By: JIMMY WILLDEN, Special to AMFM Magazine, annual Oscars picks and predictions
Welcome to 2016, the year when the public turned against the Academy, and controversy swirled around the acting nominees and nominations for Best Picture left little to be desired in the overall scheme of things.
All of that being said, as with anything overtly political – I stayed out of the fray, keeping my thoughts to myself – and just watched as the dust settled. And ultimately, not much has changed – yet. There are steps in place to allow for “change” in the future, but here – and here alone – will I interject with my one and only thought on the subject: Ultimately, it’s up to the filmmakers and producers. The end. Okay, now to get the films at hand.
2016 offered up films that ranged from decent to pretty great – but in my opinion, this year’s crop wasn’t extraordinary. It just was, and will be remembered as, another year.
Yes, we saw the return of Mad Max and witnessed as Star Wars: The Force Awakens broken global records to become the most endearing Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi (1983). But, so what? Maybe I’m getting jaded in my thirties, who knows. But can you blame me for wanting more? Okay, okay. I’ll stop whining and get down to it.
The Revenant lead the nominations this year, with 12 – followed by Mad Max: Fury Road with 10. Here’s hoping Mad Max: Fury Road kills the former come Oscar Sunday, because well – Mad Max: Fury Road deserves it, because it stood out as the most uniquely creative and artistic film of the crop. Thank you, thank you, thank you, George Miller.
The top film of the crop, The Revenant, is by far my least favorite. Poorly executed from a poorly executed script, the film is a pile of pure potential wasted at the hands of a director riding on the idea that he deserves another Academy Award.
As with every year, my actual favorite movie of the year wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. And that would be Steve Jobs. It wasn’t amazing either, by any means, but it was the one that had me engaged for the entirety of its run. In second place, in my opinion, is Room – starring Brie Larson. That movie was nearly perfectly executed. But it stands no chance at winning come Sunday. Oh well.
Oh – and on the whole Leo thing? …bleh. And now, without further ado…
Jimmy Willden’s 2016 Oscars Picks & Predictions:
BEST PICTURE
The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Room, Spotlight.
PICK: Room, Lenny Abrahamson; Runner-Up: Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller.
PREDICTION: The Big Short, Adam McKay; The Revenant, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
This year’s Best Picture race has been fun to watch, to say the least. At first, Spotlight was the frontrunner, and for good reason. But, then, for some reason, The Revenant started winning awards and started looking to be the inevitable Best Picture winner. AND THEN Adam McKay’s The Big Short took home the PGA (Producers Guild Award), which his historically the biggest predictor of who will take home the coveted statue on Oscar Sunday. So, in the end, I’m putting my money on The Big Short.
BEST DIRECTOR
The Big Short, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Room, Spotlight.
PICK: The Big Short, Adam McKay; Runner-Up: Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller.
PREDICTION: The Revenant, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu; Runner-Up: Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller.
I think Adam McKay deserves the win here – he did a fantastic job corralling the egos of some of the biggest stars of our generation in one of the biggest ensemble of the year. Deep down, I really want George Miller to win, though.
BEST ACTOR
Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Fassbender, Eddie Redmayne.
PICK: Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs; Runner-Up: Bryan Cranston, Trumbo.
PREDICTION: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant – NO CONTEST.
Of all the years, Leo – why did 2016 have to be your year? I’m so sorry that you’re going to win for your least engaging performance in years.
BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlotte Rampling, Saoirse Ronan.
PICK: Brie Larson, Room; Runner-Up: Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn.
PREDICTION: Same as my picks.
I love, love, love Brie Larson in Room. She gave a dynamic, powerhouse performance while remaining muted and earthy. She’s the winner. Ronan, though, was a close second for her performance in Brooklyn, I will say.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Rylance, Sylvester Stallone.
PICK: Tom Hardy, The Revenant; Runner-Up: Mark Rylance, Bridge Of Spies.
PREDICTION: Sylvester Stallone, Creed; Runner-Up: Tom Hardy, The Revenant.
Tom Hardy, all the win. The end.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rooney Mara, Rachel McAdams, Alicia Vikander, Kate Winslet.
PICK: Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight; Runner-Up: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs.
PREDICTION: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs; Runner-Up: Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight.
I want Jennifer Jason Leigh to win. And I will be sad if she doesn’t – because she was the best part of any film I’ve seen of this year’s crop. Entertaining, engaging and gross. Utterly perfect.
That being said, Kate Winslet is poised to win yet another statue – because of her superb performance in Steve Jobs. I mean, I get it – but still…
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Bridge of Spies, Ex Machina, Inside Out, Spotlight, Straight Outta Compton.
PICK: Ex Machina, Alex Garland; Runner-Up: Spotlight, Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy.
PREDICTION: Spotlight, Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy; Runner-Up: Inside Out, Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley.
The most original screenplay I’ve read in a long time goes to Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. Will it win? Absolutely not. For me, it’s a tie between Spotlight and Inside Out. I’m rooting for the former, but I’d be okay with either taking it.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Big Short, Brooklyn, Carol, The Martian, Room.
PICK: The Big Short, Charles Randolph, Adam McKay; Runner-Up: Room, Emma Donoghue.
PREDICTION: The Big Short, Charles Randolph, Adam McKay; Runner-Up: The Martian, Drew Goddard.
Okay, here’s the deal. I truly think The Martian did a fantastic job of making something great out of a novel that, in my opinion, was pure garbage. In the end, though, the award for Best Adapted Screenplay goes to the best screenplay based on existing material – and ultimately, that would most definitely be The Big Short.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Anomalisa, Boy and the World, Inside Out, Shaun the Sheep Movie, When Marnie Was There.
