2015 OSCARS: My Final Prediction Of The Winners In Top 8 Categories

Below are my predictions for the Top 8 categories for the 87th annual Academy Awards. Last year I correctly predicted 6 of the Top 8 categories. Below I put in red the movie or person I want to win, and in blue the person I think actually will win.

Best Picture

• American Sniper
• Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Boyhood
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Selma
• The Theory of Everything
• Whiplash
• Foxcatcher

SHOULD WIN: The Imitation Game

WILL WIN: Birdman

Best Director

• Bennet Miller, Foxcatcher
• Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Theory of Everything
• Richard Linklater, Boyhood
• Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel 
• Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

SHOULD WIN: Richard Linklater, Boyhood

WILL WIN: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman

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

SHOULD WIN: Julianne Moore, Still Alice

WILL WIN: Julianne Moore, Still Alice

Best Actor

• Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
• Benedict Cumberbatch,  The Imitation Game
• Michael Keaton, Birdman
• Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
• Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

SHOULD WIN: Benedict Cumberbatch,  The Imitation Game

WILL WIN: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best Supporting Actress

• Emma Stone, Birdman
• Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
• Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
• Meryl Streep, Into The Woods
• Laura Dern, Wild

SHOULD WIN: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

WILL WIN: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Best Supporting Actor

• Ethan Hawke, Boyhood 
• Edward Norton, Birdman
• Mark Ruffalo,  Foxcatcher
• J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
• Robert Duvall, The Judge

SHOULD WIN: Edward Norton, Birdman

WILL WIN: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Original Screenplay

• Birdman 
• Boyhood
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Nightcrawler
• Foxcatcher

SHOULD WIN: The Grand Budapest Hotel

WILL WIN: Birdman

Best Adapted Screenplay

• American Sniper
• The Imitation Game
• Inherent Vice
• The Theory of Everything
• Whiplash

SHOULD WIN: The Imitation Game

WILL WIN: Whiplash

2015 OSCARS: Actual Nominations Announced

Below are the actual nominations for the 87th annual Academy Awards. You can compare the actual nominations to my predicted nominations from yesterday.

American Sniper
Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
Gone Girl
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler

Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Foxcatcher

7 correct predictions, 3 wrong.

Best Director

• Clint Eastwood, American Sniper
• Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
• Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
• Richard Linklater, Boyhood
• Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Ana Duvernay, Selma
• Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

3 of 5 predictions correct.

Best Actress

• Amy Adams, Big Eyes
• Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night
• Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
• Julianne Moore, Still Alice
• Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl 
• Reese Witherspoon, Wild

4 of 5 predictions correct. I had actually gone back and forth between Cotillard and Adams for the last slot and just picked the wrong one at the last moment.

Best Actor

• Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
• Benedict Cumberbatch,  The Imitation Game
• Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Michael Keaton, Birdman
• Mathew Oyelowo, Selma 
• Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
• Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

3 of 5 predictions correct. I had intended to include Redmayne in the Selma slot.

Best Supporting Actress

• Emma Stone, Birdman
• Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
• Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
• Meryl Streep, Into The Woods
• Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer
• Laura Dern, Wild

4 of 5 predictions correct. I had really hoped that the academy would recognize Swinton's amazing work in Snowpiercer.

Best Supporting Actor

• Ethan Hawke, Boyhood 
• Alfred Molina, Love is Strange 
• Edward Norton, Birdman
• Mark Ruffalo,  Foxcatcher
• J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
• Robert Duvall, The Judge

4 of 5 predictions correct. I underestimated the Academy's love for Duvall.

Best Original Screenplay

• Birdman 
• Boyhood
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The LEGO Movie
• Nightcrawler
• Foxcatcher

4 of 5 predictions correct. I had really thought that the Academy would recognize the surprising brilliance of The LEGO Movie.

Best Adapted Screenplay

• American Sniper
• Gone Girl
• The Imitation Game
• Inherent Vice
• The Theory of Everything
• Whiplash

4 of 5 predictions correct. I was convinced that The Academy would recognize the brilliance of Gillian Flynn's adaptation of her own book Gone Girl but I completely underestimated the mutual antipathy between David Fincher and Oscar voters.

Overall I predicted 26 of 35 correct (74%) of the top 7 categories. If you consider the that I got 7 of the 8 Best Picture nominations correct then my percentage goes up to 76.7%.

Total Nominations

1. Birdman (10) Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel (9)
2. Boyhood (9) The Imitation Game (8)
3. The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything (7) The Theory of Everything, Boyhood, American Sniper (6)
4. Selma,  Gone Girl, Interstellar, American Sniper, The Grand Budapest Hotel (5) Interstellar, Foxcatcher (5)

2015 OSCARS: My Predictions For The Nominations

Here are my predictions for the nominations in the Top 8 categories in the 87th Academy Awards that will be announced publicly at 5am PDT on Thursday January 15.

American Sniper
Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
Gone Girl
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler

Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Director

• Clint Eastwood, American Sniper
• Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
• Richard Linklater, Boyhood
• Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Ana Duvernay, Selma

Best Actress

• Amy Adams, Big Eyes
• Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
• Julianne Moore, Still Alice
• Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl 
• Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Actor

• Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
• Benedict Cumberbatch,  The Imitation Game
• Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Michael Keaton, Birdman
• Mathew Oyelowo, Selma 

Best Supporting Actress

• Emma Stone, Birdman
• Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
• Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
• Meryl Streep, Into The Woods
• Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer

Best Supporting Actor

• Ethan Hawke, Boyhood 
• Alfred Molina, Love is Strange 
• Edward Norton, Birdman
• Mark Ruffalo,  Foxcatcher
• J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Original Screenplay

• Birdman 
• Boyhood
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The LEGO Movie
• Nightcrawler

Best Adapted Screenplay

• American Sniper
• Gone Girl
• The Imitation Game
• Inherent Vice
• The Theory of Everything

Total Nominations

1. Birdman (10)
2. Boyhood (9)
3. The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything (7)
4. Selma,  Gone Girl, Interstellar, American Sniper, The Grand Budapest Hotel (5)