Oscars 2015: Who Will Win?

2015 Oscar Predictions

With the Oscars Sunday night, I have decided to take a look at the major races as of now, and make my predictions for which movies will win. 

 

Best Picture
This is a two-way race between Boyhood and Birdman. Boyhood was the presumed front runner and critical favorite, winning the Globe, Critics Choice, and the BAFTA. Birdman, on the other hand, won the DGA, SAG, and the PGA. The last time a film has won all three guild groups and not went onto win the Oscar was 1995 when Braveheart took down Apollo 13. Another important thing to take note of is if Birdman wins, it will only be the eleventh time in the 

87 year history of the Academy Awards that the Best Picture was not nominated for Best Editing, and the first time it has happened since Ordinary People back in 1980.

Prediction: Boyhood

Best Director
One thing that seems destined is that this year will see another spilt between Best Picture and Best Director. My feeling is that the voters will see the visually stunning and technically ambitious Birdman as more of a directorial achievement. I'd give the edge to Alejandro G. Innaritu over the more subtle nature of Richard Linklater's 12-years-in-the-making film, which may come off as more of a logistical accomplishment.
Prediction: Alejandro G. Iñáritu 

Best Actress
This is Julianne Moore's to lose. This is Moore's fifth nomination and she has yet to win. Marion Cotillard and Reese Witherspoon have both won before, and this is both Felicity Jones and Rosamund Pike's first nomination. Plus Moore has won all the major precursors, so an upset seems highly unlikely at this point.
Prediction: Julianne Moore

Best Actor
This one comes down to The Theory of Everything's Eddie Redmayne and Birdman's Michael Keaton. Keaton was the presumed front runner and has the narrative of a big comeback working for him. Redmayne, however, has received adulation for his performance as scientist Stephen Hawking and won the SAG award for Best Actor. Another possible scenario sees the award go to American Sniper's Bradley Cooper, although I don't think there was enough momentum earlier enough to for that to happen.
Prediction: Eddie Redmayne

Best Supporting Actress and Actor
Patricia Arquette and JK Simmons are unstoppable at this point.
Prediction: Patricia Arquette (Supporting Actress)
Prediction: JK Simmons (Supporting Actor)

Best Original Screenplay
This is another category where Birdman and Boyhood are going head to head. But I have a feeling the winner will be Wes Anderson for the creative and quirky The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Prediction: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Adapted Screenplay
This is one of the few categories without a clear front runner. American Sniper and Whiplash are strong possibilities, but I'd say The Imitation Game is most likely to take it, even if it is the only one of the films eight nominations that turns into a win.
Prediction: The Imitation Game

The Oscars air February 22 on ABC.