The 87th Academy Awards: The Official Fraker 2015 Oscar Selections
The 87th Academy Awards Predictions
It’s that time again where the Academy Awards buffer up against my obsessive cinematic addiction. It’s a date where my own adoration and love for the medium sees negativity hit its apex. It’s also a night where my own masochistic tendencies are in full view as a misguided sense of obligation to arguably the most meaningless and superficial of all the political awards shows sees me tuning in for inevitable torture.
As hard as I have tried since 1997 (the year I finally realized how little quality had to do with prize winners) I can never make it to the Best Picture announcement as the gossip magazine style approach just reaches unbearable levels. Embarking on the knotted towel to the balls level endurance test begins with the objectifying shallowness of the red carpet arrivals that hold zero interest, feeling more and more insulting with each passing year. Personally I would love for the pre-show to at least attempt to focus on the actual films. Possibly capturing a hint of the inspiration and endless joy the art offers us junkies instead of the tedium of who wears what. Try asking one of the cast or crew about the goddamn movie for once!
The banality of most all the hosts over the last decade and a half (last years Ellen actually lowered the bar below even my most cynical expectations) devoid of even a pulse of entertainment value or comedic content is about as rewarding as watching a lip synch battle.
Awarding largely mediocre films and performers while mostly ignoring any work that contains even the hint of artistic merit, hell Sandra Bullock and Forrest Gump have won. I primarily tune in for the writing, cinematography and editing awards as they seem the closest to acknowledging legitimate quality.
To be fair, this year does seem to include some worthy nominees, maybe I will make it to the big gong, but only if Doogie does the whole show as his space Nazi character from STARSHIP TROOPERS….but all that really ignores the reality of what the show is about so I will just be over here with Grandpa Simpson shouting at the clouds.
Accepting that truth, now that the doom and gloom is vented, in the spirit of being more positive (don’t laugh) I’m going to play the hand that’s dealt and offer my own predictions for the actual field. Below is the full list of nominee’s and with Birdman like narcissism who I would like to see take home the prize.
2015 Academy Award Nominees
BEST PICTURE
Birdman Poster
Who I think should win: “Birdman”
“American Sniper”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”
BEST ACTOR
Michael Keaton as Birdman
Who I want to win: Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Steve Carrell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
BEST ACTRESS
Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Who I want to win: Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
J.K. Simmons in Whiplash
Who I want to win: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
Who I want to win: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
BEST DIRECTOR
Alejando G. Inarritu for Birdman
Who I want to win: Alejando G. Inarritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Morton Tyldum, “The Imitation Game”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler
Who I want to win: Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler”
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
- Max Frye and Dan Futterman, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thmoas Anderson for Inherent Vice
Who I want to win: Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”
Jason Hall, “American Sniper”
Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Anthony McCarten, “The Theory of Everything”
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Ida Poster
Who I want to win: “Ida,” Poland
“Leviathan,” Russia
“Tangerines,” Estonia
“Wild Tales,” Argentina
“Timbuktu,” Mauritania
BEST ANIMATED FEATURED FILM
Boxtrolls Poster
Who I want to win: “The Boxtrolls”
“Big Hero 6”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“Song of the Sea”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman
Who I want to win: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Robert Yeoman, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, “Ida”
Dick Pope, “Mr. Turner”
Roger Deakins, “Unbroken”
BEST FILM EDITING
The Grand Budapest Hotel Poster
Who I want to win: Barney Pilling, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach, “American Sniper”
Sandra Adair, “Boyhood”
William Goldenberg, “The Imitation Game”
Tom Cross, “Whiplash”
BEST SOUND EDITING
Interstellar banner
Who I want to win: Richard King, “Interstellar”
Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro, “Unbroken”
Brent Burge and Jason Canovas, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”
Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman, “American Sniper”
Martin Hernandez and Aaron Glascock, “Birdman”
BEST SOUND MIXING
Whiplash poster
Who I want to win: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley, “Whiplash”
Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten, “Interstellar”
Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montano and Thomas Varga, “Birdman”
John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin, “American Sniper”
Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montano and David Lee, “Unbroken”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Grand Budapest Hotel location
Who I want to win: Adam Stockhausen (Production Design) and Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration), “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dennis Gassner (Production Design) and Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration), “Into the Woods”
Nathan Crowley (Production Design) and Gary Fettis (Set Decoration),”Interstellar”
Maria Djurkovic (Production Design) and Tatiana Macdonald (Set Decoration), “The Imitation Game”
Suzie Davies (Production Design) and Charlotte Watts (Set Decoration),”Mr. Turner”
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Inherent Vice costumes
Who I want to win: Mark Bridges, “Inherent Vice”
Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Colleen Atwood, “Into the Woods”
Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive, “Maleficient”
Jacqueline Durran, “Mr. Turner”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Interstellar soundtrack
Who I want to win: Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Imitation Game”
Johann Johannsson, “The Theory of Everything”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Gary Yershon, “Mr Turner”
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Lego Movie Poster
What I want to win: “Everything Is Awesome” by Shawn Patterson, “The LEGO Movie”
“Glory” by Common and John Legend, “Selma”
“Lost Stars” by Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley and NickSouthwood, “Begin Again”
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” by Glen Campbell, “Glenn Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
“Grateful,” “Beyond the lights”
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Guardians of the Galaxy poster
What I want to win: “Guardians of the Galaxy”
“Foxcatcher”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
What I want to win: Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher, “Interstellar”
Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould, “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick, “Captain America: Winter Soldier”
Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer, “X-Men: Days of Future Past”
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