Courtesy of the official Oscar Awards websites, oscar.go.com and oscars.org, movie fans, media-ites and spectators across the world have access to a full list of the 2013 Oscar Awards nominees. Those iconic words, “and the Oscar goes to” are mere days away. Who will be victorious in this game of awards? Only the Academy members know and until March 2, 2014 they are not telling. Fear not Oscar devotees and movie fans around the globe, making Oscar predictions can be just as fun as watching the real show unfurl.
Nominees for Best Actor
The nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role are Christian Bale for American Hustle, Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave, Bruce Dern for Nebraska, Matthew McConaughey for Dallas buyers Club, and Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street. All of the Oscar buzz for this category seems to focus on Matthew McConaughey and Leonardo DiCaprio. The general consensus is that McConaughey put on a better performance, but fans, according to the latest IMDB (Internet Movie Database), statistically prefer The Wolf of Wall Street. This might influence the Academy’s decision to award one of the candidates a Best Actor prize while offering the Best Picture Award to the other’s film. Nevertheless, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave is stunning. Those that are able to stomach the brutality of the movie will have his acting ability etched into their minds for years to come.
Meryl Streep Best Actress?
The next category is the coveted Meryl Streep Award (just teasing Oscar fans!). The Best Actress in a Leading Role nominees are Amy Adams for American Hustle, Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine, Sandra Bullock for Gravity, Judy Dench for Philomena, and of course, Meryl Streep for August: Osage County. Let’s eliminate Meryl Streep from contention because August: Osage County has received a rather lukewarm reception when compared with the other movies in play. There has also been some grumbling about the Academy’s perceived favoritism toward the actress and that greatly reduces her chances of winning. Sandra Bullock is an Oscar darling, but her performance in many ways seems to be intertwined with the premise of the film Gravity. She is not bigger than the movie which is often the final determinant for winning the Best Actress Award. The movie Blue Jasmine has of late taken a beating because of Director Woody Allen’s perceived personal demons. That leaves Amy Adams as the clear frontrunner, and nobody would blame the Academy for choosing her. She made American Hustle a great deal more special than it would have otherwise been.
The Oscar Award for Best Picture
The most coveted award at the Oscars is that of Best Picture. Every actor, director, and crew member wants to be associated with winning this most prestigious award in the business. It is a resume enhancer for the cast, and it gives studios an extra degree of credibility and respect. The nominees are Her, American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, Philomena, 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, Captain Phillips, and The Wolf of Wall Street. Nebraska is the dark horse candidate, Gravity is a stunning picture from a visual perspective, Philomena is beautiful but too political, Dallas Buyers Club, 12 Years a Slave, and American Hustle are the obvious choices. However, wouldn’t it be something special if the Academy chooses to award Best Picture to the most inventive, imaginative and enjoyable film of the bunch? Though unlikely, the Academy should give serious consideration to awarding Her with the Oscar for Best Picture. Her is a shockingly fun film that causes viewers to reevaluate their definition of modern romance in this era of über -technology.
