Back at ya with my weekly Oscar predictions! Here’s some tidbits that have transpired over the past seven days:
- While the official review embargo has not lifted, Bohemian Rhapsody has screened and early word-of-mouth is out. Reaction for this film itself seems mixed and it has caused the Freddie Mercury biopic to drop to 25th in my BP rankings and out of my Original Screenplay possibilities. On the other hand, chatter about Rami Malek’s performance is terrific. For the first time, he enters my top 5 predicted Actor nominees, knocking out Willem Dafoe’s work in At Eternity’s Gate. One thing seems certain: the lead actor race is looking very crowded at the moment.
- Speaking of that category, it was confirmed that Stephan James from If Beale Street Could Talk will be campaigned for in that category (I’ve had him listed in Supporting previously).
- In Best Actress, I have switched Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born) back to #1 over runner-up Glenn Close in The Wife. This appears to be a close contest between the two at the moment.
- There is still uncertainty about category placement for the three women of The Favourite. Some chatter has Emma Stone as the obvious Actress candidate along with Olivia Colman. Everyone seems to agree that Rachel Weisz will land in Supporting Actress. For now, I’m keeping Colman in Actress with Stone/Weisz in Supporting, but changes could happen.
- Also in Supporting Actress, I am now listing Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk) at #1 over Claire Foy (First Man).
- Widows is just on the outside of my predicted nominees in a number of races including Picture, Actress (Viola Davis), and Supporting Actor (Daniel Kaluuya). I feel it will get nominated for something and I am including it in Adapted Screenplay over First Man.
And with that, let’s get to it!
Best Picture
1. A Star Is Born (Previous Ranking: 1)
2. Roma (PR: 2)
3. First Man (PR: 3)
4. The Favourite (PR: 4)
5. Green Book (PR: 5)
6. BlacKkKlansman (PR: 6)
7. If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 7)
8. Black Panther (PR: 8)
9. Vice (PR: 9)
Other Possibilities:
10. Widows (PR: 11)
11. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 10)
12. The Mule (PR: 15)
13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (PR: 16)
14. Boy Erased (PR: 12)
15. Crazy Rich Asians (PR: 14)
16. Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 13)
17. On the Basis of Sex (PR: 17)
18. Mary Poppins Returns (PR: 19)
19. Leave No Trace (PR: 23)
20. At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 20)
21. The Sisters Brothers (PR: 21)
22. Eighth Grade (PR: 25)
23. Beautiful Boy (PR: 22)
24. The Front Runner (PR: 24)
25. Bohemian Rhapsody (PR: 18)
Best Director
1. Alfonso Cuaron, Roma (PR: 1)
2. Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born (PR: 2)
3. Damien Chazelle, First Man (PR: 3)
4. Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 4)
5. Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 6)
7. Peter Farrelly, Green Book (PR: 7)
8. Adam McKay, Vice (PR: 8)
9. Joel and Ethan Coen, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (PR: 14)
10. Ryan Coogler, Black Panther (PR: 9)
11. Marielle Heller, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 10)
12. Clint Eastwood, The Mule (PR: 13)
13. Steve McQueen, Widows (PR: 11)
14. Josie Rourke, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 12)
15. Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased (PR: 15)
Best Actor
1. Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born (PR: 1)
2. Christian Bale, Vice (PR: 2)
3. Viggo Mortensen, Green Book (PR: 5)
4. Ryan Gosling, First Man (PR: 4)
5. Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody (PR: 6)
Other Possibilities:
6. Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 3)
7. Robert Redford, The Old Man & The Gun (PR: 7)
8. Clint Eastwood, The Mule (PR: 8)
9. Steve Carell, Beautiful Boy (PR: 11)
10. Ethan Hawke, First Reformed (PR: 10)
