After numerous rounds of predictions, this morning the official Oscar nominations were released for the big show (hosted by Chris Rock) in February, with The Revenant and Mad Mad Max: Fury Road leading the way. My analysis on each race and how your trusty blogger performed in each category can be found now:
Best Picture
How I Did: 8/8 (though I predicted nine)
For the second year in a row, the Academy went with the number 8 on their scale of 5-10 pictures that can be recognized. I went with nine and the film that missed the cut: Carol. Still, not too shabby! Straight Outta Compton was a trendy pick to make the group, though I correctly left it off.
The Nominees
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Best Director
How I Did: 3/5
The big surprise here is the omission of Ridley Scott for The Martian. My other pick, Todd Haynes for Carol, was who I placed in slot #5, so I’m not shocked to see him left out. Adam McKay and Lenny Abrahamson (a bit of surprise pick) made the cut.
The Nominees
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, The Revenant
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Actor
How I Did: 5/5
Now we’re talking! 5 for 5 here and I stand by my estimate that this year will be the Leo Show.
The Nominees
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Best Actress
How I Did: 5/5
Gotta admit I’m pretty pleased going 10/10 in the lead acting races. Like the previous race, there is a genuine front runner with Brie Larson.
The Nominees
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Best Supporting Actor
How I Did: 3/5
This has been the trickiest major race to prognosticate with about a dozen legit names to consider. It bore out with my predictions as I incorrectly guessed Idris Elba for Beasts of No Nation and Paul Dano in Love and Mercy. Taking their place: Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight) and Tom Hardy (The Revenant).
The Nominees
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Best Supporting Actress
How I Did: 4/5
Luckily, Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander’s work in Carol and The Danish Girl, respectively, were honored here and not in lead Actress. I missed Rachel McAdams and incorrectly picked Helen Mirren’s performance in Trumbo.
The Nominees
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Best Original Screenplay
How I Did: 3/5
I’m a bit surprised that Quentin Tarantino’s work for The Hateful Eight didn’t make it (I also had Sicario predicted in the five spot). My #6 and #7 other possibilities (Ex Machina and Straight Outta Compton) replaced them.
The Nominees
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Best Adapted Screenplay
How I Did: 4/5
Following its Golden Globe victory for screenplay, Aaron Sorkin’s work in Steve Jobs missed the cut, replaced by Drew Goddard’s adaptation of The Martian.
The Nominees
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
Room
Best Animated Feature
How I Did: 3/5
No love for my predicted The Prophet or The Peanuts Movie (good grief!). Inside Out has the inside track here.
The Nominees
Anomalisa
Boy and the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
When Marnie Was There
Best Documentary Feature
How I Did: 3/5
It’s Cartel Land and What Happened Miss Simone in and Going Clear and He Named Me Malala out with these predictions.
The Nominees
Amy
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
What Happened Miss Simone
Winter on Fire
Best Foreign Language Film
How I Did: 4/5
Theeb got in instead of The Brand New Testament. Son of Saul is a strong front runner here.
The Nominees
Embrace of the Serpent
Mustang
Son of Saul
Theeb
A War
Best Production Design
How I Did: 4/5
Carol out, Martian in.
The Nominees
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Best Cinematography
How I Did: 4/5
Carol (which I had listed as sixth) took out my #4 Bridge of Spies
The Nominees
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario
Best Costume Design
How I Did: 3/5
Voters went with The Revenant and Mad Max over my 4th and 5th guesses, Brooklyn and Far from the Madding Crowd.
The Nominees
Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Best Editing
How I Did: 4/5
Nice for Star Wars (which I listed ninth on the scale), replacing Bridge of Spies.
The Nominees
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
How I Did: 3/3 (!)
Pat on back.
The Nominees
Mad Max: Fury Road
The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
The Revenant
Best Sound Mixing
How I Did: 4/5
#4 pick Sicario out, #7 pick Bridge of Spies in.
The Nominees
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Sound Editing
How I Did: 4/5
Picked Sicario in wrong sound category, as I had it listed sixth here. It replaces my #5 The Hateful Eight.
The Nominees
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Visual Effects
How I Did: 4/5
Little surprised Jurassic World missed out. I did have Ex Machina listed sixth.
The Nominees
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Original Score
How I Did: 4/5
Must admit, didn’t really have Sicario on my radar for a nod here, but it took out my #5 The Danish Girl.
The Nominees
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Original Song
OK – I’m surprised here as my #1 pick “See You Again” from Furious 7 wasn’t honored. Same goes for “So Long” from Concussion (which I had fifth). In their place: “Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey and the out of nowhere “Manta Ray” from Racing Extinction.
The Nominees
“Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey
“Til It Happens to You” from The Hunting Ground
“Manta Ray” from Racing Extinction
“Writing’s on the Wall” from Spectre
“Simple Song #3” from Youth
All in all, I went 82 out of 106 on my predictions, which I can live with. The nomination breakdowns were as follows with the number in parentheses showing my predicted number for them:
12 Nominations
The Revenant (10)
10 Nominations
Mad Max: Fury Road (9)
7 Nominations
The Martian (6)
6 Nominations
Bridge of Spies (7)
Carol (8)
Spotlight (4)
5 Nominations
The Big Short (4)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (4)
4 Nominations
The Danish Girl (5)
Room (3)
3 Nominations
Brooklyn (4)
The Hateful Eight (5)
Sicario (3)
2 Nominations
Ex Machina (0)
Inside Out (2)
Steve Jobs (3)
1 Nomination
Anomalisa (1)
Boy and the World (0)
Cinderella (1)
Creed (1)
Fifty Shades of Grey (0)
45 Years (1)
The Hunting Ground (1)
Joy (1)
The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared (1)
Racing Extinction (0)
Spectre (1)
Straight Outta Compton (0)
Trumbo (2)
When Marnie Was There (o)
Youth (1)
Films I Predicted Would Be Nominated for One Oscar and Were Not:
Beasts of No Nation
Concussion
Far from the Madding Crowd
Furious 7
Jurassic World
Love and Mercy
I will have a post up very soon with my initial round of predicted winners. Until then!
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