2015 Oscar Picks, Pisses and Moans

Bust out the bubbly and place your bets because the Oscar nominees have been announced! Yesterday, the nominees for the 87th annual Academy Awards were listed and, as with any post-nominee selection, controversy has filled the air. If it's not AMPAS President Cheryl Boone mispronouncing Dick Pope to "Dick Poop" (insert Beavis and Butthead laugh), than it's Al Sharpton ranting over how the Oscars have become "all white". Apparently, no one told him that 12 Years a Slave won Best Picture last year, or In The Heat of the Night won in 1968, or that Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Sidney Poitier, Louis Gossett Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker all have Oscars on their mantles. My point is this, the Oscars will never appeal to everyone since it is a select few having to sift through the films that are award-worthy, which in of itself is subjective.

Nevertheless, here's my usual list of predicted winners along with my gripes over over who got snubbed in the acting and directing categories, as well as which film will win Best Picture.

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall - The Judge
Ethan Hawke - Boyhood 
Edward Norton - Birdman
Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons - Whiplash

Who Will Win- The odds in the favor for J.K. Simmons to win for his role as a tyrannical jazz-band conductor in Whiplash and I couldn't agree more since Simmons' gave a game-changing performance from his previous work as a comical ancillary character in the films of the Coen Brothers and the Spider-Man franchise.

Who Got Snubbed- I was surprised Josh Brolin wasn't listed for his role as the tight-assed, banana loving Bigfoot Bjornsen in Inherent Vice. His performance was hysterical and, in brief times, poignant even when he's eating half an ounce of weed. Also, Channing Tatum was seriously robbed for his heartbreaking and intense performance in Foxcatcher. His self-destructive portrayal of Mark Schultz was a Master class in acting. Finally, where is Ellar Coltrane for his naturalistic performance in Boyhood?

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Laura Dern -Wild
Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
Emma Stone - Birdman
Meryl Streep - Into the Woods

Who Will Win- My gut is definitely saying that Patricia Arquette will win for her role as a single mother in Boyhood. She goes through the emotional gauntlet of separation, abuse, and watching her children grow with such brilliance and stoicism that she will definitely win. If I had to choose a runner-up, it definitely go to Emma Stone for Birdman; her internal struggles along with her love-hate relationship with Michael Keaton is simply brilliant and moving.

Who Got Snubbed- I think Lorelei Linklater's 12 year commitment to Boyhood was seriously overlooked. Why is Meryl Streep nominated again when she already has enough gold to fill Fort Knox? Come on, Oscar committee! We all know and love Meryl Streep, but how about changing it up a little? It's bad enough she won three years ago for The Iron Lady when it should have went to Viola Davis for The Help, but unless she pulls another Doubt or Adaptation, just let her go!

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl
Julianne Moore - Still Alice
Reese Witherspoon - Wild

Who Will Win- This is definitely Julianne Moore's year! She was overlooked many times before for The Hours, Boogie Nights, and a bevy of other iconic performances, so her performance in Still Alice as a woman with early onset Alzheimer's is sure to be acknowledged this year. If I had to choose a runner-up, I would say that Rosamund Pike's chilling and jaw-dropping performance in Gone Girl would be the alternate for getting the gold.

Who Got Snubbed- I was surprised Katherine Waterston was snubbed for her performance in Inherent Vice as the sleek femme-fatale Shasta Fay Hepworth. Her couch confessional to Joaquin Phoenix is reminiscent of Faye Dunaway's breakdown in Chinatown or Mary Astor's performance in The Maltese Falcon as she exudes the classical noir character.

Best Actor
Steve Carell for Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game
Bradley Cooper for American Sniper
Michael Keaton for Birdman
Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything

Who Will Win- I am definitely rooting for Michael Keaton for his revolutionary performance as Riggan Thompson in Birdman as he pulls it off with his class comedic chops along with such heartfelt sympathy. Steve Carrell would be a close 2nd since his performance as the wealthy and destructive John DuPont in Foxcatcher.

Who Got Snubbed- I was shocked that Ralph Fiennes was not nominated for The Grand Budapest Hotel. His funny and eccentric performance as the perfume-loving Gustave H. is a tall glass of water compared to the succession of horrific villains he's portrayed in the past.

Best Director
Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Alejandro González Iñárritu - Birdman
Bennett Miller - Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum -The Imitation Game

Who Will Win- This is the most difficult and competitive list of nominees. In a perfect world, I would give a three-way tie for Richard Linklater, Alejandro Iñárritu, and Wes Anderson. I would be content if either one of those three won Best Director, but I'm sure Wes Anderson will win the Best Original Screenplay award leaving Iñárritu and Linklater a chance to win. All and all, I think the Oscar will go to Richard Linklater just for the fact that he committed to a film for 12 years that has resulted in a groundbreaking epic.

Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Who Will Win- It's no surprise that this year has been big in the field of Indie cinema, and the film to definitely come out as the best film is Boyhood. It has swept every award in its path, and will sure to be a big winner this year. The only upsets I would expect to compromise Boyhood's  expected big sweep is Birdman since, like Boyhood, it is a film that has redefined modern film-making and storytelling with such humor and heartfelt emotions regarding the human condition.

Well, there's my list of who should be expected to grab the coveted and highly praised award for outstanding film-making despite the fact that this year has a been a bit stagnant in films. The winners will be announced on Feb. 22nd, and I will be giving updates live on Facebook on Sunday night. See you then!