The Advocate’s predictions for this year’s Oscars

Adam Elwell
the advocate

With the 87th Academy Award show being held on Sunday, all those people nominated are holding their breaths, awaiting the decisions of an increasingly senile group of critics.

Lucky for you, though, you don’t have to endure such suspense, as The Advocate has already picked our winners and losers for the big night.

And so… the Oscar goes to:

BEST PICTURE – “Birdman” is a shoe-in, but if the Academy felt like shaking things up a bit, then “Boyhood” would be the curveball to look out for. If voters felt inclined to give it to the actual best picture for some strange reason, then it would be “Foxcatcher,”- everyone in the cast gave an outstanding performance, and the story is a rare, stranger-than-fiction adaption.

BEST DIRECTOR – Richard Linklater for “Boyhood.” Next.

BEST ACTRESS – If you don’t love Julianne Moore in “Still Alice,” then you’re just not human. She gave a moving performance as a linguistics professor who suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s. Not to mention she’s already won this year’s Golden Globes and SAG awards, which are usually pretty good indicators for an Oscar win.

BEST ACTOR – It might sound blasphemous, but we expect Eddie Redmayne to take home the award over long-time favorite Michael Keaton. Keaton’s performance was good in “Birdman,” but Redmayne played a young Stephen Hawking. Let me say that again, just for emphasis: a young Stephen Hawking.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Patricia Arquette might as well start writing her acceptance speech. After portraying a mom who wants to do better for her children for 12 years, and taking every notable award this year for best supporting actress already, this one is no contest.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Also a pretty clear outcome: J.K. Simmons for his role in “Whiplash.” You probably remember him best as J. Jonah Jameson in “Spider-Man,” or from Farmers Insurance commercials, but his role in Whiplash makes the comical Jameson look like a sedated kitten. He is legitimately scary in this role.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – This one is going to be close, no matter who takes it. With “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Boyhood” and “Birdman” being the frontrunners, it’s hard to choose, but if we had to pick, then it’s “Boyhood,” as it’s definitely the most original out of the three.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – Our first instinct would be “Everything is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie,” but after the Academy snubbed “Selma” for best picture and best director nominations, it would be an awful PR move on its part not to give that film this particular win (for the song “Glory”) – not that it’s not Oscar worthy, because it is.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE – Honestly, who cares? Without “The Lego Movie,” this category seems pointless.