The 88th Academy Awards will air Feb. 28 at 7pm ET.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Hollywood’s award season will be coming to an end on Feb. 28 with the 88th Annual Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be awarding the best of the best films of 2015 with the coveted Oscar trophy. However, this year the Academy has been under scrutiny for the lack of diversity and major snubs with nominees. With all that aside, here are my picks for who should and who will win the statues on Sunday night.
Best Animated Feature
Who should / will win – “Inside Out”
This pick is a no-brainer. Disney/Pixar continuously wows with their collaborations on animated features. “Inside Out” is absolutely the best animated feature of the year and one of the best films of the year overall, in my opinion. There are no other strong contenders in this category, so Pixar should win its eighth Best Animated Feature award.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Who should / will win – “The Big Short”
With all the critical acclaim surrounding it, “The Big Short” has the potential to take home multiple awards on Sunday. “The Big Short” has the strongest, most well-written screenplay out of all the nominees. As one of my top three films of the year, I would be surprised if “The Big Short” does not win this category. If it does not win, then “Carol” probably will.
Best Original Screenplay
Who should / will win – “Spotlight”
This is another no-brainer. “Spotlight” is another one of my favorite three films of the year and is by far the best-written film of the year. There is nothing to complain about with the amazing script and story of “Spotlight,” which is why it will win. The other nominees also do not have strong enough writing to take down “Spotlight.”
Best Supporting Actor
Who should win – Steve Carell, “The Big Short”
When Steve Carell was not nominated for an Oscar, I was very surprised. His co-star Christian Bale was nominated in this category, but Carell gave a better performance. Carell should have been a shoe-in nominee and a favorite to win. If I gave out the awards, Carell would have been my choice.
Who will win – Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies”
Mark Rylance has been racking up the awards this season for his performance in Steven Spielberg’s Cold War drama. Even though Sylvester Stallone won the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Movie Award in this category, Rylance is still my favorite to win the Oscar.
Best Supporting Actress
Who should win – Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl”
Alicia Vikander has had a true breakout year with her leading and supporting roles in “Ex Machina,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “Brunt” and “The Danish Girl.” Vikander’s busy year has propelled her to the forefront of Hollywood’s attention. She gave an incredible performance in “The Danish Girl” and certainly deserves the Oscar more than any of the other nominees.
Who will win – Kate Winslet, “Steve Jobs” or
Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl”
Over the past few weeks, there has been more buzz around Kate Winslet potentially winning another Oscar, but I do not think she deserves it over Vikander. However, do not be surprised if Winslet takes home the gold. My final pick is Vikander to win the Oscar.
Best Actress
Who should / will win – Brie Larson, “Room”
Even though Brie Larson has appeared in 44 television shows and films, she made a name for herself this year with “Trainwreck” and “Room.” Her inspiring performance in “Room” alone should make her an Academy Award winner, and there should be no reason why Larson does not win on Sunday.
Best Actor
Who should / will win – Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”
It should be seven times the charm this year for DiCaprio, who gave another career performance in “The Revenant.” I do not think DiCaprio has ever made a bad film or ever given a lackluster performance, and it is crazy that he has not won an Oscar yet. There is literally nothing else he could do to take home the gold. If he does not win this year, it will be a major tragedy for Hollywood.
Best Picture
Who should / will win – “Spotlight”
“Spotlight” probably has the best chance at bringing home the top award of the night, because it is everything that the Academy looks for in a Best Picture. The story, music, writing, acting and directing were all superb and worked very well together. “Spotlight” is a very powerful film that shows the true potential of journalism when it is at its finest. Due to how the Academy typically votes, “Spotlight” should win. “The Big Short” also has a good chance, but my guess is that “Spotlight” will narrowly win.
Best Director
Who should win – Ridley Scott, “The Martian”
Ridley Scott not being nominated this year was the biggest Oscar snub. “The Martian” is my favorite film of the year, and there is no reason why Scott should not have been nominated. “The Martian” was beautifully directed and should have earned Scott his first Oscar.
Who will win – Alejandro G. Inarritu, “The Revenant”
This is one of the most wide open categories this year. I really feel that all the nominees have potential to win. There is not a clear-cut choice as to who will win, but my bet is on Inarritu, who won this category last year for “Birdman.” I think Inarritu will be the third director to win back-to-back Oscars, but he will not win both Best Director and Best Picture again. He will more than likely win one or the other, so my bet is on Best Director.
