In light of yesterday’s Oscar nominations announcement, The Dartmouth’s resident awards experts, executive editor Michael Riordan ’15 and Mirror editor Erin Landau ’15, ruminated long and hard on who will win, who will be snubbed and who should claim a naked statuette on March 2. It’s been a pretty good year for movies, but as usual, all the great ones were released in the past three months. With instant classics such as “Diana,” “Machete Kills” and “A Madea Christmas,” we think it’s safe to say that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had no shortage of choices. In a stunning twist, “American Hustle,” “Gravity” and “12 Years a Slave” led the nominations, sweeping the major categories. In case you need helping winning your fraternity Oscar pool or decorating thematically for your awards party, here are our picks for the big show:
Best Picture:
“American Hustle”
“Captain Phillips”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Gravity”
“Her”
“Nebraska”
“Philomena”
“12 Years a Slave”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
MXR: What an interesting, diverse line-up — but I’m disheartened by the omission of Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine,” a film that I thought masterfully toed the line between comedy and tragedy. It wouldn’t shock me if “American Hustle” topples presumed frontrunner “12 Years a Slave,” which missed some key technical categories, like cinematography and score — a potential sign of weaker than expected support. “Gravity,” a technical marvel, is in a distant third.
ERL: For this category especially, what I want to win and what will end up winning are extremely disparate. If “Her,” the true best film of the year, rose up from its indie roots to grab the gold, I would be ecstatic. This film knocked the wind out of me — its brilliant portrayal of an unlikely romance felt both fresh and poignant. In reality, “American Hustle,” with its star-studded cast and well-developed plot, will probably take home the coveted prize.
Best Director:
David O. Russell for “American Hustle”
Alfonso Cuaron for “Gravity”
Alexander Payne for “Nebraska”
Steve McQueen for “12 Years a Slave”
Martin Scorsese for “The Wolf of Wall Street”
MXR: It looks like a rare picture-director split may happen again this year, since Cuaron seems poised to be recognized for his visually dynamic thrill ride. Somehow, Spike Jonze missed out for directing “Her,” and I was surprised to not find “Captain Phillips” filmmaker Paul Greengrass in the final five. My vote would go to Russell, who has established himself as a major director in the past few years, but voters may be content to recognize him in the original screenplay category, where he’s also nominated.
ERL: The beauty of the best directing category is that the laymen aren’t really sure what a director does, other than say “cut!” and look through an oversized lens. In reality, these geniuses do some of the most tiresome and thankless work in the industry, and they deserved to be praised for their efforts. For me, Cuaron performs his work masterfully and has gone without recognition for far too long. By far the most mainstream of his films, “Gravity” effectively turned space into a character, simultaneously powerful, relentless and unforgiving. Since Scorsese has won, McQueen is too young and Payne is too alternative, Russell seems to be the most likely choice.
Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Christian Bale for “American Hustle”
Bruce Dern for “Nebraska”
Leonardo DiCaprio for “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Chiwetel Ejiofor for “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey for “Dallas Buyers Club”
MXR: Who knows what will happen in this category? Voters strayed from their usual path and ignored top stars like Tom Hanks and Robert Redford, instead opting for younger actors. In a tight race, Dern may stand out as the veteran of the pack, but the over-performance of “Dallas Buyers Club” in the nominations may point to a McConaughey triumph. Despite its relatively large nomination haul, I’m skeptical that DiCaprio, however overdue, can prevail over performances in better-liked, more accessible films.
ERL: This category is truly anybody’s guess. In what I believe will be the closest race of the awards, due to Dern’s relative age and prestige with Academy members, he is the dark horse most likely to take home the Triple Crown. Bale’s nomination came as somewhat of a surprise, and I personally don’t think this was his most powerful performance (see: “The Fighter” (2010)). DiCaprio was brilliant, but “The Wolf of Wall Street” is so universally repugnant that he won’t be taking home his first this year. I believe that Ejiofor’s performance stands out the most — his portrayal was one-part thoughtful and three-parts charismatic, leaving you so drawn in by his story that you could feel his every loss as though it were your own. Now that is acting.
Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Amy Adams for “American Hustle”
Cate Blanchett for “Blue Jasmine”
Sandra Bullock for “Gravity”
Judi Dench for “Philomena”
Meryl Streep for “August: Osage County”
MXR: Adams did it! In a last-minute surge, she catapulted ahead of Emma Thompson, who most Oscar followers predicted for “Saving Mr. Banks.” As the only actress in the category without an Oscar, Adams could prove to be Blanchett’s main competition. Streep, who will be sitting on the sidelines this year, can take comfort in her 1,098th nomination. But really, voters, this is an easy choice: Blanchett deserves another Oscar.
ERL: 2013 wasn’t the strongest year for the ladies, to be honest. This year’s female nominees are some of the Academy’s most tried and true. Dame Dench is British, established within the Academy and universally loved by most humans, so she automatically has a leg up. Streep has actually been nominated for every film she’s been in since the dawn of time, but I have a feeling this time she won’t bring it home. Adams is too young, too new and her performance not powerful enough to hold up to the likes of Bullock and Blanchett. Since Bullock spent most of her time floating in space, I think Blanchett is the obvious win.
Our credentials:
Riordan is a former child actor. Instead of developing a debilitating drug addiction at a young age, he abandoned his promising career path for a life of reading, writing and editing. He follows awards shows to relive his glory days and watches nearly every film released for awards consideration.
Landau is an industry insider who has spent years living in the City of Angels. Absorbing all she could from her Academy father, Landau spent her childhood reading scripts and trying desperately to sneak into various premieres in Westwood, Hollywood and other star-studded locations.
