Once again it’s time for me to predict the winners of the Academy Awards. Before I do, I want to make a preliminary prediction. I predict they will get all their envelopes right. Those two ‘envelope guards’ from last year were sacked so two new people are coming. Also I predict Jimmy Kimmel will be entertaining again as host. Makes good sense to have someone who hosts a late night show host the Oscars.

 

Anyways without further ado, here are my predictions for this year’s Academy Awards:

 

BEST PICTURE:

Should Win & Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Closest Threat: The Shape Of Water

This is a tough one. The race is between Three Billboards and The Shape Of Water. Shape of Water won the Producers Guild, but Three Billboards has the Golden Globe, the Critics Choice and the BAFTA. However the director of The Shape Of Water is favored to win while the director of Three Billboards didn’t even get nominated. How did that happen? I have to go with Three Billboards. It’s even possible Get Out could pull a shocker. You never know.

 

BEST DIRECTOR:

SW & WW: GUILLERMO DEL TORO/The Shape Of Water
CT: JORDAN PEELE/Get Out

 

Remember Pan’s Labyrinth from over ten years ago? I’ve been waiting for the longest time for Del Toro to get Oscar acclaim as a director and finally he has the chance. If he wins, this will make it four times in the last five years a Mexican director won Best Director.

 

BEST ACTOR:

SW & WW: GARY OLDMAN/Darkest Hour
CT: TIMOTHEE CHALAMET/Call Me By Your Name

 

Last year was the first year since 1997 which all four acting Oscars went to performances of fictional characters. This year, I anticipate two of them to go to performances of people who existed or exist. Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill is one of them.

 

BEST ACTRESS:

SW & WW: FRANCES McDORMAND/ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
CT: SAOIRSE RONAN/Lady Bird

 

Funny how those of us around the early years of TSO thought the young actor at the time with the best chances of making the transition to adult actor was Haley Osment. Instead it ended up being Saoirse Ronan.

 

The last time an actress won this award for the second time was just six years ago: Meryl Streep. I still remember Frances McDormand’s first Best Actress winning performance in Fargo. Yah! She deserves it again here.

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

SW & WW: SAM ROCKWELL/ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
CT: WILLEM DAFOE/The Florida Project

 

Many people have complained that the acting categories this year are too predictable. All expected to win have won the GG, SAG and BAFTA award. Maybe next year will spice things up. In the meantime, Sam’s a deserving winner here.

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

SW & WW: ALLISON JANNEY/I, Tonya
CT: LAURIE METCALF/Lady Bird

 

After years of small supporting movie performances that catch your eye, Allison Janney gets a break with a role that no only gives her due credit, but even steals the show from Morgot Robbie as Tonya!

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

SW & WW: JORDAN PEELE/Get Out
CT: MARTIN McDONAGH/ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 

I know the Academy usually has an aversion to horror films, but the script of Get Out is worthy of the win.

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

SW & WW: JAMES IVORY/Call Me By Your Name
CT: AARON SORKIN/Molly’s Game

 

Last year, it was Moonlight that was the gay film with the biggest impact on the Oscars. This year it’s Call Me By Your Name: A romance set around the charming coasts of Italy. And apricots.

 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

SW & WW: CoCo
CT: Loving Vincent

 

While 2017 wasn’t as good a year in animated films as 2016, it did feature an autumn surge of great films like CoCo, Ferdinand and Loving Vincent. I anticipate CoCo to take it. Once again a win for Disney in this category.

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

SW & WW: ROGER DEAKINS/Blade Runner 2049
CT: DAN LAUSTSEN/The Shape Of Water

 

To think this is Roger Deakins’s thirteenth nomination starting way back with The Shawshank Redemption and he’s never won. Looks like this is finally his year!

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

WW: MARK BRIDGES/Phantom Thread
CT: LUIS SEQUEIRA/The Shape Of Water

Well, Phantom Thread is about a high-status fashion designer, right?

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

WW: Faces Places
CT: Icarus

 

BEST FILM EDITING:

WW: LEE SMITH/Dunkirk
CT: PAUL MACHLISS and JONATHAN AMOS/Baby Driver

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

WW: A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
CT: The Square (Sweden)

 

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:

WW: Darkest Hour
CT: Wonder

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

SW & WW: ALEXANDRE DESPLAT/The Shape Of Water
CT: HANS ZIMMER/Dunkirk

 

What’s your guess that Alexandre Desplat will dethrone John Williams as film’s top composer anytime soon?

