2015 Oscar Predictions

Given that the Academy Awards are tonight and I have watched all the films nominated for best picture and the other major categories, I thought I would make a list of what I want to win each category as well as who will likely win, based on what the Academy likes, etc. Tonight I will post a comparison of my predictions to the actual results as they are announced.

Best Picture

"American Sniper"

"Birdman"
"Boyhood"
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"The Imitation Game"
"The Theory of Everything"
"Selma"
"Whiplash"

My choice: "Birdman"

Likely winner: "Boyhood"

Best Director
Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman"
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Morten Tyldum, "The Imitation Game"

My choice: Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" or Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman"

Likely winner: Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"
Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

My choice: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice" 
(I haven't seen any of the nominees so I'm basing this on word of mouth)

Likely winner: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"

Best Actor
Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher"
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"
Michael Keaton, "Birdman"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

My choice: Michael Keaton, "Birdman"

Likely winner: Michael Keaton, "Birdman" or Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"
Emma Stone, "Birdman"
Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"

My choice: Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game" or Emma Stone, "Birdman"

Likely winner: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, "The Judge"
Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"
Edward Norton, "Birdman"
Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"
J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

My choice: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Likely winner: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”
Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"
Jason Hall, “American Sniper”
Anthony McCarten, "The Theory of Everything"
Graham Moore, "The Imitation Game"

My choice: Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"

Likely winner: Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"

Best Original Screenplay
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye, "Foxcatcher"
Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, "Birdman"
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"

My choice: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, "Birdman"

Likely winner: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, "Birdman"

Best Animated Feature
"Big Hero 6"
"The Boxtrolls"
"How to Train Your Dragon 2"
“Song of the Sea”
"The Tale of The Princess Kaguya"

My choice: "Big Hero 6"

Likely winner: "How to Train Your Dragon 2"

Best Film Editing

"American Sniper"

"Boyhood"
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
"The Imitation Game"
"Whiplash"

My choice: "Boyhood"

Likely winner: "Boyhood"

Best Original Song

"Everything is Awesome" from "The LEGO Movie" (written by Shawn Patterson)

"Glory" from "Selma" (written by Common and John Legend)
"Grateful" from "Beyond the Lights" (written by Diane Warren)
"I’m Not Gonna Miss You" from "Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me" (written by Glen Campbell)
"Lost Stars" from "Begin Again" (written by Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley and Nick Southwood)

My choice: "Everything is Awesome" from "The LEGO Movie" (written by Shawn Patterson)

Likely winner: "Glory" from "Selma" (written by Common and John Legend)

Best Original Score

Alexandre Desplat, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Alexandre Desplat, "The Imitation Game"
Johann Johannsson, "The Theory of Everything"
Gary Yershon, “Mr. Turner”
Hans Zimmer, "Interstellar"

My choice: Johann Johannsson, "The Theory of Everything" or Hans Zimmer, "Interstellar"

Likely winner: Johann Johannsson, "The Theory of Everything"

Best Cinematography

Roger Deakins, "Unbroken"

Emmanuel Lubezki, "Birdman"
Dick Pope, "Mr. Turner"
Robert Yeoman, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, “Ida”

My choice: Emmanuel Lubezki, "Birdman"

Likely winner: Emmanuel Lubezki, "Birdman"

Best Costume Design

"The Grand Budapest Hotel"

“Inherent Vice”
"Into the Woods"
"Maleficent"
"Mr. Turner"

My choice: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Likely winner: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

"Foxcatcher"

"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"Guardians of the Galaxy"

My choice: "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Likely winner: "Foxcatcher"

Best Production Design

"The Grand Budapest Hotel"

“The Imitation Game”
“Interstellar”
"Into the Woods"
"Mr. Turner"

My choice: “Interstellar”

Likely winner: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Best Sound Editing

"American Sniper"

“Birdman”
"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"
"Interstellar"
"Unbroken"

My choice: "Interstellar"

Likely winner: "American Sniper"

Best Sound Mixing
"American Sniper"
"Birdman"
“Interstellar”
"Unbroken"
“Whiplash”

My choice: "Interstellar"

Likely winner: "American Sniper"

Best Visual Effects
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"
"Guardians of the Galaxy"
"Interstellar"
"X-Men: Days of Future Past"

My choice: "Guardians of the Galaxy

Likely winner: "Interstellar"