Awards Insights

Tag: 2020

Late December Oscar Predictions

The critics’ awards have just started up and while they likely will not influence the Oscars as much as they have done in the past (because this year’s ceremony is in April and that is pretty far off from the critics’ awards which happen mostly in January), they still provide an indication of what films the critics will be pushing this Oscar season. This year, Nomadland (which was expected) and First Cow (less expected, but still expected) have performed very well at these early critics’ awards. Da 5 Bloods has also benefited greatly from these awards and I feel more confident about having the Spike Lee feature in my Best Picture lineup. Mank, however, has not gotten the success expected for it in these awards and while it definitely will get a Best Picture nominations its chances of winning are sliding slowly.

Since most of these critics’ awards are only considering movies that came out in the 2020 calendar year, films that will likely release in 2021 like Judas and the Black Messiah are not eligible. However, I think that if ‘Judas’ is as good as I hope it will be and receives at least an 86 Metascore once it releases it has a great shot at winning Best Picture. That’s because, as it is right now, there are no films that feel like true frontrunners. No film so far has hit the timely and conventionally entertaining combination a film needs to have to win Best Picture. I think ‘Judas’ could have that combination but I’m going to stay cautious on it until it releases.

But, if nothing changes it will be between Nomadland and The Trial of the Chicago 7 as they both have critics’ support (Nomadland much more than ‘Trial’, but still), timeliness or relevance, and accessibility to wide audiences.

I am going to be talking a lot about the critics’ awards that are happening all around the country throughout the post, however I think it is important to mention that they have a diminished influence on the final outcome due to the Oscars being moved later in the year. So they are less relevant and while they still will likely provide an indication of where the Oscars will go I think it is important to exercise caution when using them to create your predictions. Also, only four significant critics’ bodies have released their winners at the time of this post so there are more than a dozen more to go and therefore the people who have won so far may not be a great indication of who the critics’ bodies are going to align towards when all is said and done.

BEST PICTURE

Nomadland

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Mank

Minari

One Night in Miami

The Father

Judas and the Black Messiah

Da 5 Bloods

News of the World

Could Jump In: Soul, Promising Young Woman, First Cow, The United States vs. Billie Holliday, Pieces of a Woman, The Mauritanian, Tenet, Sound of Metal, The Prom, Another Round

Chloe Zhao seems like the clear frontrunner at this point. However, even though Mank has not received as much love as most thought it would, Fincher still has that overdue narrative going as he has never won an Oscar in his storied and prolific career. Still, Zhao has received the most acclaim this year by far so I think she has the best shot at winning this.

BEST DIRECTOR

Chloe Zhao – Nomadland

David Fincher – Mank

Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Regina King – One Night in Miami

George C. Wolfe – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Could Jump In: Lee Isaac Chung – Minari, Spike Lee – Da 5 Bloods, Florian Zeller – The Father, Paul Greengrass – News of the World, Kelly Reichardt – First Cow, Shaka King – Judas and the Black Messiah, Kornel Mondruzco – Pieces of a Woman

Chadwick Boseman seems like a lock to win this category even though we are four months away from the ceremony. His performance is being lauded throughout the industry as spectacular and nobody else in this category is getting nearly the amount of recognition as he is so I don’t really see something happening here unless something changes drastically on the road to the Oscars.

I also think Hopkins, Lindo, and Oldman are pretty much cemented for nominations as they all are getting notices from critics (especially Lindo, who has won Best Actor at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, and Hopkins who has won Best Actor at the Boston Film Critics Circle Awards). At this stage, the fifth spot is, in my mind, between Steven Yeun for Minari and Riz Ahmed for the Sound of Metal. Since Minari is a film that I think will get a Best Picture nomination I think Yeun will get in but do not count out Ahmed as he delivers a powerful turn in Sound of Metal.

BEST ACTOR

Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Anthony Hopkins – The Father

Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods

Gary Oldman – Mank

Steven Yeun – Minari

Could Jump In: Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal, Kingsley Ben-Adir – One Night in Miami, Tom Hanks – News of the World, Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah, Ben Affleck – The Way Back, George Clooney – The Midnight Sky, Colin Firth – Supernova

Viola Davis is one of the best actors of her generation and that power is really expressed in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom where, according to the critics’ consensus, she gives one of her career-best performances. Frances McDormand also has been getting a lot of positive attention for her performance in Nomadland and while I don’t see her winning this I think that she should not be counted out.

Of the four significant critics’ groups that have released their winners so far, Sidney Flanigan has won two of them. What this shows is that critics are trying to make sure that Academy voters do not forget Never Rarely Sometimes Always and its lead actress. Promising Young Woman’s wins in Best Actress and Best Screenplay at Los Angeles also continue that trend of critics reminding Academy voters of films that were talked about pre-COVID.

BEST ACTRESS

Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Frances McDormand – Nomadland

Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman

Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Andra Day – The United States vs. Billie Holliday

Could Jump In: Sophia Loren – The Life Ahead, Sidney Flanigan – Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Meryl Streep – The Prom, Kate Winslet – Ammonite, Amy Adams – Hillbilly Elegy, Michelle Pfeiffer – French Exit, Rashida Jones – On the Rocks

This race is by far the most wide-open of the acting races. I don’t feel as confident about any of these men getting a nomination as I do about the frontrunners in most other categories. I feel like this category is very subject to change, but I do think that if Judas and the Black Messiah ends up as good as I hope it will be and becomes a contender for a Best Picture win, Kaluuya might win this category for his portrayal of Fred Hampton.

The four critics’ awards have gone to three different people here: Chadwick Boseman for Da 5 Bloods, Paul Raci has won two for Sound of Metal, and Glynn Turman won one today for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Of these three, I think that Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom will be the bigger Best Picture player so I think that Turman will receive his first Oscar nomination for his performance this year. However, don’t be surprised if Boseman becomes a double nominee or if Raci breaks into the top five.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night in Miami

Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah

Bill Murray – On the Rocks

Glynn Turman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Could Jump In: Mark Rylance – The Trial of the Chicago 7, David Strathairn – Nomadland, Stanley Tucci – Supernova, Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods, Paul Raci – Sound of Metal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen – The Trial of the Chicago 7, Frank Langella – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Even though Mank is falling off a little bit, Amanda Seyfried is staying strong. Her performance has continued to be talked about and while she has not won a critics’ group award yet she was the runner-up at both Boston and Los Angeles which is good for a performer from a more mainstream film like Mank.

