With all other major award shows out of the way, all eyes are on the 90th Academy Awards set to air on March 4. This year features one of the best crops of movies in recent years with dozens of movies gaining critical acclaim. As usual, the race for each category will come down to a battle between box office hits and the more independent and artsy films the Academy always loves.
Today we’ll look at the nominees for nine major categories and who should win, and who will likely win.
BEST PICTURE
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
WHO SHOULD WIN: The Shape of Water. A great cast with even better writing and directing make for one of the best movies in the last few years.
WHO WILL WIN: The Shape of Water. With the most nominations of any movie in this years, Oscars and wins in countless other award shows, The Shape of Water is the odds-on favorite to win.
BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”
WHO SHOULD WIN: Gary Oldman. In a performance that is already being pegged as one of the greatest of all time, Oldman seamlessly transforms himself into one of the most influential men in history.
WHO WILL WIN: Gary Oldman.
BEST ACTRESS
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”
WHO SHOULD WIN: Saoirse Ronan. She perfectly portrays the life of a teenager in the early 2000s.
WHO WILL WIN: Frances McDormand. McDormand turned in the emotional and heartfelt performance the Academy looks for when choosing winners.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
WHO SHOULD WIN: Sam Rockwell. In a movie that was best known for its strong cast, Rockwell stole the show despite his more limited screen time.
WHO WILL WIN: Sam Rockwell.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”
WHO SHOULD WIN: Laurie Metcalf. Her role as Ronan’s mother in “Lady Bird” is both emotional and hilarious.
WHO WILL WIN: Allison Janney. She is a major reason “I, Tonya” is getting as much attention as it is – and for good reason.
DIRECTOR
“Dunkirk” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Shape of Water” Guillermo del Toro
WHO SHOULD WIN: Christopher Nolan. Despite limited dialogue, Nolan’s direction is unmatched in this cinematic masterpiece.
WHO WILL WIN: Guillermo del Toro. He’s won at most of the other award shows; expect no different at the Oscars.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“The Big Sick” by Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Get Out” by Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird” by Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water” by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor; Story by Guillermo del Toro
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” by Martin McDonagh
WHO SHOULD WIN: Get Out. Jordan Peele wrote an incredibly crazy and intricate script despite it being his debut film.
WHO WILL WIN: Get Out.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank, James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees
WHO SHOULD WIN: Call Me by Your Name. Ivory’s writing stayed true to its source material while still making it flow extremely well on the big screen.
WHO WILL WIN: Call Me by Your Name.
BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE
“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell
WHO SHOULD WIN: Jonny Greenwood. The score of Phantom Thread was pretty much the most exciting part of the whole movie.
WHO WILL WIN: Alexandre Desplat. The score here fits perfectly with the flow and mood of the movie. Critics also love anything affiliated with “The Shape of Water” in any way.
All photos obtained from Google Images via Creative Commons.