 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:
WW: ‘This Is Me’/The Greatest Showman
SW & CT: ‘Remember Me’/CoCo

 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

WW: The Shape Of Water
SW & CT: Dunkirk

 

BEST SOUND MIXING:

WW: Dunkirk
CT: Baby Driver

 

BEST SOUND EDITING:

WW: Dunkirk
CT: Blade Runner 2049

 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

WW: Blade Runner 2049
CT: War For The Planet Of The Apes

 

Trivia Fact: The last time a Star Wars movie won an Oscar was back in 1983 for Return Of The Jedi. Actually it was an honorary Oscar to the visual effects team.

 

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM:

WW: DeKalb Elementary

 

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM:

WW: Dear Basketball

 

Interesting how before the Oscar nominations were announced, the short with the best chances of getting nominated according to oddsmakers was In A Heartbeat: the boy-meets-boy story that went viral on YouTube back in August. Its snub really hit fans hard. Looks like it’s Kobe’s for the taking.

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT:

WW: Heaven Is A Traffic Jam On The 405

 

BONUS SECTION: WHAT IF TSO PICKED THE OSCARS?

 I’d like to thank you all for voting in the polls I created. Now here are our picks:

 

• Best Picture – Get Out
• Best Director – CHRISTOPHER NOLAN/Dunkirk
• Best Actor – three-way tie: Daniel Kaluuya, Gary Oldman and Denzel Washington
• Best Actress - SAOIRSE RONAN/ Lady Bird
• Best Supporting Actor – tie: Willem Dafoe and Richard Jenkins
• Best Supporting Actress - LAURIE METCALF/ Lady Bird
• Best Animated Feature – Ferdinand
• Best Visual Effects - Star Wars: The Last Jedi

 

And there you have it. My predictions and the faves of TSO. Oscars to be revealed Sunday night. Let’s hope they have the envelopes all right this time!

Thank you, enlightening as always and very hard to disagree with, looking forward to the results Sunday night.,

I like your animated film pick, the funny thing on this site it is all between Ferdinand and Coco and not a vote for those other great ones like Loving Vincent.

I know Ferdinand is big here but sorry kids Coco walked off wit the Oscar for best animated film as it did at the GG.

Just a quick galnce here I think I see Trevor nailed a few so far, I see "Blade Runner 2049" got Visuals I really thought it would be Star Wars, also as Klattuu mentioned "Coco" took animated film, it seems also "Dunkirk" getting a lot of technical wins tonight.

I was hoping Get Out would win but stupid of me that is not the type of movie those old rich white men of the academy like. :P

People are tuning out, lowest rated Oscars in history, I heard in days of old this telecast was a can't miss.

I just don;t see the point of taking 3 hours and watch this, when you can wait next day and if you care see all who won. I watched it once and was bored.

myBOYce said:

People are tuning out, lowest rated Oscars in history, I heard in days of old this telecast was a can't miss.

 

Lowest rated Oscars in history well I never watch, I do admit a few years ago I did try but the thing is most of these actors are so obvious Liberal and all they do is rip any president that is not a Liberal like Obama. I don't care about any politics and if I watch it go get your award thank a few people I don't want to hear your political crap. Right off the bat they turn off conservative viewers, how many conservatives watch the Oscars I wonder?

I never watch also I am just barely curious who wins, I mean if a fav star like say Christian Martyn was nomiated I would watch. cx

Bummed out that "Ferdinand" did not win best animated but I figured after Coco won the GG it would also get the Oscar.

Actually Bill Maher brought up an interesting point years ago. Conservatives always complain how Hollywood is out of touch with Middle America and they're too liberal in speaking. Maher highlighted the conservative problem. Conservatives feel that if an actor so much voices their conservative beliefs, even if the most they are is a D-lister, they feel they should promote them to political office or have their own AM radio show or political column.

Hey, Bill made it clear for people that complain about Hollywood being too liberal. He told them all to 'shut up and eat your popcorn!'

Skater_TJ said:

Lowest rated Oscars in history well I never watch, I do admit a few years ago I did try but the thing is most of these actors are so obvious Liberal and all they do is rip any president that is not a Liberal like Obama. I don't care about any politics and if I watch it go get your award thank a few people I don't want to hear your political crap. Right off the bat they turn off conservative viewers, how many conservatives watch the Oscars I wonder?

 

Bill is correct, just enjoy the movies, yes Hollywood is very Liberal but there are some A list conservatives also like Clint Eastwood.

OmahaTrevor85 said:

Actually Bill Maher brought up an interesting point years ago. Conservatives always complain how Hollywood is out of touch with Middle America and they're too liberal in speaking. Maher highlighted the conservative problem. Conservatives feel that if an actor so much voices their conservative beliefs, even if the most they are is a D-lister, they feel they should promote them to political office or have their own AM radio show or political column.

Hey, Bill made it clear for people that complain about Hollywood being too liberal. He told them all to 'shut up and eat your popcorn!'