Minari’s Yuh-Jung Youn and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’s Maria Bakalova have split the critics’ awards so far, but I am hesitant to add Bakalova to the top five due to the Academy’s long-standing bias over comedic acting. However, the quality of her performance became national news due to its victim so she might be in the top five by next month.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amanda Seyfried – Mank

Olivia Colman – The Father

Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy

Ellen Burstyn – Pieces of a Woman

Yuh-Jung Youn – Minari

Could Jump In: Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Helena Zengel – News of the World, Saoirse Ronan – Ammonite, Swankie – Nomadland, Dominique Fishback – Judas and the Black Messiah, Jodie Foster – The Mauritanian, Ariana DeBose – The Prom

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is an Aaron Sorkin film and as it is also a big Best Picture player I think it is virtually locked for a nomination. Mank also seems like a lock here and the screenplay being from David Fincher’s late father, Jack Fincher, can only help its chances.

Promising Young Woman and Never Rarely Sometimes Always have both one screenplay award a piece but I think that Promising Young Woman is more likely to get a nomination due to its scathing social commentary.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Mank

Minari

Soul

Promising Young Woman

Could Jump In: Judas and the Black Messiah, Da 5 Bloods, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Palm Springs, On the Rocks, The Forty Year-Old Version, Sound of Metal

While Nomadland isn’t really a “talky” film there are many profound nuggets of wisdom found throughout the screenplay and that could push it through. The Father, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and One Night in Miami are all based on plays so they may be more appealing in this category as voters love the powerful monologues seen throughout theater-based films.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Nomadland

The Father

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

One Night in Miami

News of the World

Could Jump In: First Cow, Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Pieces of a Woman, The White Tiger, The Mauritanian, The Prom

Even though Wolfwalkers has one most of the critics’ awards, Soul is very critically-acclaimed and is an original Pixar movie so it’s hard to see this going to Wolfwalkers.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Soul

Wolfwalkers

Over the Moon

Earwig and the Witch

Onward

Could Jump In: The Willoughbys, Trolls: World Tour, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, The Croods: A New Age, Rumble

This award often rewards nostalgia like it did last year when Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won here. Mank’s impeccable recreation of 1930’s Hollywood is going to appeal to that nostalgia and the film seems like an early lock in this race.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Mank

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

News of the World

Mulan

One Night in Miami

Could Jump In: The Personal History of David Copperfield, Tenet, The Midnight Sky, Emma, The Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Mank

Nomadland

News of the World

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Tenet

Could Jump In: The Midnight Sky, One Night in Miami, Minari, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Da 5 Bloods

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Mank

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Emma

The Personal History of David Copperfield

Mulan

Could Jump In: News of the World, One Night in Miami, Ammonite, The Prom, The World to Come

BEST FILM EDITING

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Mank

Nomadland

News of the World

Judas and the Black Messiah

Could Jump In: One Night in Miami, Da 5 Bloods, The Father, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Minari

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Mank

The Prom

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Birds of Prey

Could Jump In: Hillbilly Elegy, Mulan, Emma

BEST SOUND

Tenet

Sound of Metal

Mank

Soul

The Midnight Sky

Could Jump In: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, News of the World, The Outpost, The Invisible Man, Wonder Woman 1984

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

The Midnight Sky

Tenet

Wonder Woman 1984

Mulan

Sonic the Hedgehog

Could Jump In: The Invisible Man, Birds of Prey, Greyhound, Mank, Greenland

I feel like Soul might be the only locked nomination in this category as Soul has been getting love from the critics’ groups (it won at both Los Angeles and Boston Online) and it is rare that an animated film gets recognition in any category from these critics’ groups.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Soul

Mank

The Midnight Sky

News of the World

Minari

Could Jump In: Tenet, Da 5 Bloods, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Let Them All Talk

Diane Warren has received 11 Oscar nominations without a win and with a relatively weak slate in this category this may be her year to finally win the prize as she wrote a song for The Life Ahead.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

The Life Ahead

Over the Moon

One Night in Miami

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Trolls: World Tour

Could Jump In: The Prom, The Outpost, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, The One and Only Ivan, Eurovision Song Contest

Another Round did amazing at the European Film Awards and even though it is a slightly unconventional winner here it is from the respected Thomas Vinterberg who has directed the masterpieces Festen and The Hunt. And even though critics have not quite taken to it at the level they have for past winners, (its Metascore is a 79, and while that is pretty good it is a far cry from the past two winners in this category: last year’s Parasite at 96 and 2018’s Roma at 96 as well) I think it is the frontrunner as of now. Still, I think that it needs a little bit more for it to be in the Best Picture nomination conversation like past winners have been.

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

Another Round

Collective

Night of the Kings

Quo Vadis, Aida?

I’m No Longer Here

Could Jump In: A Sun, The Auschwitz Report, My Little Sister, Charlatan, Notturno, Never Gonna Snow Again

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Totally Under Control

John Lewis: Good Trouble

Crip Camp

Collective

Dick Johnson is Dead

Could Jump In: Boys State, Time, All In: The Fight for Democracy, MLK/FBI, Welcome to Chechnya

December 21, 2020
Emmy Predictions 2020

While I do not follow the Emmys nearly as closely as I do the Oscars, I though it would be fun if I posted my Emmy predictions for tonight.

Here they are:

BEST COMEDY SERIES

My Prediction: Schitt’s Creek

Could Upset: Insecure

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

My Prediction: Catherine O’Hara – Schitt’s Creek

Could Upset: Issa Rae – Insecure

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

My Prediction: Eugene Levy – Schitt’s Creek

Could Upset: Ted Danson – The Good Place or Ramy Youssef – Ramy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

My Prediction: Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Could Upset: Annie Murphy – Schitt’s Creek

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

My Prediction: Dan Levy – Schitt’s Creek

Could Upset: Mahershala Ali – Ramy, Tony Shalhoub – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

BEST COMEDY DIRECTING

My Prediction: Schitt’s Creek (“Happy Ending”)

Could Upset: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (“It’s Comedy or Cabbage”)

BEST COMEDY WRITING

My Prediction: Schitt’s Creek (“Happy Ending”)

Could Upset: The Good Place (“Whenever You’re Ready”)

BEST DRAMA SERIES

My Prediction: Succession

Could Upset: Ozark, maybe?

