Being hurled onto the icy forest floor in an attempt to escape the relentless wrath of a protective momma bear, staring out into the vast ocean while reflecting on the changes to come while en route from Ireland to Brooklyn or betting against the housing market despite lack of support, the nominees for the 2016 Best Picture Oscar comprise a group of films that are both diverse and uniquely crafted. Consistent with past years, the 88th Academy Awards has nominated eight films for the title of Best Picture.
Among many other awards, the Best Picture nominees have captured the true essence of the 88th Academy Awards by representing a level of skill and immense creativity and dedication that has gone nearly unmatched. Every film, actor/actress, film crew, and musician has worked tirelessly to immerse audiences in their stories. The Academy Awards are a time to honor film as an artwork, as well as to recognize the hard work each member invests in creating the films that intrigue, please, sadden, and mystify audiences.
That being said, part of the fun that accompanies award show season is the buzz and predictions that circulate about the nominees and who/what film will take home the gold. The list of nominations may be loaded with talent, but in the end, only one can come out the winner. Being a family of movie-lovers, Garino dinner conversations often revolve around personal predictions on who is going to win and why. Expanding on this tradition, I asked around to discover the predictions others had about a few nomination categories for this year’s Academy Awards.
Best Picture
"The Big Short"
"Bridge of Spies"
"Brooklyn"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Martian"
"The Revenant"
University of Wisconsin-Madison freshman Maddy Schachte believes, “ 'The Revenant' should win because all the actors gave great performances, the film did a very nice job of portraying the story of the times, and the cinematography was superb. It was the whole package.”
"Room"
"Spotlight"
Actor in a Leading Role
Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"
Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
Leonardo Dicaprio, "The Revenant"
University of Wisconsin-Madison freshman, Gillian Keebler, predicts, “Leo is obviously going to win because he has done such a good job time and time again. His role in 'The Revenant' was a hard role to play realistically and well and he managed to do just that. He deserves it!”
Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett, "Carol"
University of Wisconsin-Madison sophomore Ryan Scheffler said, “Cate Blanchett. The Academy Awards have looked towards her consistently with six nominations since ’98. The Academy also loves socially progressive films, so with the plot line of Carol, she has a good chance of getting the award.”
Brie Larson, "Room"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Joy"
Charlotte Rampling, "45 Years"
Saoirse Ronan, "Brooklyn"
Visual Effects
"Ex Machina"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Martian"
"The Revenant"
" Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
University of Wisconsin-Madison freshman Emily Toboyek thinks, “ 'Star Wars' is going to win because it is practically the fourth movie redone with 21st century effects and technology.”
Directing
"The Big Short"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Revenant"
University of Virginia graduate Mia Garino emphasizes, “Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will win for 'The Revenant' because the cinematography was just beautiful. Watching the movie I really felt like I was there.”
"Room"
"Spotlight"
Will Leo finally win his Oscar? Will The Revenant take it all? Who will be the best and worst dressed? Will it compare to previous Academy Awards ceremonies? The much anticipated results of these nominations and questions will be revealed on Sunday, February 28!
