2019 Oscar Predictions

It's that time of year again, so it's time to sharpen those pencils and make those picks everyone! This year's outing may go down as one of the more predictable ones ever, but that's easy to say before the rubber hits the road- I remember Glenn Close was a lock for Best Actress last year, before Olivia Coleman swooped in with the surprise win. I still hope to improve upon my all time high, 2009's 21/24 effort, so bring on the unpredictable tedium!

Best Actor:

Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once upon a Time in… Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Phoenix has won every award worth winning in awards season (for a role about half of the weight of his performance in 2012’s The Master), and since he’s my pick for actor of the past decade, it’s not a terrible way to cap it off.

Best Actress:

Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renee Zellweger, Judy

What does the academy love more than a biopic of a legendary figure? Not much. I just miss Zellweger's former face.

Best Supporting Actor:

Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once upon a Time in… Hollywood

Pitt’s had this in the bag for months, and it’s been a hell of a year for him- but I can’t help but hope for an upset with Pesci’s understated work in The Irishman.

Best Supporting Actress:

Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson, JoJo Rabbit
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Dern is favoured for her litigious turn in Marriage Story, but it’s not even her best performance of the year (I’ll take her in Little Women).
I’d rather the award go to her co star, Florence Pugh, who if in 2019 was in your film wearing flowers, you would do very well...

Animated Feature Film:

How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4

Anybody out there willing to bet against Pixar in this category? Klaus has a lot of buzz though…

Cinematography:

The Irishman
Joker
The Lighthouse
1917
Once upon a Time in… Hollywood

Tough to say if the Academy will vote for the legendary Deakins for his work in 1917 depicting the war the majority of the Academy fought in, or if the Academy will honour The Lighthouse, a film that reminds them of the days before colour film was invented…

Costume Design:

The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Once upon a Time in… Hollywood

The Academy would typically award it to the period piece vibes of Little Women, but last year it surprised with it’s Black Panther choice so look to Once upon a Time in… Hollywood for an upset…

Director:

The Irishman
Joker
1917
Once upon a Time in… Hollywood
Parasite

Mendes feels like a lock for his second Oscar (anyone else remember 1999?) for 1917.
I had originally hoped that the Academy would cowardly split Best Picture and Director (yet again) and give this to Parasite, but I’m not betting on it...

Best Documentary:

American Factory
The Cave
The Edge of Democracy
For Sama
Honeyland

American Factory seems to be the favourite, with a strong push from its formerly presidential producer.
It’s strong, but I’ll take the incredible Honeyland any day.

Best Documentary Short:

In the Absence
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
Life Overtakes Me
St. Louis Superman
Walk Run Cha-Cha

Editing:

Ford vs Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Parasite

Boomers go Vrrrrrooooom!
My preference is Parasite.

Foreign Film:

Corpus Christi
Honeyland
Les Miserables
Pain and Glory
Parasite

For the second year in a row, the film that will dominate this category is practically underrated.

Makeup/Hairstyling:

Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
1917

Nothing like a fat suit, although honouring Charlize in any form is ideal.

Original Score:

Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

I’ll take Little Women, for Alexandre Desplat’s delicate score that moves. No offence to the five time winner, but does John Williams really need more nominations (now at 51!) when there hasn’t been a memorable Star Wars track this millennium?

Original Song:

“I Can’t let you Throw Yourself Away.” Toy Story 4
“I’m Gonna Love Me Again.” Rocketman
“I’m Standing With You,” Breakthrough
“Into the Unknown,” Frozen 2
“Stand Up”, Harriet

Production Design:

The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
1917
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite

Although I wouldn’t be surprised if Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood upsets. 

Animated Short Film:

Dcera (Daughter)
Hair Love
Kitbull
Memorable
Sister

Live Action Short Film:

Brotherhood
Nefta Football Club
The Neighbors’ Window
Saria
A Sister

Maybe an upset by The Neighbors’ Window?

Sound Editing: 

Ford vs Ferrari
Joker
1917
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Sound editing is the creation of sounds…

Sound Mixing:

Ad Astra
Ford vs Ferrari
Joker

1917
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

…while Sound Mixing is blending them together.

Visual Effects:

Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

In this category, the Academy seems to have a bias against the Disney megaplex, so why not the favourite of the night? 

Adapted Screenplay:

The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
The Two Popes

This feels dirty. So Greta Gerwig gets robbed of no director nomination, and loses this category too.

Original Screenplay:

Knives Out
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite

Although watch for an upset by Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, the Academy has a habit of saying, “you’ve already won a couple of times Quentin- so you’re good.”
I’m not entirely clear why 1917 is in here, but this would be my toughest category to pick if it wasn’t for my original choice already.

Best Picture:

Ford vs Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once upon a Time in… Hollywood
Parasite

Yawn. So the academy remembers fighting in WWI- so they’ll vote, in the bizarre preferential balloting system that they refuse to release the process of, for 1917.
My preference? Parasite is the best film of the year. After that, I’ll take Marriage Story, The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood, and Little Women (in that order) AT LEAST before 1917. Just as long as it doesn’t go to Joker. Enjoy the show everybody!