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

My Prediction: Laura Linney – Ozark

Could Upset: Jennifer Aniston – The Morning Show, Olivia Colman – The Crown

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

My Prediction: Jeremy Strong – Succession

Could Upset: Jason Bateman – Ozark or Brian Cox – Succession

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

My Prediction: Helena Bonham Carter – The Crown

Could Upset: Sarah Snook – Succession

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

My Prediction: Billy Crudup – The Morning Show

Could Upset: Kieran Culkin – Succession

BEST DRAMA DIRECTING

My Prediction: The Crown (“Aberfan”)

Could Upset: Succession (“This is Not For Tears”)

BEST DRAMA WRITING

My Prediction: Succession (“This is Not For Tears”)

Could Upset: The Crown (“Aberfan”)

BEST LIMITED SERIES

My Prediction: Watchmen

Could Upset: No One

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

My Prediction: Regina King – Watchmen

Could Upset: Cate Blanchett – Mrs. America

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

My Prediction: Paul Mescal – Normal People

Could Upset: Mark Ruffalo – I Know This Much is True or Hugh Jackman – Bad Education

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

My Prediction: Jean Smart – Watchmen

Could Upset: Uzo Aduba – Mrs. America

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE

My Prediction: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Watchmen

Could Upset: Jim Parsons – Hollywood or Louis Gossett Jr. – Watchmen

BEST LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE DIRECTING

My Prediction: Watchmen (“This Extraordinary Being”)

Could Upset: Watchmen (“It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice”)

BEST LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE WRITING

My Prediction: Watchmen

Could Upset: Normal People

BEST COMPETITION PROGRAM

My Prediction: RuPaul’s Drag Race

Could Upset: No One

BEST VARIETY TALK SERIES

My Prediction: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Could Upset: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

September 20, 2020
Venice and TIFF Recap: “Nomadland” Wins People’s Choice Award

Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland was named the winner of the Grolsch’s People Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Regina King’s One Night in Miami and Tracey Deer’s Beans came in second and third place respectively.

As I’ve shown in previous posts, the TIFF People’s Choice Award is one of the most important precursors of Best Picture at this stage in the race. In the last 5 years, 11 of the 15 chosen films for the People’s Choice Award went on to be nominated for Best Picture and 3 of those films ended up winning Best Picture. In the last 10 years, 6 Best Picture winners have been selected in one of the three places of the People’s Choice Award.

Based on these statistics, two of the three winners will likely be nominated for Best Picture. My bets are on Nomadland and One Night in Miami as they are directed by known filmmakers (Chloe Zhao and Regina King), distributed by powerful studios (Searchlight and Amazon), and feature known names in front of the camera. However, if Beans gets picked up by a major distributor, the film’s Oscar chances will significantly rise.

Also, it is important to mention that this year’s festival had a much smaller slate than it usually does and that might affect many of the trends seen with the winners of this award.

In other TIFF news, Florian Zeller’s The Father starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman continues to get great reviews and while I expected it to get some recognition by the TIFF audience, I still think that it is the race. The trailer looked especially amazing and I am excited for the film to come out.

Ammonite, however, does not seem to be getting as great reviews and while Kate Winslet likely still will be nominated for Best Actress, the film seems to be barely a Top 15 Best Picture contender at this point.

In Venice news, Nomadland also won the Venice Golden Lion, which is the op prize at that film festival. While historically, the award ha snot been very predictive of Oscar success, the last 3 winners (The Shape of Water, Roma, and Joker) have been nominated for Best Picture. While Golden Lion winners have been runner-ups for the TIFF People’s Choice Award (Monsoon Wedding, Brokeback Mountain), this is the first time that the winner of the Golden Lion has also won the TIFF People’s Choice Award. While this is likely due to the slimmed slate at these festivals, it is a fact that solidifies Nomadland’s place as a top 5 Best Picture contender.

September 20, 2020
‘One Night in Miami’ emerges as the first legitimate Best Picture contender

The film that has created the biggest noise at the Venice International Film Festival so far has been Regina King’s directorial debut, One Night in Miami and, based on the reviews released so far, it will likely be a Top 5 Best Picture contender.

Regina King’s directorial debut starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr. is “set on the night of February 25, 1964… [and] follows a young, brash Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) as he emerges from the Miami Beach Convention Center the new Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. Against all odds, he defeated Sonny Liston (Aaron D. Alexander) and shocked the sports world. While crowds of people swarm Miami Beach to celebrate the match, Clay – unable to stay on the island because of Jim Crow-era segregation laws – spends the evening at the Hampton House Motel in Miami’s African American Overtown neighborhood celebrating with three of his closest friends: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge). During this historic evening, these icons, who each were the very representation of the Pre-Black Power Movement and felt the social pressure their cross-over celebrity brought, shared their thoughts with each other about their responsibilities as influencers, standing up, defending their rights and moving the country forward to equality and empowerment for all black people. The next morning, the four men emerge determined to define a new world for themselves and their community.” (From IMDb).

The film seems perfectly timed for the current moment in America and the Academy has been leaning toward relevant (or what they think is relevant) films in years past as shown by their picks for (2015’s Spotlight, 2016’s Moonlight, 2018’s Green Book, 2019’s Parasite) Best Picture. The Academy also leans toward films that are set in the past (in the last 3 years, six of the Best Picture nominees each year were not set in current day), which is another box that King’s film checks. Another prerequisite that a film must pass before reaching Oscar glory is being accessible to wide audiences and according to Jonathan Romney’s review for the Guardian, the film is “immensely watchable”, which is exactly what a film needs to be to win Best Picture.

From this information the film is definitely a top 5 Best Picture contender, the question is, where else will it be nominated? As the film starts from Cassius Clay’s perspective, it is likely that Eli Goree will be submitted for Best Actor, while the rest of the ensemble will probably be entered in for Best Supporting Actor. From the reviews I have read, it seems that while all the performances are great, Kingsley Ben-Adir’s portrayal of Malcolm X is the standout. He is a relative newcomer so this will likely be his breakout role.

Kemp Powers’ screenplay (adapted from his own play) has also been praised and he could receive two writing nominations this year as he also co-wrote (and co-directed) the screenplay for Pixar’s Soul. The last person to be nominated in both Adapted and Original Screenplay in the same year was Francis Ford Coppola in 1974 for the Godfather Part II and The Conversation (he won for the Godfather sequel).