PICK: Anomalisa; Runner-Up: Inside Out.
PREDICTION: Inside Out – NO CONTEST.
I think I’m in the 1-percentile who wasn’t amazed by Inside Out… Will it win, though? Yeah. Yeah, it will.
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Bear Story, Prologue, Sanjay’s Super Team, We Can’t Live without Cosmos, World of Tomorrow.
PICK: World of Tomorrow – NO CONTEST.
PREDICTION: Same as my picks.
This is the ONE category I’m really paying attention to this year, because I’ve watching all of the films, and shorts, etc. and I really think that World of Tomorrow stands out as my favorite film of the year. Funny, sad, scary, original, heartbreaking – everything – it’s in there. And I love it.
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
Ava Maria, Day One, Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut), Shok, Stutterer.
PICK: Stutterer, Runner-Up: Shok.
PREDICTION: Shok, Runner-Up: Stutterer.
On the other hand, none of the films in this category stood out to me as truly great. But Stutterer made a little more of an effort to do so? Still, Shok is poised to win come Sunday.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Embrace of the Serpent, Mustang, Son of Saul, Theeb, A War.
PICK: Son of Saul; Runner-Up: Mustang.
PREDICTION: Same as my picks.
Son of Saul, all the way!
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Amy, Cartel Land, The Look of Silence, What Happened, Miss Simone?, Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.
PICK: The Look of Silence, Runner-Up: Amy.
PREDICTION: Amy; Runner-Up: The Look of Silence.
This one’s tough, it could go either way…but I think I’m leaning towards Amy pulling the win.
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Body Team 12, Chau, beyond the Lines, Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah, A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, Last Day of Freedom.
PICK: The Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness; Runner-Up: Last Day of Freedom.
PREDICTION: Same as my picks.
The Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness is in a better position to take it all the way and win the Gold, call it a hunch.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol, The Hateful Eight, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Sicario.
PICK: Mad Max: Fury Road, John Seale; Runner-Up; The Hateful Eight.
PREDICTION: The Revenant, Emmanuel Lubezki; Runner-Up: Sicario, Roger Deakins.
John Seale did an incredible job of making art by way of cinema with his visual take on George Miller’s wholly unique world. That being said, something is telling me Lubezki is going to pull a three-peat and win for the third year in a row.
BEST FILM EDITING
The Big Short, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Spotlight, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
PICK: Mad Max: Fury Road; Runner-Up: Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
PREDICTIONS: The Big Short; Runner-Up: Mad Max: Fury Road.
Mad Max: Fury Road should take it, but The Big Short is in a better position for glory.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Bridge of Spies, The Danish Girl, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant.
PICKS: Mad Max: Fury Road; Runner-Up: The Danish Girl.
PREDICTION: Mad Max: Fury Road; Runner-Up: The Revenant.
Again, this one belongs to Mad Max: Fury Road. That pesky Revenant movie better watch out…
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Carol, Cinderella, The Danish Girl, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant.
PICK: Mad Max: Fury Road; Runner-Up: The Revenant.
PREDICTION: Same as my picks.
Mad Max: Fury Road should be on a roll by this point – if Revenant stays out of the way.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Bridge of Spies, Carol, The Hateful Eight, Sicario, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
PICK: Carol, Cartwell Burwell; Runner-Up: The Hateful Eight, Ennio Morricone.
PREDICTION: The Hateful Eight, Ennio Morricone; Runner-Up: Carol, Cartwell Burwell.
Carol’s score was my favorite, and the one that stood as as nearly perfect, to me. But I think I’d be okay if The Hateful Eight took it.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Earned It – Fifty Shades of Grey, Manta Ray – Racing Extinction, Simple Song #3 – Youth, Til It Happens To You – The Hunting Ground, Writing’s On The Wall – Spectre.
PICK: Manta Ray – Racing Extinction; Runner-Up: Earned It – Fifty Shades of Grey.
PREDICTION: Til It Happens To You – The Hunting Ground; Runner-Up: Earned It – Fifty Shades of Grey.
I never thought I’d say it, but the soundtrack to Fifty Shades of Grey was actually pretty great. But in the end, the song that’s poised to be the victor is Lady GaGa’s Til It Happens to You for the film The Hunting Ground. (The entirety of this paragraph makes me cringe…)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Ex Machina, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
PICK: Ex Machina; Runner-Up: Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
PREDICTION: Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Runner-Up: The Revenant.
Here’s where Star Wars: The Force Awakens can get on a roll and bring in some Gold.
BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
Mad Max: Fury Road, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, The Revenant.
PICK: Mad Max: Fury Road; Runner-Up: The Revenant.
PREDICTION: Same as my picks.
But first, let Mad Max take another selfie with Oscar.
BEST SOUND MIXING
Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Sicario, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
PICK: Mad Max: Fury Road; Runner-Up: Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
PREDICTION: Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Runner-Up: The Revenant.
I truly think Mad Max: Fury Road deserves this one, but my eyes are on either Star Wars or The Revenant…hopefully that little space odyssey movie will take it.
BEST SOUND EDITING
Bridge of Spies, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
PICK: Star Wars: The Force Awakens – NO CONTEST.
PREDICTION: The Revenant; Runner-Up: Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
And last, but most certainly not least, Star Wars: The Force Awakens SHOULD take home this award – but I’ll be damned, The Revenant is in a better position to. Ugh.
Okay, that’s all, folks! So there they are, my 2016 Oscars Picks & Predictions! Disagree with any of my choices? Sound off below! Check back here after the awards, as we update this list with the winners, and release my Overall Report Card.
