The Oscars are not going to be held for another couple of months, and official nominations are not going to be out until the end of this month. That makes it a perfect time for me to reveal what I’d nominate for each major category. These picks will not happen, but a guy can dream.
My Picks for Major Oscars Categories
Best Picture
What this boils down to is my 10 favorite movies of the year. I have not seen all of the movies, even some of the likely Oscar nominations, but it’s my list. Here’s what it would be:
- Sinners
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Wake Up Dead Man
- 28 Years Later
- Train Dreams
- The Long Walk
- Superman
- Weapons
- The Life of Chuck
Several of these will actually be nominated at the Oscars. The long shots are Weapons, The Life of Chuck, Superman, The Long Walk, and 28 Years Later. Wake Up Dead Man is probably not getting a nomination, either.
Best Director
My five nominations for Best Director would be:
- Ryan Coogler
- Paul Thomas Anderson
- Clive Bentley
- Danny Boyle
- Guillermo del Toro
Most of those would be in my Best Picture category, but Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein was excellently directed, sneaking in here.
Best Actor
The internet is ablaze, determining whether or not Michael B. Jordan or Timothee Chalamet is worthy of this award. They’d both be nominated if it were up to me:
- Timothee Chalamet
- Michael B. Jordan
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Jesse Plemons
- Joel Edgerton
It seems like Train Dreams is going to get omitted in several categories, including this one. It, and Joel Edgerton in particular, shouldn’t.
Best Actress
You’re going to see that some of the heavy hitters are left off, but that’s because I didn’t see Hamnet or If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Hence, no Jessie Buckley or Rose Byrne. Nevertheless, here are the Oscar nominees:
- Julia Garner
- Eva Victor
- Emma Stone
- Florence Pugh
- Cynthia Erivo
Florence Pugh is unlikely to get a nomination for Thunderbolts*, but she was incredible in that role. And while Wicked: For Good was not as good as the first movie, Cynthia Erivo remained electric.
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor is a fun category that should have some really good nominees. My picks would be:
- Jacob Elordi
- Sean Penn
- Miles Caton
- William H. Macy
- Nicholas Hoult
It seems like Miles Caton has no shot at getting a nomination. That’s a shame, because he was fantastic in his literal debut acting role.
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars is another fun category that should have some good nominees. Here are mine:
- Amy Madigan
- Wunmi Mosaku
- Ariana Grande
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Chase Infiniti
Call me a sucker for debut acting roles, but Chase Infinit deserves more love just like Caton does. I was pleasantly surprised by Gwyneth Paltrow in Marty Supreme. It seems she’s still got it.
Best Score
Best Score is one of my favorite categories every year. I love a good musical score in a movie, and there were a few excellent ones this year:
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
- Bugonia
- 28 Years Later
- The Long Walk
Part of what makes The Long Walk so haunting is the score backing it. It is powerfully emotional, helping to drive home the emotional beats. I fear it’s going to be snubbed from even a nomination, but the second-best score of the year is Bugonia. This is Sinners‘ award to lose, though.
Best Original Screenplay
I’m a sucker for a good adaptation (see: my love for The Life of Chuck, The Long Walk, and One Battle After Another), but those aren’t totally original. For Best Original Screenplay, I’d go with:
- Sinners
- Marty Supreme
- Weapons
- Wake Up Dead Man
- Jay Kelly
Say what you want (it does not deserve the Best Picture nomination it might get), but Jay Kelly‘s screenplay was very strong. It serves as a de facto biopic for George Clooney and features some pretty excellent writing.
Conclusion
Are most of these going to get nominated? Not at all. I’m not a member of the Academy, so my Oscars picks don’t matter. However, it’s still a good chance to recognize some movies that deserve love that will probably get omitted at the end of the month.