In the below-the-line categories critics have lauded Tariq Anwar’s editing (he is a two-time Oscar nominee for American Beauty and The King’s Speech), Tami Reiker’s cinematography, Page Buckner’s production design, and Terence Blanchard’s jazz-infused score (he is a one-time Oscar nominee for BlacKkKlansman and also created the score for this year’s Da 5 Bloods).

While this news came out after I published my September predictions, check those out here!

September 9, 2020
September Oscar Predictions

The Oscar race will only heat up this month as major festivals in Venice and Toronto take place. As the Venice Film Festival is going on right now, I am looking out for the reception of certain films (One Night in Miami and Nomadland, for example) in order to see how they will fare come Oscars night.

On Saturday, Netflix released the first images for Mank and they definitely did not hurt the film’s anticipation.

Christopher Nolan’s Tenet was released to good, not great reviews, which hurt the film’s chances a bit.

Since my last post, the trailer for Judas and the Black Messiah was released and it looked great as well as timely. The film will likely be Warner Bros’ first priority to push during Oscar season.

Nomadland (this was announced in late July) was selected as the New York Film Festival’s Centerpiece, which is a position that Best Picture nominees Roma and Marriage Story have held. (2018 and 2019 respectively)

BEST PICTURE

Mank (Netflix)

Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)

News of the World (Universal)

Nomadland (Searchlight)

Ammonite (Neon)

Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros.)

Dune (Warner Bros.)

One Night in Miami (Amazon)

West Side Story (20^th Century)

Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)

Could Jump In: Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix), The Father (Sony Classics), Soul (Disney/Pixar), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix), On the Rocks (A24/Apple+), Tenet (Warner Bros.), Stillwater (Focus), Next Goal Wins (Searchlight), Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Focus), United States vs Billie Holliday (Paramount)

The images for Mank are visually impressive and David Fincher looks like he is on track to have a great year.

If Nomadland is a Top 6 Best Picture contender, Chloe Zhao will be nominated for Best Director

I am still slightly hesitant of placing Sorkin so high in my director predictions as he is best-known for being a screenwriter, but ‘Chicago 7’ looks like it will be a top 3 Best Picture contender.

Both Greengrass and Villeneuve will undoubtedly fill their respective films with impressive technical flourishes and those are the kind of details that Oscar voters love in this category.

BEST DIRECTOR

David Fincher – Mank

Chloe Zhao – Nomadland

Aaron Sorkin – Trial of the Chicago 7

Paul Greengrass – News of the World

Denis Villeneuve – Dune

Could Jump In: Spike Lee – Da 5 Bloods, Francis Lee – Ammonite, Steven Spielberg – West Side Story, Christopher Nolan – Tenet, Shaka King – Judas and the Black Messiah, Ron Howard – Hillbilly Elegy, Regina King – One Night in Miami

People have already seen both Lindo and Hopkins’ performances and both have been praised as some of the best of their respective careers.

All three of the previous winners in this category all played famous historical or fictional people. And while Herman J. Mankiewicz (Oldman) and Fred Hampton (Kaluuya) do not have the same level of name-recognition that The Joker (Phoenix), Freddie Mercury (Malek), and Winston Churchill (Oldman again) have, they still have great chances to win. Oldman is always dependable and is the lead in the film with the most prestige. Kaluuya looked like he was firing on all cylinders in his film’s trailer and rises as a prime contender.

BEST ACTOR

Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods

Gary Oldman – Mank

Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah

Anthony Hopkins – The Father

Tom Hanks – News of the World

Could Jump In: Bill Murray – On the Rocks, Eddie Redmayne – The Trial of the Chicago 7, Matt Damon – Stillwater, Joaquin Phoenix – C’mon C’mon, Michael Fassbender – Next Goal Wins, Andrew Garfield – The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Benedict Cumberbatch – The Courier

Viola Davis is always a contender and as she is playing a historical figure, Ma Rainey the “Mother of the Blues”, she has an even greater chance of receiving her second Oscar.

It is very likely that Jennifer Hudson will receive a nomination for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin and, if so, she will likely knock out either Michelle Pfeiffer or Amy Adams. I am keeping Pfeiffer as she is a Hollywood veteran that has never received an Oscar nomination and I am keeping Adams for now as she has 5 nominations without a win and this year may be her chance to finally get some Oscar gold.

BEST ACTRESS

Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Kate Winslet – Ammonite

Frances McDormand – Nomadland

Michelle Pfeiffer – French Exit

Amy Adams – Hillbilly Elegy

Could Jump In: Jennifer Hudson – Respect, Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman, Sophia Loren – The Life Ahead, Audra Day – United States vs. Billie Holiday, Jessie Buckley – I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Olivia Colman – The Father

First of all, R.I.P. Chadwick Boseman, who was not only an amazing actor, but also an inspiration to millions of people for his humility and kindness. His story is one of perseverance and it is truly uplifting. Rest in Power.

The images released for Mank did not include Tom Burke at all and that might be just because they want to unveil his transformation into Orson Welles at a later date but it may also be because he does not have very large of a role.

Someone from the Chicago 7 will get nominated and we are probably going to need a trailer (which will probably come out at the end of September at the latest) to see who has the lead and major supporting roles in this film.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

David Strathairn – Nomadland

Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah

Tom Burke – Mank

Could Jump In: Jeremy Strong – The Trial of the Chicago 7, Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night in Miami, Yahya Abdul-Mateen – The Trial of the Chicago 7, Charles Dance – Mank, Steven Yeun – Minari, Richard E. Grant – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Kingsley Ben-Adir – One Night in Miami

I’ve said this before but if Glenn Close gives a great performance in Hillbilly Elegy she is essentially guaranteed this Oscar. She did not win in 2017 because nobody really saw The Wife but Hillbilly Elegy looks to be a Best Picture nomination contender, which already places Close’s chances higher than they were in 2017.

