My Probably Way Off Academy Awards Predictions

Less than an hour till the nominations are announced.  Here are my probably way off predictions ( ;) ) predictions.


BEST PICTURE:

Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Flight
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty


Everybody seems to be in agreement that this was such a strong year for movies that there will definitely be 10 nominees.  I'm gonna gamble and say Skyfall WILL make it in.  Nothing would thrill me more than to see The Dark Knight Rises come in, but I think there is only room for one major action movie and that will likely go to Skyfall rather than TDKR.

If Skyfall doesn't make it in other possibilities include Michael Heneke's Amour, The Impossible, Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master.



BEST DIRECTOR:

Ben Affleck, Argo
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty


I'm gonna go a head and predict Russell makes it in over Les Miserables' Tom Hooper.  Though also not to be counted out is Michael Heneke.  Heck, it's even possible that Quentin Tarantino or Paul Thomas Anderson make it in.  Heck, I wouldn't even entirely count out Sam Mendes even though he's admittedly a dark horse.


Best Actor:

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day Lewis, Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

There are 6 major contenders but only 5 slots.  The sixth contender, and the one I'm predicting to be left out, is John Hawkes for his wonderful performance in The Sessions.  If I'm wrong, then they may leave out Cooper, though I believe that movie was loved by a lot of people and therefore think Cooper will be safe.  It's also possible that Phoenix could be left out, but I'm betting that won't happen.


BEST ACTRESS:

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea


Chastain and Lawrence are a definite lock.  And Watts and Cotillard are a pretty safe bet.  That leaves just one slot left.  Many people are predicting it will be a battle between the very young (Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild) and the very old (Emmanuelle Riva in Amour) but I'm gonna make a bold prediction that it's neither of them.  Instead I predict that 5th slot will go to surprise contender Weisz, who has already been a surprise in a couple of other awards nominations.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Alan Arkin, Argo
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained


Like the best actor category, there are 6 major contenders and only 5 slots, but there is caveat to that.  It is entirely possible that there could be a surprise 7th contender in Javier Bardem in Skyfall.  But I don't think that's going to happen.  As for the other one, there is also Leonardo Dicaprio for Django Unchained.  I'm predicting he doesn't get in, but if he does, I fear it may be at De Niro's expense.  I hope not though.  It could be at Waltz's expense too, but I also hope that's not the case.  I really want both Waltz and De Niro to make it.  They are both fantastic.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Amy Adams, The Master
Judi Dench, Skyfall
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions


Dench is probably wishful thinking on my part.  But she was fantastic in her final Bond outing and deserves to make it.  In her place will likely be either Maggie Smith for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel or Anne Dowd for Compliance.


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Django Unchained
Flight
Looper
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty

Other possibilities: The Master, Amour


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Argo
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Silver Linings Playbook

Other possibility: Beasts of the Southern Wild


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
The Secret World Arrietty
Wreck it Ralph

Nothing would please me more than to see Brave snubbed in this category, but alas, I don't think it will happen.


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

Other possibility: Anna Karenina, The Hobbit, Django Unchained, Prometheus, Les Miserables, The Impossible


BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

Anna Karenina
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Prometheus

Other possibilities: Django Unchained, Skyfall, John Carter, Cloud Atlas.


BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

Anna Karenina
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Snow White and the Huntsman

Other possibilities: John Carter, A Royal Affair, Cloud Atlas.


BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Lincoln
Men in Black 3

Other possibilities: Les Miserables, Looper, John Carter.


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

The Avengers
Cloud Atlas
The Hobbit
Life of Pi
Prometheus

Other possibilities: The Impossible, The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man, Skyfall.



That's all I'm gonna predict.  A couple of notes:


- I hope Skyfall gets nominated for best original song.  Adele's Skyfall is a great tune.  Same with the song from Ted, "Everybody Needs a Best Friend."

- I hope John Carter gets nominated for it's awesome score.  Michael Giacchino is the man!