We love awards season! As always – we have to sound off on the nominees, and we’re gonna break this down for you MRP style. Here are our picks for this year’s Academy Awards – who WILL win, who SHOULD win, who SHOULD have gotten a nod, and “um, why did they get nominated?” flukes. Filmmakers & Crew – may the odds be ever in your favor! Viewers and movie lovers, Happy Oscars watching! Cheers.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
[checklist]

  • Birdman is the film to beat. Strange story, but an outstanding work all across the board.
  • Although we felt The Theory of Everything was a disaster in storytelling, the acting was simply superb.
  • The hype surrounding Boyhood may be a bit larger than its merit – but we respect the hell out of Linklater & company for this 12 year endeavor.
  • American Sniper wasn’t our favorite by any means. HOWEVER, we have a sneaking suspicion that it may surprise everyone and be the belle of the ball.
  • Ava DuVernay really should have gotten a Best Director nod for Selma, but the film will win some.
  • We feel like Whiplash might come in second for pretty much everything, but JK Simmons will take that win home. We’ll see if we have to eat our words.
  • It’s irritating that Gone Girl and The LEGO Movie were snubbed, but everyone knows what’s up.
  • Wild didn’t get as much credit as it deserved.
  • Steve Carell gave a strong performance in Foxcatcher, but the film is up against some heavyweights. Close, but no cigah.

[/checklist]

 

BEST PICTURE
• “American Sniper” (Clint Eastwood)
• “Boyhood” (Richard Linklater)
• “Birdman” (Alejandro González Iñárritu)
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (Wes Anderson)
• “The Imitation Game” (Morten Tyldum)
• “Selma” (Ava DuVernay)
• “The Theory of Everything” (James Marsh)
•  “Whiplash” (Damien Chazelle)

WILL WIN: Birdman
COULD WIN: Boyhood
SHOULD WIN: Birdman
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: The Theory of Everything
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Gone Girl (come on, people. come on.)
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: Whiplash

 

BEST DIRECTOR
• Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
• Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
• Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
• Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
• Morten Tydlum, “The Imitation Game”

WILL WIN: Alejandro González Iñárritu for “Birdman”
COULD WIN: Richard Linklater for “Boyhood”
SHOULD WIN: Alejandro González Iñárritu for “Birdman”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: Bennett Miller for “Foxcatcher”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Ava DuVernay for “Selma” (snubbed)
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: Wes Anderson for “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

 

BEST ACTOR
• Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
• Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
• Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
• Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
• Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”

WILL WIN: Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
COULD WIN: Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper” or Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
SHOULD WIN: Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: We think all nominees probably deserve to be here.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Ralph Fiennes, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” & Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”

 

BEST ACTRESS
• Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
• Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
• Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
• Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
• Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

WILL WIN: Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
COULD WIN: Reese Witherspoon, “Wild” (in a fantasy world where Julianne Moore doesn’t win)
SHOULD WIN: Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Emily Blunt, “Into The Woods”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
• Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
• Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
• Edward Norton, “Birdman”
• Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
• J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

WILL WIN: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
COULD WIN: Edward Norton, “Birdman”
SHOULD WIN: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Albert Brooks, “A Most Violent Year”

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
• Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
• Laura Dern, “Wild”
• Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
• Emma Stone, “Birdman”
• Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”

WILL WIN: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
COULD WIN: Emma Stone, “Birdman”
SHOULD WIN: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: Carrie Coon, “Gone Girl”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: Laura Dern, “Wild”

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
• “Birdman” – Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo
• “Boyhood” – Richard Linklater
• “Foxcatcher” – E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel” – Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
• “Nightcrawler” – Dan Gilroy

WILL WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” – Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
COULD WIN: “Birdman” – Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo
SHOULD WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” – Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “Boyhood” – Richard Linklater
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Selma” – Paul Webb
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Nightcrawler” – Dan Gilroy

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
• “American Sniper” – Jason Hall
• “The Imitation Game” – Graham Moore
• “Inherent Vice” – Paul Thomas Anderson
• “The Theory of Everything” – Anthony McCarten
• “Whiplash” – Damien Chazelle

WILL WIN: “The Imitation Game” – Graham Moore
COULD WIN: “Whiplash” – Damien Chazelle
SHOULD WIN: “The Imitation Game” – Graham Moore
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “American Sniper” – Jason Hall
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Gone Girl” – Gillian Flynn (snubbed)
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Inherent Vice” – Paul Thomas Anderson

 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
• “Big Hero 6”
• “The Boxtrolls”
• “How to Train Your Dragon 2”
• “Song of the Sea”
• “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”