Ronan also has a great chance but if, theoretically, both Ronan and Close end up giving equally great and recognized performances, Close will win based on the fact that she is much overdue for an Oscar.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy

Saoirse Ronan – Ammonite

Amanda Seyfried – Mank

Olivia Colman – The Father

Ariana DeBose – West Side Story

Could Jump In: Rashida Jones – On the Rocks, Helena Zengel – News of the World, Mary G. Blige – Respect, Abigail Breslin – Stillwater, Gabby Hoffman – C’mon C’mon, Leslie Manville – Let Him Go, Youn Yuh-Jung – Minari

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Mank

Ammonite

Da 5 Bloods

Soul

Could Jump In: On the Rocks, Judas and the Black Messiah, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, C’mon C’mon, Tenet, Stillwater, Promising Young Woman

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Nomadland

News of the World

One Night in Miami

Hillbilly Elegy

I’m thinking of ending things

Could Jump In: Dune, West Side Story, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Next Goal Wins, The Father, Those Who Wish Me Dead, French Exit

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Soul

Over the Moon

Onward

Aya and the Witch

Where is Anne Frank?

Could Jump In: The Willoughbys, The Croods 2, Wolfwalkers, Connected, Trolls: World Tour

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Mank

Dune

West Side Story

Tenet

Mulan

Could Jump In: The Trial of the Chicago 7, One Night in Miami, News of the World, Da 5 Bloods, Ammonite

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Mank

Dune

Tenet

West Side Story

Nomadland

Could Jump In: Ammonite, Da 5 Bloods, Hillbilly Elegy, The Trial of the Chicago 7, I’m thinking of ending things

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Mank

Ammonite

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

West Side Story

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Could Jump In: Mulan, Eternals, Respect, Louis Wain, Emma

BEST FILM EDITING

Mank

Dune

Tenet

The Trial of the Chicago 7

News of the World

Could Jump In: Nomadland, Da 5 Bloods, Judas and the Black Messiah, One Night in Miami, West Side Story

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Mank

Dune

Respect

West Side Story

Mulan

Could Jump In: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Eternals, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Louis Wain

BEST SOUND

Dune

Tenet

West Side Story

Eternals

Soul

Could Jump In: News of the World, No Time to Die, Greyhound, Da 5 Bloods, Black Widow

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Dune

Tenet

Eternals

Wonder Woman 1984

The One and Only Woman

Could Jump In: Black Widow, No Time to Die, Greyhound, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Invisible Man

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Dune

Mank

Tenet

Soul

Da 5 Bloods

Could Jump In: Ammonite, Hillbilly Elegy, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Over the Moon, The Secret Garden

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

No Time to Die

Soul

The One and Only Ivan

The Prom

Over the Moon

Could Jump In: Mulan, Miss Americana, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, All Together Now, The Outpost

September 8, 2020
Late July Oscar Predictions

It is late July and the Oscars are as uncertain as they have ever been. Tenet has been delayed indefinitely, theaters are in flux, and the coronavirus shows no signs of stopping.

Anyhow, here are my predictions for late July:

Mank is probably in the best place that a film this year can be in as it was already going to be released through a streaming service and therefore theater closures will not affect it. The film, on paper, looks like a quintessential “Oscar” film. It is set in the past (1941), it is a story about Hollywood (it is about the making of Citizen Kane, widely-known as the greatest film of all-time), and Mank is made by a director that is overdue for an Oscar win (David Fincher).

I have Ammonite high up, even though I believe that it is very unlikely that it will win, as the film got notices at both the Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals. It will probably be a mid-level Best Picture nominee that has a shot to win in the acting categories.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 has been moved to Netflix (as director Aaron Sorkin wanted it released before the election in November) and that gives it secure release date in these uncertain times. The cast of this film is stacked (Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen. and Jeremy Strong are in it with many more well-known actors) and it has a contemporary relevance that could carry it to the top come Oscar night.

Nomadland looks great and I could see it being a film that does well at the Film Independent Spirit awards and gets nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

West Side Story is a remake but it is also a Spielberg film and it should be great. As the film will likely comment on race relations in America it is also very relevant in the current moment.

Da 5 Bloods is the only one of these films that has been seen and critics love it. The film is very timely and Spike Lee should stay in the Oscar’s good graces after his Adapted Screenplay win two years ago.

Dune is one I am unsure about as it is an event film and will be released in theaters before it hits streaming. It has not been moved from its December 18^th release date and it could very well be released in the winter but these are times where pure guesswork is all we can do and everything is uncertain. However, there is a high enough chance that theaters will reopen in some capacity by December so I remain hopeful about Dune

Tenet was initially slated for a July 14^th released date, then it was moved to July 28^th, and then finally to August 12^th. The newest reports state that it has been delayed indefinitely and whether or not that means it will be released this year is anyone’s guess. I don’t see this film being a winter release, but I think it will be a staggered release as theaters will reopen at different places around the world.

Soul is set for a Thanksgiving week release and it should make that but nobody can be sure of that. The film looks a lot like Pixar’s 2015 film Inside Out (which I loved) and while that film did not get a Best Picture nomination the Corona-reduced 2020 slate should work to its advantage.

This last slot is a hard one to fill for me. News of the World looks like it will be a great Tom Hanks vehicle, but it is still a Western and while anti-Western bias at the Oscars is not as bad as it was in the 50s and 60s, Westerns are not widely considered Oscar worthy in most cases. I would have had Hillbilly Elegy here if The Trial of the Chicago 7 had not moved to Netflix as I believe that the Academy selecting 4 Netflix films is unlikely. However, I still think it has a pretty good chance to receive a nomination and it should also do well in the acting categories. A lot of people are predicting Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch to get a Best Picture nomination but the fact that it is an anthology film is a little concerning as anthologies hardly ever get Best Picture nominations. Stillwater is directed by Tom McCarthy (whose film Spotlight won Best Picture in 2016), but is a genre film (it’s a thriller) and there are usually only 2 of those nominated each year and Dune and Tenet already fit that category..

BEST PICTURE

Mank

Ammonite

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Nomadland

West Side Story

Da 5 Bloods

Dune

Tenet

Soul

News of the World

Could Jump In: Hillbilly Elegy, The French Dispatch, Stillwater, On the Rocks, C’mon C’mon, Annette, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Minari, The White Tiger, The Father

David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network) has never won an Oscar and this year seems like the year the Academy will remedy their mistake as Fincher’s film Mank seems like a film that the Academy will go crazy over.

Nomadland looks amazing and it should give Chloe Zhao her first Oscar nomination for Best Director but the film is also an indie and they are not usually nominated for Best Director unless the film itself is a major Best Picture contender.

If Dune is released this year, I don’t see how Villeneuve will not get nominated for his sci-fi epic. It is the kind of film that gets nominated in this category and it should continue that trend this year as well.

Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods was released in June and that might hinder its chance come April but for now I have Lee getting a nomination.

