My Predictions for the 89th Academy Awards
Start writing a post
Entertainment

My Predictions for the 89th Academy Awards

If you plan on betting on this year's Oscars, I'm here to help you make the right choice.

18
My Predictions for the 89th Academy Awards
Oscar.go

With the biggest night in film fast approaching, I’ve decided to tap into my inner gambler. After all, we all love to make predictions. We do it in sports all the time, and then we bet on it. Well this year I want to bet on the Oscars. So, here are my picks to win the major categories at this year’s Oscars, and I’m willing to put money on my picks.


Best Picture: La La Land



Every year there always one film that seems to be a powerhouse at the Oscars. Two years ago it was Birdman, last year it was Spotlight, and this year it’s La La Land. It’s got all the momentum heading into big night, racking up Golden Globes, Screen Actor Guild Awards, and many others. I’m not discounting any of the other nominated films, they all great, it’s just that I don’t see any of them stealing the La La Land thunder.



Best Actor in a Leading Role: Denzel Washington for Fences




The year’s race for Best Lead Actor reminds me a lot of the race from two years ago. Michael Keaton for a long time was considered a lock to win for his performance in Birdman, but when awards season came around, Eddie Redmayne started to win for The Theory of Everything, and gained momentum at the right time. This year, when Manchester by the Sea premiered, Casey Affleck was praised and called the early favorite to win. However, look back to the SAG Awards and you’ll see that Denzel quietly won the award for Outstand Performance. While I wouldn’t count Affleck out, Washington has the all the momentum right now, and during the twenty-three years the SAG Awards have existed, only four times has the SAG award winner not won the Oscar. The last time it happened was all the way back in 2003.



Best Actress in a Leading Role: Emma Stone for La La Land



This race isn’t as close as the race for Best Lead Actor. Emma Stone has already won the SAG Award and the Golden Globe this year, and she should win the Oscar. However, you can never count out Meryl Streep; after all she has three Oscars on her shelf for a reason. Streep runs into a problem when you consider the movie she’s nominated for. As great as Florence Foster Jenkins is, it doesn’t have nearly as much buzz as La La Land. Plus, Stone was wonderful and gave an emotional performance that certain deserves the Oscar.



Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali for Moonlight




This is without a doubt the hardest race to call. You could make a winning case for every one of the nominated performances. Jeff Bridges gave his best performance since finally winning his first Oscar for Crazy Heart. Dev Patel proved that his performance in Slumdog Millionaire wasn’t a fluke. Lucas Hedges, who’s only twenty, gave an emotional performance in Manchester by the Sea. Michael Shannon transformed himself into his character in Nocturnal Animals. However, I think Mahershala Ali is the favorite after his SAG Award win. He gave a powerful performance in one of the most important movies of the year, Moonlight, but don’t be surprised if someone else sneaks in and wins it.



Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis for Fences



This is the easiest one to call. Again, I’m not trying to take anything away from the excellent performances by the other four nominees, but there’s no way Davis doesn’t win this award. She’s commands the screen, and steals scenes from Denzel Washington, which is no easy feat.



Best Directing: Damien Chazelle for La La Land


More often than not, the director of the best picture wins best director. While this isn’t always the case, I still think it’s Chazelle’s year. He pulled out two Oscar nominated performances from his leads, and the song and dance scenes are excellently directed. Looking at his competition, La La Land has more buzz than Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight. As for Mel Gibson, he’s lucky to be directing again, so I doubt that The Academy is ready to award he with an Oscar, no matter how good Hacksaw Ridge was. Denis Villeneuve is the next big director and will without a doubt win an Oscar at some point in his career, but The Academy loves movies about Hollywood, and I think they’re going to award La La Land as much as they can.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

58230
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37512
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959144
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

193077
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments