Oscar Picks 2014

Oscars LogoOscar night is over, and like all other reviewers, we had our own picks for who will and who should win Oscars on March 2, 2014. Russ and Rich have different tastes, but when it comes down to the best of the best, they are rarely that far apart. See who was better at predicting the winners.

 

Best Picture

  • American Hustle
  • Captain Phillips
  • Dallas Buyers Club
  • Gravity
  • Her
  • Nebraska
  • Philomena
  • 12 Years a Slave
  • The Wolf of Wall Street

Russ: Gravity (will win), Gravity (should win).

Rich: American Hustle (will win), Gravity (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: 12 Years a Slave.

Actor in a Leading Role

  • Christian Bale (American Hustle)
  • Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
  • Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)
  • Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
  • Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Russ: Matthew McConaughey (will win), Matthew McConaughey (should win).

Rich:  Matthew McConaughey (will win), Chiwetel Ejiofor (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Matthew McConaughey. Russ and Rich were both correct.

Actress in a Leading Role

  • Amy Adams (American Hustle)
  • Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
  • Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
  • Judi Dench (Philomena)
  • Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

Russ: Cate Blanchett (will win), Sandra Bullock (should win).

Rich: Cate Blanchett (will win), Judi Dench (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Cate Blanchett. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)
  • Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)
  • Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)
  • Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)
  • Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Russ: Jared Leto (will win), Jared Leto (should win).

Rich: Jared Leto (will win), Michael Fassbender (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Jared Leto. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Actress in a Supporting Role

  • Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)
  • Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
  • Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave)
  • Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)
  • June Squibb (Nebraska)

Russ: Lupita Nyong’o (will win), Jennifer Lawrence (should win).

Rich: Jennifer Lawrence (will win), Jennifer Lawrence (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Lupita Nyong’o. Russ picked this correctly.

 

Animated Feature Film

  • The Croods
  • Despicable Me 2
  • Ernest & Celestine
  • Frozen
  • The Wind Rises

Russ: Frozen (will win), Frozen (should win).

Rich: Frozen (will win), Despicable Me 2 (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Frozen. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Cinematography

  • The Grandmaster
  • Gravity
  • Inside Llewyn Davis
  • Nebraska
  • Prisoners

Russ: Gravity (will win), Gravity (should win).

Rich: Gravity (will win), Gravity (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Gravity. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Costume Design

  • American Hustle
  • The Grandmaster
  • The Great Gatsby
  • The Invisible Woman
  • 12 Years a Slave

Russ: 12 Years a Slave (will win), The Great Gatsby (should win).

Rich: 12 Years a Slave (will win), The Invisible Woman (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: The Greaty Gatsby.

 

Directing

  • David O. Russell (American Hustle)
  • Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)
  • Alexander Payne (Nebraska)
  • Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)
  • Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Russ: Alfonso Cuarón (will win), Alfonso Cuarón (should win)

Rich: Alfonso Cuarón (will win), Alfonso Cuarón (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Alfonso Cuarón. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Documentary Feature

  • The Act of Killing
  • Cutie and the Boxer
  • Dirty Wars
  • The Square
  • 20 Feet from Stardom

Russ: 20 Feet from Stardom (will win), 20 Feet from Stardom (should win)

Rich: 20 Feet from Stardom (will win), Dirty Wars (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: 20 Feet from Stardom. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Documentary Short Subject

  • CaveDigger
  • Facing Fear
  • Karama Has No Walls
  • The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
  • Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall

Russ: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (will win), The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (should win).

Rich: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (will win), The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Film Editing

  • American Hustle
  • Captain Phillips
  • Dallas Buyers Club
  • Gravity
  • 12 Years a Slave

Russ: Gravity (will win), Gravity (should win).

Rich: Gravity (will win), 12 Years a Slave (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Gravity. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Foreign Language Film

  • The Broken Circle Breakdown
  • The Great Beauty
  • The Hunt
  • The Missing Picture
  • Omar

Russ: The Broken Circle Breakdown (will win), The Great Beauty (should win).