If West Side Story is nominated for Best Picture Spielberg will be nominated for Best Director as he is Steven Spielberg. Sorkin has a pretty good chance to get a nomination as well but his films are usually seen as “talky” and they often films perceived that way often do not get Bets Director nominations.

BEST DIRECTOR

David Fincher – Mank

Chloe Zhao – Nomadland

Denis Villeneuve – Dune

Spike Lee – Da 5 Bloods

Steven Spielberg – West Side Story

Could Jump In: Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7, Francis Lee – Ammonite, Christopher Nolan – Tenet, Paul Greengrass – News of the World, Wes Anderson – The French Dispatch, Ron Howard – Hillbilly Elegy, Tom McCarthy – Stillwater

Delroy Lindo is getting spectacular notices for Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods and even though most presumed frontrunners do not stay so throughout the whole Oscar season, I am going to keep Lindo at #1. Gary Oldman seems almost locked for a nomination at this point even though I do not believe he will win as an overdue performer like Lindo or Murray will likely take the crown.

Tom Hanks has had such a crazy year but being in the news as often as he has could give him a narrative to help in his Oscar chances. His work in Paul Greengrass’ News of the World will likely be stellar and a nomination here will redeem the Academy for snubbing Hanks for his amazing performance in Greengrass’ Captain Phillips.

Bill Murray’s only Oscar nomination was in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation and reteaming with Coppola could very well give him his second nomination and maybe his first win.

Anthony Hopkins got some of the best reviews he has received this century for his work in The Father and even though films that premiere at Sundance do not usually last throughout Oscar season, he could get nominated if the movie gets some traction.

Joaquin Phoenix is definitely a contender here and C’mon has already had success in directing actors to Oscar gold as he directed Christopher Plummer in his Oscar-winning turn in Beginners.

BEST ACTOR

Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods (Could be Supporting)

Gary Oldman – Mank

Tom Hanks – News of the World

Bill Murray – On the Rocks

Anthony Hopkins – The Father

Could Jump In: Joaquin Phoenix – C’mon C’mon, Eddie Redmayne – The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Could be Supporting), Matt Damon – Stillwater, Adam Driver – Annette, Michael Fassbender – Next Goal Wins, Denzel Washington – Macbeth, Trevante Rhodes – United States vs Billie Holiday

Nomadland looks amazing and Frances McDormand’s portrayal of a woman who loses everything in the Great Recession should give the two-time Oscar winner her sixth Oscar nomination.

As I mentioned before, Ammonite’s mentions at both the Cannes and Toronto film festivals are very beneficial and the film’s two stars (Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan) should both get a nomination…and maybe a win?

Michelle Pfeiffer’s role in French Exit seems like one that is all-or-none; if she gets nominated she will have a really good chance to win, but it is likely that she may not be nominated.

Amy Adams will likely get her seventh(!) Oscar nomination, which will hopefully (but probably won’t) result in her first Oscar win.

To me, it is a really close contest between Jennifer Hudson and Viola Davis for that last slot but as Jennifer Hudson is playing the (much) more well-known singer (Aretha Franklin), I put her in the slot. Both of them could easily get a nomination and both have a good chance to win if they do.

BEST ACTRESS

Frances McDormand – Nomadland

Kate Winslet – Ammonite

Michelle Pfeiffer – French Exit

Amy Adams – Hillbilly Elegy

Jennifer Hudson – Respect

Could Jump In: Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Rachel Zegler – West Side Story, Marion Cotillard – Annette, Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman, Julianne Moore – The Glorias, Sophia Loren – The Life Ahead

This is one of those categories where I feel that no one is really in a frontrunner position and my rankings are kind of based solely on who is more likely to get a nomination. At this point in the season, I cannot really say that I think any of these nominees have a good chance to win, but David Strathairn is the man who has the highest chance of getting a nomination as he is a once-nominated veteran that has never won an Oscar before.

Tom Burke has never been in the Oscar conversation ever before but he is playing Orson Welles, who is one of the most mythologized figures in film history so if he delivers (and if the role is not just a cameo) he will definitely get a nomination.

Sacha Baron Cohen is playing the most famous of the Chicago 7 (Abbie Hoffman) and due to that I am putting him here, but whoever is the standout in that film will be nominated here.

I’m unsure about Jesse Plemons, but Charlie Kaufman’s scripts are usually good for actors (His Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind all got nominations and Adaptation got a win for Chris Cooper).

Chadwick Boseman will probably not get nominated for Da 5 Bloods, but instead he could be in contention for his first nomination in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. If Boseman does get this nomination, I think Viola Davis will as well in Best Actress. The Untitled Fred Hampton Project is a question mark for me as it has a good cast (Daniel Kaluuya, Jesse Plemons, Martin Sheen, Lakeith Stanfield, and Ashton Sanders are just a few) and is about a timely subject (Fred Hampton was a prominent member of the Black Panthers). However, I am not sure it will be released this year and, because its director and writers have comedy backgrounds, I am not sure how good the film will be.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

David Strathairn – Nomadland

Tom Burke – Mank

Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Could Be Lead)

Jesse Plemons – I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Could Jump In: Eddie Redmayne – The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Could be Lead), Lakeith Stanfield – Untitled Fred Hampton Project, Yahya Abdul-Mateen – The Trial of the Chicago 7, Richard E. Grant – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Tracy Letts – French Exit, Bill Murray – The French Dispatch, Benicio del Toro – The French Dispatch.

Glenn Close and Saoirse Ronan have 7 and 4 Oscar nominations respectively and one of these two overdue actresses should win this year.

However, Ammonite will likely be a bigger Best Picture player than Hillbilly Elegy and because of that I am putting Ronan at #1.

I’m still not comfortable with putting newcomer Ariana Debose so high in my predictions as this is her first role in a major film, but as she is playing the role Rita Moreno won her Oscar for in 1961 so I will keep her in the top 5 for now.

I feel like that there will be an actress from Mank in the top five come nomination day and Amanda Seyfried seems like the performer in the best position to get a nomination.

