Here Are Your 84th Academy Awards Predictions From We Love DC!

Photo courtesy of Kevin H.
Oscar Statuettes
courtesy of Kevin H.

Tonight little gold men will be handed out to Hollywood’s best and brightest while Billy Crystal hams it up with mildly funny jokes.

It’s Oscar Night in America and once again I am here with my picks along with some thoughts from the We Love DC crew and others who shared the same annual tradition as I: to watch as many Oscar nominated films before the Academy Awards as possible.

Supporting Actress

Patrick – Octavia Spencer (The Help): Both Spencer and Viola Davis stole the show in The Help and Spencer is the safest bet you can make in this year’s races. One of our staff writers told me, “she deserves to win this one, although the Academy should be applauded for recognizing the performance of Melissa McCarthy in an outright comic film.”

Picks from the crew:

Tom – Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Natalia- Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)

@WhatAGrandWorldOctavia Spencer (The Help)

French Twist D.C.–  Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Supporting Actor

Patrick – Christopher Plummer (Beginners): At 82 years old, Plummer has over 190 films in his filmography and has the chance to become the oldest to win an acting Oscar. I believe the Academy is ready to honor him for wonderful role and an illustrious acting career.

Picks from the crew:

Natalia- Jonah Hill (Moneyball)

@WhatAGrandWorldMax von Sydrow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)

French Twist D.C.–  Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

Leading Actress

Patrick – Viola Davis (The Help): Davis is the other half of The Help duo but is less of a complete lock as Spencer. Michelle Williams in My Week With Marilyn was absolutely dazzling in portraying Marilyn Monroe and perennial nominee Meryl Street also looms. A fellow WLDC writer also likes Williams, “who turned an utterly charming and performance as Marilyn Monroe, a character I believe is tremendously overexposed.” Barring a surprise, Davis should win here.

Picks from the crew:

Natalia- Viola Davis (The Help)

@WhatAGrandWorld– Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)

French Twist D.C.–  Viola Davis (The Help)

Leading Actor

Patrick – Jean Dujardin (The Artist): This will be a close one, I can also see George Clooney or Brad Pitt winning the Oscar here as well. However the silent acting performance of Dujardin will push him ahead in the end. As one WLDC writer says, “Jean Dujardin’s wide, expressive face and classic movie star looks make him a natural for film.”

Picks from the crew:

Tom – Brad Pitt (Moneyball):Hard not to like Pitt here, he wasn’t chewing the scenery, and he wasn’t exuding Pittness.

Natalia- Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)

@WhatAGrandWorldGeorge Clooney (The Descendants)

French Twist D.C.–  Jean Dujardin (The Artist): If I weren’t French and exclusively rooting for the artist and Jean Dujardin, I would want gary Oldman to win this category.

Best Picture

Patrick – The Artist: I don’t think it’s been a very strong year for Oscar this year. There really hasn’t a clear favorite all season. The Artist, a black and white silent film harks back to a bygone era, floats to the top of the pile.

Picks from the crew:

Tom -Moneyball: This one isn’t about anything but what I felt while watching Moneyball. I grew up an A’s fan, and Billy Beane’s journey to the playoffs is something that I remember from when it happened. The 20-game streak, the crazy lineups, all of it.

Natalia- The Artist

@WhatAGrandWorld– The Descendants: I was quite perplexed by the collection of nominees. Some were wonderful, and some were awful! But none stood out to me as an obvious front runner.

French Twist D.C.–  Jean Dujardin (The Artist): I’m french so I obviously want the artist to become the first French movie ever to win an Oscar for best picture.

And All The Rest…

Animated Feature – Rango: Gore Verbinski & Johnny Depp team up to create a smart film that blows away a slate of sequels, spin-offs, and foreign features.

Art Direction – Hugo

Cinematography – Tree of Life: You may have a billion questions after watching the film, but at least you can say it looked nice.

Costume Design – Hugo

Directing – Michel Hazanavicius

Documentary Feature – Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory: The final in a trilogy of documentaries that helped free the West Memphis 3, the film is kind of bloated but the resulting effect on the case that it caused makes this one a winner.

Documentary Short – Saving Face

Film Editing – The Artist

Foreign Language Film – A Separation (Iran)

Make-up – The Iron Lady

Original Score – The Artist: It’s the only thing you could hear in the film- you pretty much have to give it the Oscar.

Original Song – “Man or Muppet” (The Muppets): I’d really like to see Jason Segel and Jim Parsons perform tonight but there won’t be any song performances this year. Instead you’ll have to watch this.

Animated Short Film – The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: I am going to be honest, this cartoon made me cry. Give it the Oscar.

Live Action Short Film – Tuba Atlantic

Sound Editing – Hugo

Sound Mixing – Hugo

Visual Effects – Rise of the Planet of the Apes: The work of Andy Serkis will get this film the Oscar.

Adapted Screenplay – The Descendants

Original Screenplay – Midnight in Paris: I asked a couple of friends about the film and here’s what they said:

@Jalop_Nick: Midnight in Paris was wonderfully imaginative and I liked it a lot, but I think Match Point was one Woody’s better films from the past decade.

@Brieeeeee: I liked Midnight in Paris, it was whimsical and dreamlike, but I got a little lost at points. I wouldn’t say its his best in the last 10 years, I would give that title to Vicky Christina Barcelona.

I agree: not Allen’s best work but mainstream enough for it to do well at the Box Office, which matters to The Academy sometimes.

(Disclosure: I work at a marketing firm who has the great fortune of doing work on many of these films)

Patrick has been blogging since before it was called blogging. At We Love DC Patrick covers local Theatre, and whatever catches his eye. Patrick’s blog stories, rants, and opinions have been featured in The Washington City Paper, Washington Post Express, CNN, Newschannel 8 Washington, and NBC Washington. See why Patrick loves DC.

You can e-mail him at ppho [at] welovedc.com

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