By Marcos Duran Posted February 18, 2015
Many spectacular and fantastic movies grace the world every year, and to reward the best movies of the year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences holds the Annual Academy Awards, more commonly known as the Oscars. This year, our very own film connoisseurs Mr. Setzer and Mr. Beck have agreed to predict which films will take home the Oscar on February 22 at 4:00 p.m. on ABC.
Best Picture:
Nominees- “American Sniper”, “Birdman”, “Boyhood”, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “The Imitation Game”, “Selma”, “The Theory of Everything”, and “Whiplash”.
Setzer: I’m going to have to go with Boyhood. The size and the scope of what this film achieved is surely going to be rewarded.
Beck: I’m giving it to American Sniper because of its historical importance, although Selma and The Imitation Game might have a chance.
Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Nominees- Steve Carell (“Foxcatcher”), Bradley Cooper (“American Sniper”), Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Imitation Game”), Michael Keaton (“Birdman”), and Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”).
Setzer: Michael Keaton. This is one of those “career rebirth” jobs. Everyone is raving about it so my pick goes to him.
Beck: Michael Keaton. It was a very unique role for a very unique movie, and he pulled it off.
Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Nominees- Marion Cotillard (“Two Days One Night”), Felicity Jones (“The Theory of Everything”), Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”), Rosamund Pike (“Gone Girl”), and Reese Witherspoon (“Wild”).
Setzer: This one goes to Julianne Moore. Everything she’s done culminates with this. She did great work.
Beck: I’m going with Reese Witherspoon. Her role in Wild was well done and she will be rewarded for it.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Nominees- Robert Duvall (“The Judge”), Ethan Hawke (“Boyhood”), Edward Norton (“Birdman”), Mark Ruffalo (“Foxcatcher”), and J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”).
Setzer: J.K. Simmons will take it. Everyone who’s seen Whiplash says that he is terrifyingly good, and I agree with them.
Beck: Mark Ruffalo. His performance was spot-on and very well done.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Nominees- Patricia Arquette (“Boyhood”), Laura Dern (“Wild”), Emma Stone (“Birdman”), Keira Knightley (“The Imitation Game”), and Meryl Streep (“Into the Woods”).
Setzer: Patricia Arquette. She was amazing and her character was very relatable and real.
Beck: Laura Dern, because she delivered an excellent and powerful performance.
Best Directing:
Nominees- Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu (“Birdman”), Richard Linklater (“Boyhood”), Bennett Miller (“Foxcatcher”), Wes Anderson (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”), and Morten Tyldum (“The Imitation Game”).
Setzer: Richard Linklater’s ambitious project was very well directed. I think he will win.
Beck: Richard Linklater. He decided to go with a very unique project and he pulled it off.
Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay:
Nominees- Graham Moore (“The Imitation Game”), Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash”), Anthony McCarten (“The Theory of Everything”), Jason Hall (“American Sniper”), and Paul Thomas Anderson (“Inherent Vice”).
Setzer: Paul Anderson. I can see him winning for the great work he has done.
Beck: Graham Moore’s adaptation of The Imitation Game will earn him an Oscar.
Best Writing – Original Screenplay:
Nominees- Richard Linklater (“Boyhood”), Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu (“Birdman”), Wes Anderson (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”), Dan Gilroy (“Nightcrawler”), and E. Max Frye & Dan Futterman (“Foxcatcher”).
Setzer: The writers of Foxcatcher managed to write an excellent script, so they are my choice.
Beck: Wes Anderson’s script had lots of clever and witty dialogue, and he will win for it.
Best Animated Feature Film:
Nominees- “Big Hero 6”, “How to Train Your Dragon 2”, “The Boxtrolls”, “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”, and “Song of the Sea”.
Setzer: The Academy will nod towards the Boxtrolls for doing something different with animation.
Beck: Big Hero 6, but The LEGO Movie was robbed of an Oscar here by not being nominated.
Best Visual Effects
Nominees- “Interstellar”, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, and “X-Men: Days of Future Past”.
Setzer: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes had spectacular effects. The Academy will reward the realism and depth of the apes.
Beck: Guardians of the Galaxy because that was a movie that I enjoyed.
Best Song:
Nominees- Everything is Awesome (“The LEGO Movie”), Glory (“Selma”), Grateful (“Beyond the Light”), I’m Not Gonna Miss You (“Glen Campbell”), and Lost Stars (“Begin Again”).
Setzer: “Lost Stars” was a nice song for a quiet movie. I think it will win.
Beck: “Everything is Awesome” will win, because The LEGO Movie deserves an Oscar.