I will keep Rashida Jones here for now, but Abigail Breslin could also come in this 5^th spot. If there is momentum for The Father Olivia Colman could be getting a nomination as well.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Saoirse Ronan – Ammonite

Glenn Close – Hilbilly Elegy

Ariana Debose – West Side Story

Amanda Seyfried – Mank

Rashida Jones – On the Rocks

Could Jump In: Abigail Breslin – Stillwater, Gabby Hoffman – C’mon C’mon, Olivia Colman – The Father (Could be Lead), Toni Colette – I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Meryl Streep – The Prom, Debra Winger – Kajillionaire, Tilda Swinton – The French Dispatch

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Mank

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Ammonite

The French Dispatch

Da 5 Bloods

Could Jump In: Soul, On the Rocks, C’mon C’mon, Stillwater, Tenet, Annette, The King of Staten Island

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Nomadland

News of the World

Hillbilly Elegy

Dune

I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Could Jump In: West Side Story, Next Goal Wins, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Greyhound, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Respect, The Prom

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Soul

Onward

Over the Moon

Aya and the Witch

Where is Anne Frank?

Could Jump In: The Croods 2, Wolfwalkers, Connected

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Mank

Tenet

The French Dispatch

West Side Story

Dune

Could Jump In: Ammonite, News of the World, Mulan

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Mank

Dune

Da 5 Bloods

Tenet

West Side Story

Could Jump In: The French Dispatch, Ammonite, Nomadland

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Dune

Ammonite

Mank

The French Dispatch

Respect

Could Jump In: West Side Story, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Mulan

BEST FILM EDITING

Tenet

Dune

Mank

Da 5 Bloods

News of the World

Could Jump In: West Side Story, The French Dispatch, The Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Mank

Dune

The French Dispatch

Respect

Mulan

Could Jump In: Eternals, The Witches, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

BEST SOUND

Tenet

Dune

West Side Story

Greyhound

News of the World

Could Jump In: Eternals, No Time to Die, Respect, Soul, Da 5 Bloods

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Dune

Tenet

Eternals

Black Widow

Mulan

Could Jump In: No Time to Die, Wonder Woman 1984, Greyhound

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Dune

Soul

Tenet

Mank

The French Dispatch

Could Jump In: Da 5 Bloods, Annette, Ammonite, The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Witches

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

No Time to Die

Soul

Annette

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

The Prom

Could Jump In: Over the Moon, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Mulan

July 25, 2020
OSCAR NOMINATIONS ARE RELEASED!

Joker leads with 11, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 1917, The Irishman all had 10. (This year is actually the record for most films with over 10 nominations). Jojo Rabbit, Little Women, Marriage Story, and Parasite each got 6 nods as well.

I’ll get into the specifics of these nominations and what they mean in a later post.

But for now, here they are!

BEST PICTURE

“Ford v Ferrari” – Producers: Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and James Mangold (Walt Disney)
“The Irishman” – Producers: Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Emma Tillinger Koskoff (Netflix)
“Jojo Rabbit” – Producers: Carthew Neal and Taika Waititi (Fox Searchlight)
“Joker” – Producers: Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff (Warner Bros.)
“Little Women” – Producers: Amy Pascal (Sony Pictures)
“Marriage Story” – Producers: Noah Baumbach and David Heyman (Netflix)
“1917” – Producers: Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren and Callum McDougall (Universal/Amblin)
“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” – Producers: David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino (Sony Pictures)
“Parasite” – Producers: Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho (Neon)

BEST DIRECTOR

Martin Scorsese – “The Irishman”
Todd Phillips – “Joker”
Sam Mendes – “1917”
Quentin Tarantino – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Bong Joon Ho – “Parasite”

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”

BEST ACTRESS

Cynthia Erivo – “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson – “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan – “Little Women”
Charlize Theron – “Bombshell”
Renée Zellweger – “Judy”

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”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Kathy Bates – “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern – “Marriage Story”
Scarlett Johansson – “Jojo Rabbit”
Florence Pugh – “Little Women”
Margot Robbie – “Bombshell”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“The Irishman” – Steven Zaillian
“Jojo Rabbit” – Taika Waititi
“Joker” – Todd Phillips & Scott Silver
“Little Women” – Greta Gerwig
“The Two Popes” – Anthony McCarten

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Knives Out” – Rian Johnson
“Marriage Story” – Noah Baumbach
“1917” – Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns
“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” – Quentin Tarantino
“Parasite” – Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won

BEST FILM EDITING

“Ford v Ferrari” – Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland
“The Irishman” – Thelma Schoonmaker
“Jojo Rabbit” – Tom Eagles
“Joker” – Jeff Groth
“Parasite” – Yang Jinmo

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

“The Irishman” – Rodrigo Prieto
“Joker” – Lawrence Sher
“The Lighthouse” – Jarin Blaschke
“1917” – Roger Deakins
“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” – Robert Richardson

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

“The Irishman” – Bob Shaw, Regina Graves
“Jojo Rabbit” – Ra Vincent, Nora Sopková
“1917” – Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales
“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” – Barbara Ling, Nancy Haigh
“Parasite” – Lee Ha Jun, Cho Won Woo

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

“The Irishman” – Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson
“Jojo Rabbit” – Mayes C. Rubeo
“Joker” – Mark Bridges
“Little Women” – Jacqueline Durran
“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” – Arianne Phillips

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

“Joker” – Hildur Guðnadóttir
“Little Women” – Alexandre Desplat
“Marriage Story” – Randy Newman
“1917” – Thomas Newman
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” – John Williams

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from “Toy Story 4” – Randy Newman (Walt Disney)
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman” – Elton John and Bernie Taupin (Paramount)
“I’m Standing With You” from “Breakthrough” – Diane Warren (Disney)
“Into The Unknown” from “Frozen II” Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Walt Disney)
“Stand Up” from “Harriet” – Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo (Focus Features)

BEST SOUND EDITING

“Ford v Ferrari” – Donald Sylvester
“Joker” – Alan Robert Murray
“1917” – Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate
“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” – Wylie Stateman
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” – Matthew Wood and David Acord

BEST SOUND MIXING

“Ad Astra” – Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson and Mark Ulano
“Ford v Ferrari” – Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Steven A. Morrow
“Joker” – Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and Tod Maitland
“1917” – Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson
“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” – Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler and Mark Ulano

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

“Bombshell” – Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker
“Joker” – Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou
“Judy” – Jeremy Woodhead
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” – Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White
“1917” – Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