Rich: The Hunt (will win), The Great Beauty (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: The Great Beauty.

 

Makeup and Hairstyling

  • Dallas Buyers Club
  • Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
  • The Lone Ranger

Russ: Dallas Buyers Club (will win), Dallas Buyers Club (should win), Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (would be hilarious if they win).

Rich: Dallas Buyers Club (will win), Dallas Buyers Club (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Dallas Buyers Club. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Music — Original Score

  • John Williams (The Book Thief)
  • Steven Price (Gravity)
  • William Butler and Owen Pallett (Her)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Philomena)
  • Thomas Newman (Saving Mr. Banks)

Russ: Alexandre Desplat (will win), John Williams (should win).

Rich: Thomas Newman (will win), John Williams (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Gravity.

 

Music — Original Song

  • “Happy” (Despicable Me 2)
  • “Let It Go” (Frozen)
  • “The Moon Song” (Her)
  • “Ordinary Love” (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)

Russ: “Let It Go” (will win), “Let It Go” (should win), “Ordinary Love” (rabid Frozen fans will riot if it manages to win).

Rich: “Let It Go” (will win), “Let It Go” (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: “Let It Go.” Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Production Design

  • American Hustle
  • Gravity
  • The Great Gatsby
  • Her
  • 12 Years a Slave

Russ: 12 Years a Slave (will win), The Great Gatsby (should win).

Rich: Gravity (will win), Gravity (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: The Great Gatsby.

 

Short Film — Animated

  • Feral
  • Get a Horse!
  • Mr Hublot.
  • Possessions
  • Room on the Broom

Russ: Room on the Broom (will win), Mr Hublot. (should win). Here’s my review of The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2014: Animation.

Rich: Room on the Broom (will win), Room on the Broom (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Mr Hublot.

 

Short Film — Live Action

  • Aquel no era yo (That Wasn’t Me)
  • Avant que de tout perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)
  • Helium
  • Pitääkö mun kaikki hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)
  • The Voorman Problem

Russ: Avant que de tout perdre (Just Before Losing Everything) (will win), Helium (should win).

Rich: Pitääkö mun kaikki hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?) (will win), Pitääkö mun kaikki hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?) (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Helium.

 

Sound Editing

  • All Is Lost
  • Captain Phillips
  • Gravity
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
  • Lone Survivor

Russ: Captain Phillips (will win), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (should win).

Rich: Gravity (will win), Lone Survivor (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Gravity. Rich picked this correctly.

 

Sound Mixing

  • Captain Phillips
  • Gravity
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
  • Inside Llewyn Davis
  • Lone Survivor

Russ: Captain Phillips (will win), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (should win).

Rich: Gravity (will win), Lone Survivor (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Gravity. Rich picked this correctly.

 

Visual Effects

  • Gravity
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
  • Iron Man 3
  • The Lone Ranger
  • Star Trek Into Darkness

Russ: Gravity (will win), Gravity (should win).

Rich: Gravity (will win), Gravity (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Gravity. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

Writing — Adapted Screenplay

  • Before Midnight
  • Captain Phillips
  • Philomena
  • 12 Years a Slave
  • The Wolf of Wall Street

Russ: 12 Years a Slave (will win), Philomena (should win).

Rich: Philomena (will win), Philomena (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: 12 Years a Slave. Russ picked this correctly.

 

Writing — Original Screenplay

  • American Hustle
  • Blue Jasmine
  • Dallas Buyers Club
  • Her
  • Nebraska

Russ: Her (will win), American Hustle (should win).

Rich: Her (will win), American Hustle (should win).

And the Oscar Goes to: Her. Russ and Rich were both correct.

 

The final tally is as follows: Russ: 15 – 9 for 62.5% correct and Rich: 15 – 9 for 62.5% correct. It’s a tie! See you at next year’s Oscar ceremony.