Nathaniel Nelson / Winonan
We are less than a week away from the 88th Academy Awards, and with that, people have a lot of questions: who is going to get Best Picture? Will Leonardo DiCaprio finally get the Oscar he has always deserved?
Here is your cheat sheet for this year’s Oscars, where I will try to answer as many questions as I can. As with any prediction piece, take note that I might very well be wrong come Sunday. Nobody can truly know what the Academy is thinking.
That said, let’s get to it!
Best Picture – “Spotlight”
We’ll start off with the most complicated. The Best Picture race is a doozy this year, and to be honest, it’s looking like a four-way tie. “The Revenant” has been getting some high praise lately, and after the showing at the Golden Globes, many placed it as the frontrunner. “The Big Short” took the highest honor at the Producers Guild of America Awards, which on a typical year makes the winner a lock for Best Picture (in the past 10 years, only once has the Best Picture winner been different). Yet, at the Screen Actors Guild awards, “Spotlight” took home the gold, which is also a good indicator. Personally, I’m giving “Spotlight” a bit of the edge this year. It has the subject matter, tonality and perfect implementation the Academy just eats up. This being said, there’s always “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which has blown away anyone’s expectations, and may do it again.
Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio – “The Revenant”
It’s finally Leo’s year. After decades of being No-Oscar Leo, DiCaprio will finally become regular old Leo. His performance in “The Revenant” has been sweeping acting awards this year. The combination of physical endurance and emotional depth DiCaprio displayed was beyond any other performance of the year, and easily gives DiCaprio the frontrunner status he deserves. With the momentum his role is taking, he’s the closest thing to a lock we have.
Best Actress – Brie Larson – “The Room”
Brie Larson’s performance in “The Room” has been considered the frontrunner for a while now, and for good reason. Her simultaneously heartwarming and tragic role was a showstopper, and more than worthy of an Oscar. However, Cate Blanchett put in the performance of her career in “Carol,” which might be enough to swing the Academy’s voters.
Best Supporting Actor – Alicia Vikander – “The Danish Girl”
Vikander had a huge year, appearing in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “Ex Machina” and her nominated role in “The Danish Girl.” Vikander is a shoe-in for Best Supporting Actress, though personally, I believe she was nominated for the wrong role. Her performance as Gerda Wegener in “The Danish Girl” is by no means a bad show, but her role as Ava in “Ex Machina” was a complete tour de force. That said, a win is a win, and she is easily the frontrunner.
As for the smaller awards, “Mad Max: Fury Road” is a lock for the technical awards, Ennio Morricone will take home Best Score for his work on “The Hateful Eight,” and the screenwriting awards will likely go to the writers of “Spotlight” and “The Big Short.”
The 88th Academy Awards airs on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. on ABC and will also be streaming online, so tune in to see if Leo finally gets his dues. As usual, Winona, keep watching!