“Avengers: Endgame” – Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick (Walt Disney)
“The Irishman” – Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser and Stephane Grabli (Netflix)
“The Lion King” – Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Elliot Newman (Walt Disney)
“1917” – Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy (Universal/Amblin)
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” – Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy (Walt Disney)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” – Dean DeBlois, Bradford Lewis and Bonnie Arnold (Universal)
“I Lost My Body” – Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice (Netflix)
“Klaus” – Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Román (Netflix)
“Missing Link” – Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight (United Artists)

“Toy Story 4” – Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera (Walt Disney)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“American Factory” – Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and Jeff Reichert (Netflix)
“The Cave” – Feras Fayyad, Kirstine Barfod and Sigrid Dyekjær (National Geographic)
“The Edge of Democracy” – Petra Costa, Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris and Tia

go Pavan (Netflix)
“For Sama” – Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts (PBS/Channel 4/Frontline)
“Honeyland” – Ljubo Stefan (Neon)

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

“Corpus Christi” – Poland
“Honeyland” – North Macedonia
“Les Misérables” – France
“Pain and Glory” – Spain
“Parasite” – South Korea

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

“Dcera (Daughter)” – Daria Kashcheeva
“Hair Love” – Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver
“Kitbull” – Rosana Sullivan and Kathryn Hendrickson
“Memorable” – Bruno Collet and Jean-François Le Corre
“Sister” – Siqi Song

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

“In the Absence” – Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam
“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)” – Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva
“Life Overtakes Me” – John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson
“St. Louis Superman” – Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan
“Walk Run Cha-Cha” – Laura Nix and Colette Sandstedt

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

“Brotherhood” – Meryam Joobeur and Maria Gracia Turgeon
“Nefta Football Club” – Yves Piat and Damien Megherbi
“The Neighbors’ Window” – Marshall Curry
“Saria” – Bryan Buckley and Matt Lefebvre
“A Sister” – Delphine Girard

January 14, 2020
Critics’ Choice Awards: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Wins Best Picture A Day Before Oscar Nominations Release

BEST PICTURE
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“1917”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“Parasite”
“Uncut Gems”

BEST ACTOR
Joaquin Phoenix – “Joker”
Antonio Banderas – “Pain and Glory”
Robert De Niro – “The Irishman”
Leonardo DiCaprio – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Adam Driver – “Marriage Story”
Eddie Murphy – “Dolemite Is My Name”
Adam Sandler – “Uncut Gems”

BEST ACTRESS
Renée Zellweger – “Judy”
Awkwafina – “The Farewell”
Cynthia Erivo – “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson – “Marriage Story”
Lupita Nyong’o – Us
Saoirse Ronan – “Little Women”
Charlize Theron – “Bombshell”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brad Pitt – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Willem Dafoe – “The Lighthouse”
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Anthony Hopkins – “The Two Popes”
Al Pacino – “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci – “The Irishman”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Laura Dern – “Marriage Story”
Scarlett Johansson – “Jojo Rabbit”
Jennifer Lopez – “Hustlers”
Florence Pugh – “Little Women”
Margot Robbie – “Bombshell”
Zhao Shuzhen – “The Farewell”

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Roman Griffin Davis – “Jojo Rabbit”
Julia Butters – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Noah Jupe – “Honey Boy”
Thomasin McKenzie – “Jojo Rabbit”
Shahadi Wright Joseph – “Us”
Archie Yates – “Jojo Rabbit”

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
“The Irishman”
“Bombshell”
“Knives Out”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Parasite”

BEST DIRECTOR
Sam Mendes – “1917” (TIE)
Bong Joon Ho – “Parasite” (TIE)
Noah Baumbach – “Marriage Story”
Greta Gerwig – “Little Women”
Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie – “Uncut Gems”
Martin Scorsese – “The Irishman”
Quentin Tarantino – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Quentin Tarantino – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Noah Baumbach – “Marriage Story”
Rian Johnson – “Knives Out”
Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won – “Parasite”
Lulu Wang – “The Farewell”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Greta Gerwig – “Little Women”
Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Anthony McCarten – “The Two Popes”
Todd Phillips & Scott Silver – “Joker”
Taika Waititi – “Jojo Rabbit”
Steven Zaillian – “The Irishman”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins – “1917”
Jarin Blaschke – “The Lighthouse”
Phedon Papamichael – “Ford v Ferrari”
Rodrigo Prieto – “The Irishman”
Robert Richardson – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Lawrence Sher – “Joker”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Barbara Ling, Nancy Haigh – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Mark Friedberg, Kris Moran – “Joker”
Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales – “1917”
Jess Gonchor, Claire Kaufman – “Little Women”
Lee Ha Jun – “Parasite”
Bob Shaw, Regina Graves – “The Irishman”
Donal Woods, Gina Cromwell – “Downton Abbey”

BEST EDITING
Lee Smith – “1917”
Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie – “Uncut Gems”
Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker – “Ford v Ferrari”
Yang Jinmo – “Parasite”
Fred Raskin – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Thelma Schoonmaker – “The Irishman”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Ruth E. Carter – “Dolemite Is My Name”
Julian Day – “Rocketman”
Jacqueline Durran – “Little Women”
Arianne Phillips – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson – “The Irishman”
Anna Robbins – “Downton Abbey”

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
“Bombshell”
“Dolemite Is My Name”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Judy”
“Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”
“Rocketman”

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“Avengers: Endgame”
“1917”
“Ad Astra”
“The Aeronauts”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“The Lion King”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Toy Story 4”
“Abominable”
“Frozen II”
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
“I Lost My Body”
“Missing Link”

BEST ACTION MOVIE
“Avengers: Endgame”
“1917”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum”
“Spider-Man: Far From Home”

BEST COMEDY
“Dolemite Is My Name”
“Booksmart”
“The Farewell”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Knives Out”

BEST SCI-FI OR HORROR MOVIE
“Us”
“Ad Astra”
“Avengers: Endgame”
“Midsommar”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Parasite”
“Atlantics”
“Les Misérables”
“Pain and Glory”
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”

BEST SONG
“Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” – “Wild Rose” (TIE)
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” – “Rocketman” (TIE)
“I’m Standing With You” – “Breakthrough”
“Into the Unknown” – “Frozen II”
“Speechless” – “Aladdin”
“Spirit” – “The Lion King”
“Stand Up” – “Harriet”

BEST SCORE
Hildur Guðnadóttir – “Joker”
Michael Abels – “Us”
Alexandre Desplat – “Little Women”
Randy Newman – “Marriage Story”
Thomas Newman – “1917”
Robbie Robertson – “The Irishman”

January 14, 2020