURE nominees
“American Hustle”
“Captain Phillips”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Gravity”
“Her”
“Nebraska”
“Philomena”
“12 Years a Slave”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
WILL WIN: “12 Years a Slave”
SHOULD WIN: “12 Years a Slave”
WHY: If you haven’t seen 12 Years a Slave, the intensity drives right through the end of the film, through the credits, and out the back of the theater. There is no way that this movie is going to lose. It just can’t. It would be a crime against humanity if it lost. But you all know my love for Her, Gravity, and The Wolf of Wall Street (oh, oops, haven’t finished writing that one yet.) But 12 Years a Slave killed it at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs… so its definitely trending right now.
DIRECTOR nominees
Alfonso Cuarón, “Gravity”
Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
Alexander Payne, “Nebraska”
David O. Russell, “American Hustle”
Martin Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
WILL WIN: Alfonso Cuarón, “Gravity”
SHOULD WIN: Alfonso Cuarón, “Gravity”
WHY: It took Alfonso like 7 years to craft this movie. When he first rigged Sandra up in the harness and spun her around he almost quit… she looked like she was getting dragged on her head, not flying weightlessly through the air. But Cuarón pushed through regardless of the technological problems and got his movie finally made. And there really has never been a movie made quite like it.
ACTOR nominees
Christian Bale, “American Hustle”
Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”
WILL WIN: Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”
SHOULD WIN: Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
WHY: Alright, I have to be honest here. There is a very large part of me that enjoys McConaughey. He’s light, and fun. His southern charm is a nice change from the rest of Hollywood’s straight and narrow. But there is an equal and opposite part of me that disdains the guy fully. It’s not acting if you are the guy you are acting… every single time! But I unfortunately think he’ll win for this role. I just think it will click for the Oscar voters. But its a crying shame because Ejiofor should destroy this Oscar. It should be his.
ACTRESS nominees
Amy Adams, “American Hustle”
Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”
Judi Dench, “Philomena”
Meryl Streep, “August: Osage County”
WILL WIN: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
SHOULD WIN: Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”
WHY: Oh this one is complicated. Meryl Streep was gorgeous in August. But that is her role. She’s been playing that role for decades now. We’ve seen it before – but it isn’t any less amazing because of it. It just won’t win because of it. Dame Judi probably deserves another gold statue for her role in Philomena, but there is no way its going to happen with the contestants running beside her. Sandra killed it with her quiet and reserved struggle for air in Gravity. She had a Sisyphian task on her hands – to act, alone, for 80% of the movie… that just hasn’t been done since what’s his bucket crashed his Fed-Ex plane onto that stupid island. Just saying. But I’m betting that Cate will win with her Jasmine role. It is the darling of the pageant it would seem – and everyone seems to think she nailed it. And while I enjoyed the movie – as I do with nearly every Woody Allen movie – I don’t think she killed it.
SUPPORTING ACTOR nominees
Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips”
Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle”
Michael Fassbender, “12 Years a Slave”
Jonah Hill, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”
WILL WIN: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”
SHOULD WIN: Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips”
WHY: Barkhad was possessed in this role in Captain Phillips. That’s why. He was scary. Like, I don’t know if this actor is acting sorta scary. Which is exactly why Hollywood won’t give him the nod. They’ll say he wasn’t “acting” enough. So then the only other obvious choice leaves us with Jared Leto in Dallas Buyer’s Club.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS nominees
Sally Hawkins, “Blue Jasmine”
Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”
Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Julia Roberts, “August: Osage County”
June Squibb, “Nebraska”
WILL WIN: Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle” 
SHOULD WIN: Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
WHY: A lot of hype has been made about Lawrence’s performance in Hustle. I thought it was alright. I personally thought Lupita’s role in 12 much stronger though. But Lawrence is due after getting so much bankroll for her Divergent movies… oh wait… I mean for her TMNT movies. No, that isn’t right either. Never mind.
Response: Totally, completely and absolutely love that I was wrong on this one. Couldn’t be happier. Lupita nailed it in 12 years. Killed it. Shockingly so.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY nominees
“Before Midnight,” Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
“Captain Phillips,” Billy Ray
“Philomena,” Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
“12 Years a Slave,” John Ridley
“The Wolf of Wall Street,” Terence Winter
WILL WIN: ”12 Years a Slave,” John Ridley
SHOULD WIN: ”Before Midnight” Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Why: Three of the greatest scripts of all time were Before Sunrise, Sunset and Midnight. Just magically inspired. And with Midnight we have before us the perfect telling of our adult lives played out on the screen. It doesn’t carry the flirty charm of the first two, but it is real life played out in front of us. And that is why it will lose… badly… to 12 Years a Slave… which is even MORE real life being played out in front of us. The sheer metric tonnage of real life in 12 Years is completely incalculable. Just impossible.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“American Hustle,” Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
“Blue Jasmine,” Woody Allen
“Dallas Buyers Club,” Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
“Her,” Spike Jonze; “Nebraska,” Bob Nelson
WILL WIN: American Hustle,” Eric Warren Singer
SHOULD WIN: “Her,” Spike Jonze
WHY: Boy did I love the movie Her. I loved everything about it. The tone, the writing, the controversial love story, the dialogue. Everything. But it was a broadway play, not a movie. No no, it was a collegiate level thinker’s play – not even Broadway. So I don’t even think it will be considered seriously. But what about Blue Jasmine? Are you kidding me? After the renewed controversy around Woody after his lifetime achievement and the rape allegations being resurfaced through his and her editorials? No way. Not even on a good day will Woody be considered. And that leaves us with Hustle… which was very clever in its writing. Very good actually.
Response: I’m totally stoked I was wrong on this one. Uber excited to see Her won in the Best Original Screenplay category. Very excited to see I was wrong on this one.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“The Act of Killing”
“Cutie and the Boxer”
“Dirty Wars”
“The Square”
“20 Feet From Stardom”
WILL WIN: “The Act of Killing”
SHOULD WIN: “The Act of Killing”
WHY: Because its the only one I heard I had to see. So I did. And oh my gosh. Win it will.
Response: Ok so The Act of Killing lost??! Hahah. Good on you Oscar voters. Impressive. But it lost out to Twenty Feet From Stardom?!? A movie about backup singers? Alright, you just bumped a movie to the top of my to-see list. Impressive.