WILL WIN: “How to Train Your Dragon 2”
COULD WIN: “Big Hero 6”
SHOULD WIN: “Lego Movie”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “The Boxtrolls”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Lego Movie” (HUGE snub)
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Song of the Sea”

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
• “Ida”
• “Leviathan”
• “Tangerines”
• “Timbuktu”
• “Wild Tales”

WILL WIN: “Ida”
COULD WIN: “Leviathan”
SHOULD WIN: “Ida”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Two Days, One Night”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Wild Tales”

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
• “Citizenfour”
• “Finding Vivian Maier”
• “Last Days in Vietnam”
• “Virunga”
• “The Salt of the Earth”

WILL WIN: “Virunga”
COULD WIN: “Citizenfour”
SHOULD WIN: “Virunga”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “The Overnighters”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Finding Vivian Maier”

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
• “Birdman,” Emmanuel Lubezki
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Robert Yeoman
• “Ida,” Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski
• “Mr. Turner,” Dick Pope
• “Unbroken,” Roger Deakins

WILL WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Robert Yeoman
COULD WIN: “Birdman,” Emmanuel Lubezki
SHOULD WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Robert Yeoman
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “Unbroken,” Roger Deakins
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Selma,” Bradford Young
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Ida,” Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski

 

BEST FILM EDITING
• “American Sniper”
• “Boyhood”
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
• “The Imitation Game”
• “Whiplash”

WILL WIN: “Boyhood”
COULD WIN: “Whiplash”
SHOULD WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “American Sniper”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Nightcrawler”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “The Imitation Game”

 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
• “The Imitation Game”
• “Interstellar”
• “Into the Woods”
• “Mr. Turner”
 
WILL WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
COULD WIN: “Mr. Turner”
SHOULD WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “American Sniper”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Birdman”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Into The Woods”
 
 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Milena Canonero
• “Inherent Vice,” Mark Bridges
• “Into the Woods,” Colleen Atwood
• “Maleficent,” Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive
• “Mr. Turner,” Jacqueline Durran

WILL WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Milena Canonero
COULD WIN: “Into the Woods,” Colleen Atwood
SHOULD WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Milena Canonero
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “Maleficent,” Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Snowpiercer,” Catherine George (snubtown)
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Inherent Vice,” Mark Bridges

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Alexandre Desplat
• “The Imitation Game,” Alexandre Desplat
• “Interstellar,” Hans Zimmer
• “Mr. Turner,” Gary Yershon
• “The Theory of Everything,” Jóhann Jóhannsson

WILL WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Alexandre Desplat
COULD WIN: “The Theory of Everything,” Jóhann Jóhannsson
SHOULD WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Alexandre Desplat
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “Mr. Turner,” Gary Yershon
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Gone Girl,” Trent Reznor
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “The Imitation Game,” Alexandre Desplat (the dude is competing against himself, for crying out loud… he’ll win for the other movie, don’t worry.)

 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
• “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie”
• “Glory” from “Selma”
• “Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights”
• “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me”
• “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”

WILL WIN: “Glory” from “Selma”
COULD WIN: “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie”
SHOULD WIN: “Glory” from “Selma”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Yellow Flicker Beat” from “The Hunger Games: Mockingkay Pt 1”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me”

 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
• “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
• “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
• “Guardians of the Galaxy”
• “Interstellar”
• “X-Men: Days of Future Past”

WILL WIN: “Interstellar”
COULD WIN: “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
SHOULD WIN: “Interstellar”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Guardians of the Galaxy”

 

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
• “Foxcatcher”
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
• “Guardians of the Galaxy”

WILL WIN: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
COULD WIN: Let’s be real… any of them.
SHOULD WIN: “Guardians of the Galaxy”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Into The Woods”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Foxcatcher” – just a guess. We don’t feel it’s the top contender.

 

BEST SOUND MIXING
• “American Sniper”
• “Birdman”
• “Interstellar”
• “Unbroken”
• “Whiplash”

WILL WIN: “American Sniper”
COULD WIN: “Whiplash”
SHOULD WIN: “Whiplash”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “Unbroken”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Nightcrawler”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Birdman”

 

BEST SOUND EDITING
• “American Sniper”
• “Birdman”
• “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”
• “Interstellar”
• “Unbroken”

WILL WIN: “Interstellar”
COULD WIN: “American Sniper”
SHOULD WIN: “Interstellar”
WAS NOMINATED BUT… MEH: “Unbroken”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “The Strange Color Of Your Body’s Tears”
DESERVED THE NOD, WON’T WIN: “Birdman”