The 86thAcademy Awards will be a memorable awards ceremony as many creative people have been nominated.
Taking into consideration the recent Golden Globes and the Directors Guild of America Awards, I have created a list of my 2014 Oscar predictions.
Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave
When predicting for this category, I had a difficult choice to make between 12 Years a Slave and Gravity. I chose 12 Years a Slave because I believe that Hollywood usually leans towards favoring historical pictures of the film’s nature. The film could also win because it has a great cast and a strong storyline.
Other nominees: American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena, and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Although I believe director Steve McQueen who directed 12 Years a Slave has a solid chance of winning Best Director, I predict Alfonso Cuaron who directed the film Gravity has a better chance. Cuaron primarily deserves to win because of the film’s dazzling special effects.
Other nominees: David O. Russell (American Hustle), Alexander Payne (Nebraska), and Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street).
Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey leads a strong pack of actors who could win the award Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. McConaughey deserves to win the Oscar for this category because he turned in an excellent performance as a Texan with AIDS in the film Dallas Buyers Club.
Other nominees: Christian Bale (American Hustle), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave).
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett, who was superb in the film Blue Jasmine, deserves an Oscar for her role as a troubled New Yorker trying to sort through her problems in life. For her performance, Blanchett won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama – at the 71st Golden Globe Awards.
Other nominees: Amy Adams (American Hustle), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena), Meryl Streep (August: Osage County).
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto
As a transgender person suffering from AIDS, Jared Leto’s character gave the film Dallas Buyers Club an added sense of humanity. Like the two previously mentioned celebrities, Leto also won a Golden Globe in 2013.
Other nominees: Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Bradley Cooper (American Hustle), Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), and Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street).
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence
For this category, Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) and Lupita Nyong’O (12 Years a Slave) seem to be in a tie for who will win the category. I am predicting that Lawrence will win as she already won a Golden Globe for her performance, and she has much more name recognition.
Other nominees: Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), Julia Roberts (August: Osage County), and June Squibb (Nebraska).
Sources:
Meriah Doty, “2014 Oscars: List of Nominees,” Yahoo! Movies.
Thelma Adams, “Insta-Oscar Predictions: Watch Out for ‘American Hustle’,” Yahoo! Movies.
