This Oscar season is looking to be an intense one. We’ve got David O. Russell, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, and two fantastic Pixar films in the mix. We’ve got performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hardy, and Michael Fassbender on the docket. And we still have five plus months to go until the ceremonies. Nevertheless, I have started my predictions a bit too early because, hey, I love the Oscars! So without further ado, the FIRST DRAFT OF THE 2016 EDSMAN OSCAR PREDICTIONS IS:
BEST PICTURE
The Nominees:
Black Mass
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Joy
Mad Max Fury Road
The Revenant
Steve Jobs
The Winner: Joy
Call me crazy, but I think that the Academy will use up all ten slots this year and that summer critical hits Inside Out and Mad Max Fury Road will get their due recognition. David O. Russell films have a history of being nominated and not winning at the Academy Awards (American Hustle went 0-for-10 two years ago) which is why I think Joy will take home the gold this year. At least for now.
BEST DIRECTOR
The Nominees:
Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant
Todd Haynes, Carol
George Miller, Mad Max Fury Road
David O. Russell, Joy
Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight
The Winner: David O. Russell, Joy
That’s right, I gave George Miller a nod here. I don’t know, I just think the Academy will particularly appreciate Mad Max Fury Road, at least I did. Russell takes home this category, though, as Best Director typically follows suit with Best Picture.
BEST ACTOR
The Nominees:
Michael Caine, Youth
Johnny Depp, Black Mass
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
The Winner: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Mark my words: THIS IS LEO’S YEAR. This is it. Regardless of how fantastic the performance is (it looks like it will be pretty damn good), the Academy will give him this Oscar because he’s extremely long overdue and the audience wants it so bad.
BEST ACTRESS
The Nominees:
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Carey Mulligan, Suffragette
Lily Tomlin, Grandma
The Winner: Cate Blanchett, Carol
Jennifer Lawrence will give her a run for her money, but I’m predicting Cate Blanchett taking home her third Academy Award this year.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
The Nominees:
Paul Dano, Love and Mercy
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Samuel L. Jackson, The Hateful Eight
Michael Keaton, Spotlight
The Winner: Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Tom Hardy is an up-and-comer in the industry and his first Oscar nomination could very well be his first Oscar win. A lot of it depends on how badass Samuel L. Jackson’s performance in The Hateful Eight is though.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
The Nominees:
Jane Fonda, Youth
Rooney Mara, Carol
Ellen Page, Freeheld
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
The Winner: Rooney Mara, Carol
Mara’s performance looks great from the trailer and will be accentuated alongside Blanchett. She’s a reasonable bet to take this one home, unless Alicia Vikander has something to say about it.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Nominees:
Bridge of Spies
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Joy
Son of Saul
The Winner: The Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino is a damn good screenwriter and the Academy likes to reward him this category (see Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained).
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Nominees:
Black Mass
Carol
The Danish Girl
The Revenant
Steve Jobs
The Winner: The Danish Girl
This emotional tale of the transgender experience will sway Academy voters in my opinion.