The Toronto and Venice Film Festivals have resulted in a number of Oscar Watch posts from last Thursday to now! And that means some changes are to be discussed.
The most notable film to debut was Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, which solidified itself as a major contender in Best Picture, Director, Actress (Frances McDormand), and Adapted Screenplay. In fact, the pic remains firmly in 2nd place in Picture and Director and #1 with its screenplay based on its sterling critical reaction. McDormand, meanwhile, jumps to #1 in Actress. Time will tell if she remains atop the chart, but it seems a given that she’ll vie for her third win in the category.
News was more mixed for Francis Lee’s Ammonite. The mixed reaction to it has caused me to drop it from my nine predicted Picture nominees and from Original Screenplay. Yet Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan remain in my top five in the actress categories.
There were six other titles that I penned Oscar Watch posts about. None of them show up anywhere below. This includes the work of Rosamund Pike (I Care a Lot) and Naomi Watts (Penguin Bloom) and Mark Wahlberg in Good Joe Bell. It’s not impossible that they could surface later, but I’m not confident at the moment. As for Bell, perhaps the supporting work of Reid Miller could have a chance to enter my 15 names in Supporting Actor. When I expand my predictions to all categories covering feature pics in October, expect to see Wolfwalkers as it appears to be a shoo-in nominee in Best Animated Feature.
You can find all my posts from the past week here:
https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/09/11/oscar-watch-nomadland/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/09/12/oscar-watch-ammonite/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/09/12/oscar-watch-the-devil-all-the-time/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/09/13/oscar-watch-wolfwalkers/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/09/13/oscar-watch-penguin-bloom/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/09/13/oscar-watch-i-care-a-lot/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/09/13/oscar-watch-concrete-cowboy/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/09/15/oscar-watch-good-joe-bell/
Let’s quickly walk through the latest changes and developments:
- With Ammonite now falling from my nine predicted Picture nominees, that makes room for Florian Zeller’s The Father to make my final cut for the first time.
- My 5 Director nominees remains unchanged, as does Best Actor. It is worth mentioning that there’s some talk that Kingsley Ben-Adir from One Night in Miami could be campaigned for in the lead race. This follows rumors of the same happening for Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. If that were to occur, it would absolutely upend my projections. For now, I’m keeping them both in supporting. Also – Clayton Davis of Variety confirmed today that Delroy Lindo will compete in the lead actor race for Da 5 Bloods.
- In addition to McDormand taking over the top spot in Actress over Viola Davis in Ma Rainey, I’m adding Vanessa Kirby’s work in Pieces of a Woman to my top 5. That means Jennifer Hudson in Respect drops out.
- There’s a similar storyline in Supporting Actress with Ellen Burstyn in my five over Amanda Seyfried in Mank. Furthermore, Saoirse Ronan’s aforementioned work in Ammonite drops from #1 to #3 so we have Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy) in first. At #2? Olivia Colman in The Father and that could make for a juicy race as Colman upset Close in lead actress two years ago.
- While Nomadland definitely nabbed major Oscar buzz, the supporting performance from David Strathairn may not be big enough. He drops from #2 to outside the top five and that means Lakeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah) is back in.
- I mentioned Ammonite had dropped from Original Screenplay and that is also to the benefit of Messiah.
- The five Adapted Screenplay estimates stay the same.
- Finally, while there’s no confirmation and this could change back, I’m shifting Meryl Streep from supporting to lead for The Prom. She has yet to make the five.
And with that, let’s get to it!
Best Picture
Predicted Nominees:
1. Mank (Previous Ranking: 1)
2. Nomadland (PR: 2)
3. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (PR: 3)
4. News of the World (PR: 5)
5. One Night in Miami (PR: 6)
6. Dune (PR: 4)
7. Da 5 Bloods (PR: 8)
8. West Side Story (PR: 9)
9. The Father (PR: 11)
Other Possibilities:
10. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (PR: 10)
11. Hillbilly Elegy (PR: 13)
12. Soul (PR: 12)
13. Ammonite (PR: 7)
14. Judas and the Black Messiah (PR: 14)
15. The French Dispatch (PR: 15)
16. Minari (PR: 16)
17. Stillwater (PR: 17)
18. Annette (PR: 18)
19. The United States vs. Billie Holiday (PR: 19)
20. Respect (PR: 22)
21. Next Goal Wins (PR: 20)
22. Red, White and Water (PR: 21)
23. The Midnight Sky (PR: Not Ranked)
24. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (PR: Not Ranked)
25. C’Mon C’Mon (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
French Exit
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Best Director
Predicted Nominees:
1. David Fincher, Mank (PR: 1)
2. Chloe Zhao, Nomadland (PR: 2)
3. Paul Greengrass, News of the World (PR: 4)
4. Denis Villeneuve, Dune (PR: 3)
5. Regina King, One Night in Miami (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (PR: 6)
7. Florian Zeller, The Father (PR: 11)
8. Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods, (PR: 7)
9. Steven Spielberg, West Side Story (PR: 9)
10. George C. Wolfe, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (PR: 10)
11. Shaka King, Judas and the Black Messiah (PR: 13)
12. Ron Howard, Hillbilly Elegy (PR: 12)
13. Francis Lee, Ammonite (PR: 8)
14. Wes Anderson, The French Dispatch (PR: 14)
15. Tom McCarthy, Stillwater (PR: 15)
Best Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Frances McDormand, Nomadland (PR: 2)
2. Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (PR: 1)
3. Kate Winslet, Ammonite (PR: 3)
4. Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman (PR: 8)
5. Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit (PR: 4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Amy Adams, Hillbilly Elegy (PR: 6)
7. Jennifer Hudson, Respect (PR: 5)
8. Rachel Zegler, West Side Story (PR: 9)
9. Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman (PR: 7)
10. Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday (PR: 10)
11. Meryl Streep, The Prom (PR: Not Ranked – moved from Supporting)
12. Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye (PR: 13)
13. Jennifer Lawrence, Red, White and Water (PR: 11)
14. Sophia Loren, The Life Ahead (PR: 14)
15. Marion Cotillard, Annette (PR: 12)
Dropped Out:
Elisabeth Moss, Shirley
Best Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Anthony Hopkins, The Father (PR: 1)
2. Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods (PR: 2)
3. Gary Oldman, Mank (PR: 3)
4. Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah (PR: 4)
5. Tom Hanks, News of the World (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Eddie Redmayne, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (PR: 6)
7. Matt Damon, Stillwater (PR: 7)
8. Joaquin Phoenix, C’Mon C’Mon (PR: 8)
9. Adam Driver, Annette (PR: 9)
10. Steven Yeun, Minari (PR: 11)
11. Michael Fassbender, Next Goal Wins (PR: 10)
12. Benedict Cumberbatch, The Courier (PR: Not Ranked)
13. Trevante Rhodes, The United States vs. Billie Holiday (PR: 12)
14. Andrew Garfield, The Eyes of Tammy Faye (PR: 13)
15. Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal (PR: 14)
Dropped Out:
Ansel Elgort, West Side Story
Best Supporting Actress
Predicted Nominees:
1. Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy (PR: 2)
2. Olivia Colman, The Father (PR: 3)
3. Saoirse Ronan, Ammonite (PR: 1)
4. Helena Zengel, News of the World (PR: 4)
5. Ellen Burstyn, Pieces of a Woman (PR: 15)
Other Possibilities:
6. Amanda Seyfried, Mank (PR: 5)
7. Ariana DeBose, West Side Story (PR: 6)
8. Audra McDonald, Respect (PR: 10)
9. Natasha Lyonne, The United States vs. Billie Holiday (PR: 7)
10. Abigail Breslin, Stillwater (PR: 8)
11. Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans (PR: 12)
12. Toni Collette, I’m Thinking of Ending Things (PR: 11)
13. Gaby Hoffman, C’Mon C’Mon (PR: Not Ranked)
14. Mary J. Blige, Respect (PR: 14)
15. Kristin Scott Thomas, Rebecca (PR: 13)
Dropped Out:
Meryl Streep, The Prom (moved to lead)
Best Supporting Actor
Predicted Nominees:
1. Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (PR: 1)
2. Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (PR: 5)
3. Kingsley Ben-Adir, One Night in Miami (PR: 4)
4. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (PR: 3)
5. Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah (PR: 6)
Other Possibilities:
6. Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami (PR: Not Ranked)
7. David Strathairn, Nomadland (PR: 2)
8. Jeremy Strong, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (PR: 7)
9. Tom Burke, Mank (PR: 11)
10. Tom Pelphrey, Mank (PR: 10)
11. Jonathan Majors, Da 5 Bloods (PR: 13)
12. Richard Jenkins, The Humans (PR: 12)
13. Bill Murray, On the Rocks (PR: 8)
14. Mark Rylance, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (PR: 9)
15. Glynn Turman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (PR: 15)
Dropped Out:
Brian Tyree Henry, Red, White and Water
Best Original Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Mank (PR: 1)
2. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (PR: 2)
3. Da 5 Bloods (PR: 5)
4. Soul (PR: 4)
5. Judas and the Black Messiah (PR: 8)
Other Possibilities:
6. The French Dispatch (PR: 6)
7. Ammonite (PR: 3)
8. Stillwater (PR: 9)
9. Minari (PR: 7)
10. C’Mon C’Mon (PR: 11)
11. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (PR: 15)
12. Promising Young Woman (PR: 10)
13. On the Rocks (PR: 13)
14. Red, White and Water (PR: 12)
15. Palm Springs (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Annette
Best Adapted Screenplay
Predicted Nominees:
1. Nomadland (PR: 1)
2. The Father (PR: 5)
3. News of the World (PR: 2)
4. One Night in Miami (PR: 3)
5. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (PR: 4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Dune (PR: 6)
7. Hillbilly Elegy (PR: 7)
8. I’m Thinking of Ending Things (PR: 9)
9. West Side Story (PR: 8)
10. Next Goal Wins (PR: 11)
11. The Humans (PR: 13)
12. French Exit (PR: 10)
13. The United States vs. Billie Holiday (PR: 12)
14. First Cow (PR: 15)
15. The Prom (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Respect
All My Life... I Wanted To Be A Blogster 