HOLLYWOOD—Awards season is a fun-time of year, especially for movie enthusiasts as we being to make are predictions of what films and actors will be staples at this year’s ceremony. The Oscars are still about a month away from being announced, but next week both the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nominations will be unleashed giving a precursor to the all powerful Academy Awards.
The Golden Globes while not a definitive predictor of those who will be nominated for Academy Awards; it does give an inkling to where potential members may be leaning towards voting. The SAG awards however, are a big predictor as the voting bodies for the Academy and SAG tend to overlap a bit. If there are two pictures that should be must-sees this awards season they are “12 Years a Slave” and “Gravity;” both different pictures in all aspects, one a visual and stunning masterpiece, the other a brutal tale that chronicles a dark period in American history.
Expect both to be contenders in the Best Picture category this awards season. Other pictures that could be contenders is the buzz-worthy “American Hustle.” While the picture has not yet been screened for many, it’s already picked up the Best Picture at the New York Film Critics Awards. The picture directed by David O. Russell includes an Oscar-caliber cast that includes Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner and Bradley Cooper. Also to be considered are the films “Blue Jasmine,” “Captain Phillips,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “August: Osage County,” “ Nebraska,” “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “The Butler.” Remember there is always a dark horse or two in these categories.
Directing is a category that leaves an open field, but in my opinion, three virtual locks are in place for Steve McQueen “12 Years a Slave,” Woody Allen “Blue Jasmine” and Alfonso Cuaron “Gravity.” All three delivered exceptional films this year and will be tough to defeat. The tough task comes with filling in those final 2 or 3 spots for other ceremonies. Likely contenders include David O. Russell “American Hustle,” Martin Scorsese “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Lee Daniels for “Lee Daniels The Butler” and Alexander Payne “Nebraska.” We still have a few weeks of big pictures to be released in December, so the Best Director race could change at any moment.
On the acting side, a few unknowns are getting big accolades for their performances. Likely contenders in the Best Actor race include Matthew McConaughey for his transformation in “Dallas Buyers Club,” Chiwetol Ejiofor “12 Years a Slave,” Robert Redford “All Is Lost,” Bruce Dern “Nebraska,” Leonardo DiCaprio “The Wolf of Wall Street” and Tom Hanks “Captain Phillips.” Other potential upsets could come from performance by Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale for their work in “American Hustle,” as well as Michael B. Jordan “Fruitvale Station” and Forest Whittaker. Let’s just say the Best Actor race may be one of the most competitive we’ve seen in years.
For Best Actress Cate Blanchett is a shoe-in for her work in “Blue Jasmine.” She was considered the one to beat early this year, but that was changed with the release of “Gravity” that saw Sandra Bullock bringing in major accolades. Other actresses vying for the prize include Amy Adams, who may finally get her due for her performance in “American Hustle,” Meryl Streep is likely to continue her domination as the actress of a generation with her work in “August: Osage County,” her co-star Julia Roberts could also be a contender in the race. Former Best Actress winner Kate Winslet is also drawing buzz for her performance in “Labor Day,” as is Judi Dench for “Philomena.” Like the Best Actor race, Best Actress will be a dogfight this season.
The Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress race will be quite competitive to say the least. Front-runners for Best Supporting Actor include Jared Leto for his work as a transgendered man dying in “Dallas Buyers Club” and Michael Fassbender for his cruel depiction of a plantation owner in “12 Years a Slave.” These two will duke out for the top prize in my opinion, but other candidates could include Tom Hanks “Saving Mr. Banks,” Jonah Hill “The Wolf of Wall Street,” George Clooney “Gravity,” Barkhad Abdi “Captain Phillips” and Harrison Ford “42.” Let’s just say there are only two locks in this category and all the other slots are open for business.
For Supporting Actress, one actress is at the top of the list for her heartbreaking performance in “12 Years a Slave,” and that’s Lupita Nyong’o. Some have already considered the actress a lock in this race, but she could face stiff competition from Oprah Winfrey “Lee Daniels The Butler,” Octavia Spencer “Fruitvale Station,” Sally Hawkins “Blue Jasmine,” Jennifer Lawrence “American Hustle,” who just won the New York Film Critics Circle Award in this category, June Squibb “Nebraska” and Naomie Harris “Mandela.” It’s another crowded race, where a few formidable ladies will be left out in the cold.
So with a less than a week away before the awards season kicks off into full-force, who are you predicting to come out on top this season in awards season?
