With the Oscars quickly approaching, the race for various categories is becoming extremely close. Categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, Original Screenplay and Score are all up in the air. If you are betting or entering any Oscar prediction contests, you have come to the right place!
The films represented by “Lane’s Vote” are the films I believe should win their respective categories, but the films represented by “Lane’s Prediction” are who I believe the Academy will choose.
Enjoy!
Best Picture
Nominees: Darkest Hour, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Post, Phantom Thread, Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Shape of Water, Dunkirk
Lane’s Vote: Phantom Thread
Lane’s Prediction: The Shape of Water
I believe that Phantom Thread was definitely the best film of 2017 when considering all aspect, including artistic value, score, acting, writing, costume design and more, but The Shape of Water is still an excellent film that will generate a lot of love from The Academy. Del Toro crafted this film very meticulously, and made it relatable to everyone. This category is very crowded, but I think Shape comes out on top.
Best Director
Nominees: Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water), Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Jordan Peele (Get Out), Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)
Lane’s Vote: Guillermo Del Toro
Lane’s Prediction: Guillermo Del Toro
Guillermo Del Toro carefully crafted his story and made it so that everyone could relate. The subtle nuances of the film are unmistakable and surely warrant the win. Jordan Peele is the dark-horse here, though.
Best Actress
Nominees: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Margot Robbie (I, Tonya), Meryl Streep (The Post)
Lane’s Vote: Frances McDormand
Lane’s Prediction: Frances McDormand
McDormand captured her role perfectly and gave a performance for the ages. No doubts here.
Best Actor
Nominees: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour), Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name), Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)
Lane’s Vote: Gary Oldman
Lane’s Prediction: Gary Oldman
Oldman gets lost in the role of Winston Churchill, a role that has earned respect at just about every award show.
Supporting Actress
Nominees: Allison Janney (I, Tonya), Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird). Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread), Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water), Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)
Lane’s Vote: Allison Janney
Lane’s Prediction: Allison Janney
Janney and Metcalf essentially play the same character, but in two different ways. The award shows have given credit to Janney, but Metcalf could steal this away.
Supporting Actor
Nominees: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards), Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project), Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water), Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards), Christopher Plummer (All The Money in the World)
Lane’s Vote: Sam Rockwell
Lane’s Prediction: Sam Rockwell
Rockwell has gotten the most buzz of any of these actors, and almost certainly take the win here.
Adapted Screenplay
Nominees: Call Me By Your Name, The Disaster Artist, Molly’s Game, Mudbound, Logan
Lane’s Vote: Call Me By Your Name
Lane’s Prediction: Call Me By Your Name
Pretty certain on this one. Disaster Artist comes in a distant second.
Original Screenplay
Nominees: Get Out, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Lady Bird, The Shape of Water, The Big Sick
Lane’s Vote: Get Out
Lane’s Prediction: Get Out
I originally had Lady Bird as my winner in this one, but recently I’ve switched to Get Out. I could easily see any of these (with the exception of The Big Sick) winning this category. Truly up in the air.
Cinematography
Nominees: Blade Runner 2049, The Shape of Water, Dunkirk, Darkest Hour, Mudbound
Lane’s Vote: Blade Runner 2049
Lane’s Prediction: Blade Runner 2049
Costume Design
Nominees: Phantom Thread, The Shape of Water, Beauty and the Beast, Darkest Hour, Victoria and Abdul
Lane’s Vote: Phantom Thread
Lane’s Prediction: Phantom Thread
Phantom Thread’s costumes were unlike any film this year and definitely deserve the award.
Film Editing
Nominees: Dunkirk, Baby Driver, The Shape of Water, Three Billboards, I, Tonya
Lane’s Vote: Baby Driver
Lane’s Prediction: Dunkirk
Baby Driver is a masterclass in editing, and in my opinion should sweep the editing and mixing awards, but the Academy will give Dunkirk at least a few awards. Baby Driver deserves this, though.
Makeup and Hair
Nominees: Darkest Hour, Wonder, Victoria and Abdul
Lane’s Vote: Darkest Hour
Lane’s Prediction: Darkest Hour
Production Design
Nominees: The Shape of Water, Blade Runner 2049, Dunkirk, Darkest Hour, Beauty and the Beast
Lane’s Vote: The Shape of Water
Lane’s Prediction: The Shape of Water
Score
Nominees: Phantom Thread, The Shape of Water, Dunkirk, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Lane’s Vote: Phantom Thread
Lane’s Prediction: The Shape of Water
It’s been pretty gospel that Alexandre Desplat’s score for Shape will win the awards, but I’ll contend till the day I die that Greenwood’s for Phantom Thread is loads better. The Shape of Water will probably win, but I’m holding out hope.
Song
Nominees: Remember Me (Coco), This Is Me (The Greatest Showman), Mighty River (Mudbound), The Mystery of Love (Call Me By Your Name), Stand Up for Something (Marshall)
Lane’s Vote: Remember Me (Coco)
Lane’s Prediction: Remember Me (Coco)
Sound Editing and Sound Mixing
Nominees: Baby Driver, Dunkirk, Blade Runner 2049, The Shape of Water, The Last Jedi
Lane’s Vote: Baby Driver x2
Lane’s Prediction: Baby Driver x2
Baby Driver should get both of these awards, if not both then at least one. It certainly deserves it.
Visual Effects
Nominees: Blade Runner 2049, War for the Planet of the Apes, The Last Jedi, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Kong: Skull Island
Lane’s Vote: Blade Runner 2049
Lane’s Prediction: Blade Runner 2049
Crowded category this year, but 2049’s visuals are unparalleled.
Animated Feature
Nominees: Coco, Loving Vincent, The Breadwinner, Ferdinand, Boss Baby
Lane’s Vote: Coco
Lane’s Prediction: Coco
Animated Short
Nominees: Dear Basketball, Lou, Negative Space, Garden Party, Revolting Rhymes
Lane’s Vote: Dear Basketball
Lane’s Prediction: Dear Basketball
Dear Basketball was the best animated film of all the shorts (with Garden Party in a clase second), but was also the deepest of all. The shorts categories have been known to be unpredictable, but I feel Dear Basketball is the best.
Live Action Short
Nominees: DeKalb Elementary, The Silent Child, Watu Wote / All of Us, My Nephew Emmett, The Eleven O’Clock
Lane’s Vote: DeKalb Elementary
Lane’s Prediction: DeKalb Elementary
DeKalb Elementary is about how a school shooter is talked out of committing murder, and in light of recent events, I can’t see how it wouldn’t win. Not just the timing, but the film itself is great as well.