11. Hugh Jackman, The Front Runner (PR: 14)
12. Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased (PR: 9)
13. Stephan James, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: Not Ranked)
14. John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 13)
15. Ben Foster, Leave No Trace (PR: 12)
Dropped Out:
John C. Reilly, The Sisters Brothers (PR: 15)
Best Actress
1. Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born (PR: 2)
2. Glenn Close, The Wife (PR: 1)
3. Olivia Colman, The Favourite (PR: 3)
4. Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 4)
5. Yalitza Aparicio, Roma (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Viola Davis, Widows (PR: 6)
7. Saoirse Ronan, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 8)
8. Felicity Jones, On the Basis of Sex (PR: 7)
9. Julia Roberts, Ben Is Back (PR: 11)
10. Toni Collette, Hereditary (PR: 10)
11. Nicole Kidman, Destroyer (PR: 9)
12. Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns (PR: 13)
13. Carey Mulligan, Wildlife (PR: 14)
14. Kiki Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 15)
15. Keira Knightley, Colette (PR: 12)
Best Supporting Actor
1. Mahershala Ali, Green Book (PR: 1)
2. Sam Elliot, A Star Is Born (PR: 3)
3. Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy (PR: 2)
4. Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 4)
5. Sam Rockwell, Vice (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Daniel Kaluuya, Widows (PR: 6)
7. Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 7)
8. Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther (PR: 8)
9. Steve Carell, Vice (PR: 9)
10. Armie Hammer, On the Basis of Sex (PR: 13)
11. Russell Crowe, Boy Erased (PR: 10)
12. Nicholas Hoult, The Favourite (PR: 12)
13. Tim Blake Nelson, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (PR: Not Ranked)
14. Brian Tyree Henry, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: Not Ranked)
15. Bradley Cooper, The Mule (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
John C. Reilly, Stan and Ollie
Jason Clarke, First Man
David Tennant, Mary Queen of Scots
Best Supporting Actress
1. Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 2)
2. Claire Foy, First Man (PR: 1)
3. Emma Stone, The Favourite (PR: 3)
4. Rachel Weisz, The Favourite (PR: 4)
5. Amy Adams, Vice (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Natalie Portman, Vox Lux (PR: 6)
7. Michelle Yeoh, Crazy Rich Asians (PR: 8)
8. Marina de Tavira, Roma (PR: 10)
9. Nicole Kidman, Boy Erased (PR: 7)
10. Sissy Spacek, The Old Man & The Gun (PR: 9)
11. Margot Robbie, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 11)
12. Dianne Wiest, The Mule (PR: 15)
13. Thomasin McKenzie, Leave No Trace (PR: 13)
14. Rachel McAdams, Disobedience (PR: 12)
15. Kathy Bates, On the Basis of Sex (PR: 14)
Best Adapted Screenplay
1. BlacKkKlansman (PR: 1)
2. If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 2)
3. A Star Is Born (PR: 3)
4. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 5)
5. Widows (PR: 6)
Other Possibilities:
6. First Man (PR: 4)
7. Leave No Trace (PR: 7)
8. Crazy Rich Asians (PR: 8)
9. Boy Erased (PR: 9)
10. Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 11)
11. Black Panther (PR: 10)
12. The Hate U Give (PR: Not Ranked)
13. Disobedience (PR: 12)
14. Beautiful Boy (PR: 13)
15. Wildlife (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
The Sisters Brothers
The Mule (Moved to Original Screenplay)
Best Original Screenplay
1. Roma (PR: 2)
2. The Favourite (PR: 1)
3. Green Book (PR: 3)
4. Vice (PR: 4)
5. Eighth Grade (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (PR: 6)
7. First Reformed (PR: 7)
8. The Mule (PR: Not Ranked – moved from Adapted)
9. A Quiet Place (PR: 10)
10. On the Basis of Sex (PR: 9)
11. Private Life (PR: 11)
12. At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 8)
13. Mid90s (PR: Not Ranked)
14. Stan and Ollie (PR: 15)
15. Capernaum (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Hereditary
Bohemian Rhapsody
Ben Is Back