As the doggedly determined father of eventual tennis royalty Venus and Serena Williams, Smith has held frontrunner status for months. He lost his first two bids in 2001 and 2006 for Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness, respectively. As one of the most bankable stars of the past quarter century, Hollywood could certainly feel like it’s time to honor him. The Golden Globe and SAG voters moved in the that direction as he took both awards for his work. Richard also over performed at the Oscars with six nominations.
The Case Against Will Smith:
There’s not much of one except there’s been upsets previously in this race. That includes last year when Anthony Hopkins (The Father) took the statue over the favored Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Playing the role of spoiler could be Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog, which dominated overall nods at 12. If Cumberbatch wins the Critics Choice award or BAFTA, look for plenty of chatter on the tightness of this competition.
Previous Nominations: 2
Ali (2001 – Actor); The Pursuit of Happyness (2006 – Actor)
The Verdict:
Look for Smith to be crowned the victor, but there’s a nagging feeling that Cumberbatch could surprise.
My Case Of posts will continue with Kirsten Dunst’s Supporting Actress bid for The Power of the Dog…
Playing TV legend Lucille Ball, Nicole Kidman’s performance in Being the Ricardos is next up in my Case Of posts for the Best Actress nominees. If you didn’t catch the first three entries, they’re here:
It actually seems like Kidman should have more than five nominations and she hasn’t won in 19 years. Ricardos is a golden opportunity for the Academy to make her a two-time winner. The Golden Globes made a victory here more possible when she took the top Drama prize at that ceremony. Oscar voters were clearly impressed with the cast as Javier Bardem and J.K. Simmons also received nods.
The Case Against Nicole Kidman:
A SAG award might’ve made her the heavy frontrunner, but Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) won it. Ricardos itself received mixed critical reaction and missed major categories like Picture and Original Screenplay.
As has been discussed many times on the blog, Best Actress is wide open (just like last year). I’d say Kidman and Chastain (based on their early hardware) probably stand the best chance, but nobody is an overwhelming favorite by any means.
My Case OF posts will continue with Best Actor hopefuls and Will Smith in King Richard…
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s behind the camera work for Drive My Car is the fourth Case Of post for the five director nominees. If you missed the others, you can find them here:
The 43-year-old filmmaker has been acclaimed in his native Japan for years. Car, his three hour epic, is his stateside breakthrough and it performed better than expected on nominations morning with four nods in Picture, Adapted Screenplay, International Feature Film, and here. Voters may want to honor it somewhere…
The Case Against Ryusuke Hamaguchi:
And that category is almost certain to be International Feature Film where it’s the surefire favorite. It’s a long shot in the other three races with Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) in the driver’s seat for this one. Hamaguchi also failed to place for the Golden Globes or Critics Choice Awards.
Previous Nominations:
None
The Verdict:
He’ll be onstage in the foreign competition, but not for Best Director.
My Case Of posts will continue with the Best Actress hopefuls and Nicole Kidman in Being the Ricardos…
My Case Of posts arrive at the third Supporting Actor contender and it’s Jesse Plemons in The Power of the Dog. The first two write-ups can be found here:
Having appeared in acclaimed TV and cinematic works including Breaking Bad and Fargo on the small screen and The Master, The Irishman, and Judas and the Black Messiah on the big one, Plemons scores his first Academy nod. Dog led all nominees with 13 and that includes Kirsten Dunst (the actor’s real life love interest).
The Case Against Jesse Plemons:
It also includes his costar Kodi Smit-McPhee, who’s nominated in the same category and won the Golden Globe. Despite a BAFTA mention, Plemons didn’t make the SAG, Globe, or Critics Choice shortlists. Smit-McPhee and Troy Kotsur (CODA) are looked at as the potential victors. Woody Harrelson in 2017 lost to his costar Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri as did Lakeith Stranfield last year to Daniel Kaluuya for the aforementioned Judas. Plemons could play that role this time around.
Previous Nominations:
None
The Verdict:
Plemons might be back again next year with Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Don’t look for an Oscar delivery here.
My Case Of posts will continue with Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s direction of Drive My Car…
Judi Dench’s role as Granny in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast is the third Case Of post for the Supporting Actress nominees. If you didn’t catch the first two, they can be accessed here:
The legendary veteran scored her 8th nomination and that’s 8 more than her four competitors have received… combined. She’s actually won just once for Shakespeare in Love and that was 23 years ago. The Academy could feel it’s time to honor her again and the fact that she surprisingly got in over costar Caitriona Balfe could be proof of that.
The Case of Judi Dench:
As mentioned, it was certainly a surprise nomination (perhaps more so than any other of the 16 acting hopefuls). Dench didn’t make the cut for the Golden Globes, SAG, Critics Choice, or even BAFTA.
Previous Nominations: 7
Mrs. Brown (1997 – Actress); Shakespeare in Love (1998 – Supporting Actress, WON); Chocolat (2000 – Supporting Actress); Iris (2001 – Actress); Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005 – Actress); Notes on a Scandal (2006 – Actress); Philomena (2013 – Actress)
The Verdict:
The tally should continue to be one victory for Dench as Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) is the overwhelming favorite.
My Case Of posts will continue in Supporting Actor with Jesse Plemons in The Power of the Dog…
Andrew Garfield’s acclaimed performance as Rent playwright Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick… Boom! is next up in my Case Of posts for this year’s Best Actor contenders. If you missed the first two, you can peruse them here:
Garfield received some career best notices for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Netflix musical drama. It also helps that the actor had a banner 2021. In addition to Boom!, critics lauded his work as Jim Bakker alongside Oscar nominated Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye and he reprised his web slinger role in the box office behemoth Spider-Man: No Way Home. At the Golden Globes, he took the gold for Best Actor in Musical/Comedy.
The Case Against Andrew Garfield:
The Globes divide their lead races into Drama and Musical/Comedy. Will Smith received the Drama trophy for King Richard and he also just won the SAG Award. In other words, Garfield is definitely behind Smith and likely third in line after Benedict Cumberbatch for The Power of the Dog.
Previous Nominations: 1
Hacksaw Ridge (2016 – Actor)
The Verdict:
Mr. Garfield probably has a better shot in 2021 than he did five years ago for Hacksaw Ridge, but he’s still in the middle of the pack and has yet to have a signature victory that proves he’s a threat to the frontrunners.
My Case Of posts will continue with the Supporting Actress hopefuls and Judi Dench in Belfast…
The eyes of Oscar prognosticators were focused on this evening’s SAG Awards and it provided some further suspense as we figure out who will be taking the Academy’s gold.
Let’s get the particulars out of the way as I went 3 for 5 (just like last year). One burning question was whether Best Actress would continue to be a free for all of unpredictability. And it did as Jessica Chastain took SAG for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. She was runner-up over my pick of Globe winner Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos). This puts Chastain in a better position to take the Oscar, but the race is far from decided.
As for Actor and Supporting Actress – SAG followed the Globes lead with Will Smith (King Richard) and Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) respectively. It solidifies their status as Academy frontrunners and matches my projections. I wouldn’t bet against either come Oscar time, but let’s see if the forthcoming BAFTAs can change the narrative.
I also called Troy Kotsur (CODA) for Supporting Actor yet that Academy competition is hardly over as Globes recipient Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog) should make it interesting.
CODA turned out to be the big winner of the night as it also took Best Ensemble. Not bad for a Sundance darling that Apple TV purchased the streaming rights for. It was my runner-up pick to Belfast, which could have used a trophy this evening for momentum.
While CODA‘s impressive showing could lead to dark horse predictions for it to nab Best Picture in a month, I wouldn’t go too far down the rabbit hole as The Power of the Dog still looks to be the odds on favorite.
And there you have it, folks! My Oscar speculation will keep rolling for the next four weeks!
Penelope Cruz’s performance in Parallel Mothers is the third Best Actress entry in my Case Of posts. If you missed the ones covering the other C’s (Jessica Chastain and Olivia Colman), they’re here:
More than any other high profile race, Best Actress looks wide open. Spain inexplicably didn’t name Mothers as its International Feature Film selection (it probably would’ve been nominated). Instead it settled for this nod and Original Score. This could provide a way for the Academy to honor it.
The Case Against Penelope Cruz:
If Cruz were to take this, she would do so without mentions from the Globes, SAG, BAFTA, or Critics Choice. That just doesn’t happen.
Previous Nominations: 3
Volver (2006 – Actress); Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008 – Supporting Actress, WON); Nine (2009 – Supporting Actress)
The Verdict:
When Cruz won Supporting Actress 13 years ago for Vicky Christina Barcelona, she was the favorite. For her other two nominations in 2006 and 2009, she was a major long shot. That is once again the case and of the five women up, I believe she’s got the lowest chance to emerge victorious.
My Case Of posts will continue with the third Best Actor competitor – Andrew Garfield in Tick Tick… Boom!
Ariana DeBose’s performance in West Side Story is next up with my Case Of posts for Supporting Actress. If you missed the first covering Jessie Buckley in The Lost Daughter, you can find it here:
Her performance as Anita has been consistently called the highlight among the cast. There’s Oscar history to be had as Rita Moreno won the same award 60 years ago in the same role. Even before its release, DeBose was correctly looked at as a strong contender and she’s already got a Golden Globe to show for it (in addition to SAG and Critics Choice nods and plenty of trophies from critics groups).
The Case Against Ariana DeBose:
The film itself was a box office disappointment and perhaps the Academy will honor a more seasoned competitor like Kirsten Dunst in The Power of the Dog (especially if that pic begins to run the table at the ceremony).
Previous Nominations:
None
The Verdict:
DeBose is unquestionably the frontrunner here and I’d say this is the easiest of the four acting derbies to forecast. That said, there’s been upsets in this race before.
My Case Of posts will continue with the supporting work of Troy Kotsur in CODA…
The SAG Awards air this Sunday night and I’m here to give you my take. For some context, I went 4/5 in my projections from 2017-2019 and 3/5 last year. The winners here will certainly help themselves if they’re nominated for Oscars (as you’ll see – not all are).
Let’s get to it!
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominees:
Belfast
CODA
Don’t Look Up
House of Gucci
King Richard
Commentary:
I could offer an argument for anything but Gucci (partly because The Birdcage from 1996 is the only winner that wasn’t nominated for BP at the Oscars). The rest of the pics are BP players with the Academy. Belfast is the most likely to win (notice frontrunner The Power of the Dog isn’t here). Even though I’m not projecting its lone nominee (Balfe) to take the SAG and it was a surprise that Ciaran Hinds didn’t make it, I’ll say the cast is ultimately honored as a whole. CODA is right on its heels.
Predicted Winner: Belfast
Runner-Up: CODA
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Nominees:
Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
Lady Gaga, House of Gucci
Jennifer Hudson, Respect
Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
Commentary:
Welcome to the confounding world of Best Actress in the 2021 awards season and this is easily the trickiest race to figure out. The Oscar/SAG match is 3/5. Gaga and Hudson didn’t make the Acadeny’s cut in favor of Penelope Cruz (Parallel Mothers) and Kristen Stewart (Spencer).
Let’s start with Gaga. The SAG winner in this race has never not been nominated for an Oscar so the superstar would certainly make history if she takes this. That stat discourages me from calling her name, but who knows? All hopefuls here would be first-time winners in this category (Hudson took Supporting Actress 15 years back in Dreamgirls). She seems least likely to win. So we’re down to Chastain, Colman, and Kidman. All could prevail. Kidman took the Golden Globe and a podium trip could solidify her status as the Oscar frontrunner. Chastain’s showy role could be honored and it’s a bit of a coin flip for me. I’ll give Kidman an ever so slight edge.
Predicted Winner: Nicole Kidman
Runner-Up: Jessica Chastain
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Nominees:
Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Andrew Garfield, Tick Tick… Boom!
Will Smith, King Richard
Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Commentary:
Not complicated like Actress as there’s a 5 for 5 lineup with the Academy’s nominees. Unlike the Oscars, I do buy into the theory that Garfield might be more of a spoiler than Cumberbatch to Smith. The SAG folks could reward Garfield’s showy role. That said, I’m not betting against Smith.
Predicted Winner: Will Smith
Runner-Up: Andrew Garfield
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
Caitriona Balfe, Belfast
Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley
Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
Ruth Negga, Passing
Commentary:
There’s only a 2 for 5 symmetry with the big show and that’s DeBose and Dunst. Balfe, Blanchett, and Negga are in over Academy picks Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter), Judi Dench (Belfast), and Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard). I do think it’s between the Oscar contestants. Dunst is a threat though I’m going with DeBose sweeping until I see different.
Predicted Winner: Ariana DeBose
Runner-Up: Kirsten Dunst
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
Ben Affleck, The Tender Bar
Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza
Troy Kotsur, CODA
Jared Leto, House of Gucci
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Commentary:
Like Supporting Actress, just a 2 for 5 (Kotsur, Smit-McPhee) match. Affleck, Cooper, and Leto got SAG love instead of Oscar selections Ciaran Hinds (Belfast), Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog), and J.K. Simmons (Being the Ricardos). And I’ll also say it’s between the two Academy players. This is difficult because I could easily see Smit-McPhee sweeping (he won the Globe). Yet I have a sneaking suspicion the thespians may go for Kotsur. With little confidence, I’ll pick that.
Predicted Winner: Troy Kotsur
Runner-Up: Kodi Smit-McPhee
I’ll have reaction up on the ceremony Sunday night!
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