Oscar Picks. What are yours?

[bomerrang]

Best Director: Alfonso Cuardon / Gravity

 

Best Picture: Twelve Years a Slave

 

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett / Blue Jasmine (although I think Oprah Winfrey should get it for "Butler")

 

Best Actor: Matt McConaughey / Dallas Buyers Club (first serious role, he is just starting folks)

[MrMiniver]

I found this a very tough year. I could have picked 3 or 4 people in each slot including people who weren't nominated. I teach film and worked in Hollywood for many years and have kept up my Academy membership so I still get an Oscar ballot. I definitely hated The Butler which seemed like a Lifetime movie tomorrow and thought Oprah was awful. This is how I marked my ballot for the top categories. In some cases, I picked someone who I knew isn't probably going to win because I thought they were so good and wanted to spread the wealth.

 

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, American Hustle

Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron

Best Actress: Judi Dench (I loved Philomena), I'd have Amy Adams second.

Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club really surprised me), I'd have Bruce Dern second, Chiwetel Ejiofor third

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave), followed by June Squibb and Jennifer Lawrence.

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), followed by Michael Fassbaender

 

This is one of those years where I'd be happy if any of the above won. A really good year for film.

[manTOman]

I agree with you that The Butler was way overhyped. I don't think that any of it was as particularly bad as you said, but that it rather tried to encompass so much that it lost its focus along the way. Kind of felt like a lecture.

 

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave is a sure thing, but if there's an upset, which is very unlikely I think it might be American Hustle

Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity), although I would love to see Alexander Payne win for Nebraska. I'm sure he'll win the golden guy one day, but most likely not this year.

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine). Very strong category and I especially loved Judi Dench but I think that there's no way Cate's going home empty handed.

Best Actor: While Matthew McConaughey for (Dallas Buyers Club) is definitely a front runner, I'm predicting a DiCaprio upset here. There's always an upset, so I'm predicting it here.

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave) Another strong category but I can't see anyone taking it away from her even though I loved June Squibb and JLaw as well.

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club). I love Michael Fassbender, and it's a SHAME he wasn't nominated for SHAME a year ago, but again Leto is a revelation in his role and I'm sure will take home the gold.

 

Overall I think this was unusually strong year for the movies with a lot of varied and interesting stories.

[Bosguy]

I really haven't seen enough to list my thoughts, but I saw a really well done poll that had 2 answers for each category:

 

1. Who/what do you think WILL RECEIVE the award?

2. Who/what do you think DESERVES the award?

 

The difference between 1 and 2 in every category was almost always different.

 

Boston Bill

[MrMiniver]

I don't think there is any way Leonard DiCaprio upsets McConoughey. I just can't see it. If there's an upset I think it could come with Jennifer Lawrence winning.

 

Those were my votes. This is who I think will win:

 

12 Years a Slave

Cuaron

McConaughey

Blanchett

Lupita

Leto

 

Those seem like done deals. As I said, I think 3 or 4 in each category DESERVE to win. The only nominations I thought were jokes were Jonah Hill, DiCaprio, Streep, Roberts.

 

I reacted so strongly to hating The Butler because I know the real story and I felt Lee Daniels just screwed it up to much and all the stunt casting was silly. It just struck me the wrong way. The film I loved that was totally overlooked was Fruitvale Station. I thought both Octavia Spencer and Michael B. Jordan (who is hot as well) were terrific and should have been nominated.

[bigvalboy]

My favorites to win:

 

 

Best picture: Dallas buyers club. Although I think that 12 years a slave will win.

Best Director: Alfonso Cuardon / Gravity

Best Acrtress: Judi Dench . But Blanchett will probably take it.

Best Actor : Mathew McConaughey. I agree with the OP. Always was a fan, and yes he has so much more to give. Brilliant

[MrMiniver]

The thing about Matthew McConaughey is that I never cared for him at all. I don't like his type of films and found his acting laughable. But in the last few years he's done a few things that really showed what he could do. Films like Bernie which I loved. Then Dallas Buyers Club. Nothing prepared me for him in that role. It's the kind of story Hollywood loves and he will deserve that Oscar. I hope it will spur him to other things and that he won't fall back on the crap like some Oscar winners do (Hally Berry, Adrian Brody, Cuba Gooding to name a few).

[manTOman]

I just want to clarify that I'm not implying that Matthew is not deserving and that he might not win. I usually hate when people lose weight just because, and often find it a little gimmicky. However, in this case he does back up an EXTREME weight loss with some fine acting chops.

Now, I always like to predict one upset in major categories so thus my prediction. I feel that McConaughey, Dern and Ejiofor are all strong contenders that they might actually steal each others' votes, and often in those cases someone else wins, and between Bale and DiCaprio, I choose DiCaprio. I know it's a long shot. (Paltrow for Shakespeare in love over Blanchett for Elizabeth!)

That said I'll be perfectly fine if McConaughey comes out on top, and will gladly be "all righting" along with him.