Oscar Predictions 2017

The 2017 Academy Awards season is upon us with the ceremony this Sunday, February 26. Here are Culture Glaze’s picks for some of the top awards of this past year. Our panelists are Brendan Kolasa, Casey Klug, William George-Louis and Soren Nieminen.

Original Screenplay

Taylor Sherdian, Hell or High Water

Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou, The Lobster

Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Mike Mills, 20th Century Women

PICKS:

Soren: There were so many great original picks this year, but my favorite one was The Lobster.

Casey: A strong year for original screenplay. I think La La Land will win, but would prefer to see the award go to the superbly strange The Lobster.

Will: This is where the Academy will honor Kenneth Lonergan and Manchester by the Sea.

Brendan: La La Land wins it here but I think that the Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea could be the upset pick.

Adapted Screenplay

Eric Heisserer, Arrival

August Wilson, Fences

Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder, Hidden Figures

Luke Davies, Lion

Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight

PICKS:

Casey: Moonlight wins what is hopefully the first of many awards.

Soren: Moonlight has to take this home, but I give a very close second to Arrival.

Brendan: While I think it would be cool for August Wilson to win 30+ years after he first wrote Fences, I think this will go to Moonlight and rightfully so.

Will: The Miami boys from Moonlight will win and should.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Viola Davis, Fences

Naomie Harris, Moonlight

Nicole Kidman, Lion

Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures

Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

PICKS:

Soren: Naomie Harris was such a force in Moonlight. Whatever scene she was in, she stole it. I’d love to see her get it, but the consensus seems to be Viola Davis.

Will: Viola Davis in Fences is a lock.

Casey: Some really great performances, but this one goes to Viola Davis.

Brendan: I think Viola Davis wins it pretty easily here. I would have liked to have seen her in the Best Actress category instead but this is what the studio pushed for as they knew it would get her the best chance to win. Michelle Williams and Naomie Harris also give some pretty stunning performances that you have to check out.

Costume Design

Joanna Johnston, Allied

Colleen Atwood, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Consolata Boyle, Florence Foster Jenkins

Madeline Fontaine, Jackie

Mary Zophres, La La Land

PICKS:

Will: Jackie

Brendan: Florence Foster Jenkins might be the flashiest and La La Land certainly pops all over the screen, but I think the recreation of Camelot in the White House gets Madeline Fontaine the win for Jackie.

Production Design

Arrival

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail, Caesar!

La La Land

Passengers

PICKS:

Soren: I thought Arrival was fantastic for its production, but La La Land may win it for that opening sequence alone.

Casey: I have a hard time thinking anything other than La La Land wins this.

Will: La La Land

Brendan: Glad to see Hail, Caesar! get some love here but La La Land brings it home.

Makeup and Hairstyling

A Man Called Ove

Star Trek Beyond

Suicide Squad

PICKS:

Will: Star Trek Beyond

Cinematography

Arrival

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Silence

PICKS:

Will: La La Land

Soren: I would love to see James Laxton get it for Moonlight. The way he circled around characters in the opening sequence was beautiful.

Casey: The amazing opening scene of La La Land might seal the deal here.

Brendan: No Emmanuel Lubezki! Silence would be my personal pick as I think it’s one of the more beautiful films of the year, but I think that La La Land has a big night and includes this one in it’s bag of riches.

Film Editing

Joe Walker, Arrival

John Gilbert, Hacksaw Ridge

Jake Roberts, Hell or High Water

Tom Cross, La La Land

Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders, Moonlight

PICKS:

Brendan: This is a tough one. I’m going against my better judgment and picking Arrival here.

Will: La La Land

Casey: Moonlight deserves to win this, but I suspect that this is one of the many awards that will end up going to La La Land, which will have a huge night.

Soren: Moonlight was so good. Would love to see McMillon and Sanders take this home.

Sound Editing

Arrival

Deepwater Horizon

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Sully

PICKS:

Soren: I think this goes to Arrival.

Will: Hacksaw Ridge

Brendan: Arrival is my pick, but I could see Hacksaw Ridge taking it.

Sound Mixing

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

PICKS:

Will: La La Land

Soren: I though Arrival was pretty amazing for what they did with the sound design.

Brendan: I think musicals have done pretty well in this category in the past so picking La La Land here.

Visual Effects

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

PICKS:

Casey: I would love to see Kubo and the Two Strings win here. The combination of stop motion animation with green screens made this film really visually stunning and ambitious.

Will: The Jungle Book

Soren: The Jungle Book was really great, but I think it’s time for Star Wars to win an Oscar.

Brendan: My heart screams Rogue One, but I’ll never forget watching The Jungle Book in theatres and being amazed at what I was seeing and how seamless it was. I see it as the winner here.

Animated Short Film

Blind Vaysha

Borrowed Time

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Pearl

Piper

PICKS:

Will: Piper

Animated Feature Film

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

My Life as a Zucchini

The Red Turtle

Zootopia

PICKS:

Brendan: This is a tough category. I think Kubo is the better movie, but I think the exposure Zootopia got over the summer and now on Netflix has got it stuck in voter’s minds and that will make the difference.

Casey: Would love to see Kubo and the Two Strings win, but I feel like this award always goes to a film with a bigger box office, so a film like Moana seems to have much better odds here.

Will: Zootopia

Will:

Actor in a Supporting Role

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

Dev Patel, Lion

Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea

Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

PICKS:

Soren: I think Mahershala Ali takes it home.

Casey: I hope that Lucas Hedges win, and can’t wait to see what roles he takes on next.

Brendan: Mahershala Ali easily wins. The dinner table scene is just superb.

Will: Mahershala Ali

Documentary Short Subject

Extremis

4.1 Miles

Joe’s Violin

Watani: My Homeland

The White Helmets

PICKS:

Will: The White Helmets

Documentary Feature

Fire at Sea

I Am Not Your Negro

Life, Animated

O.J.: Made in America

13th

PICKS:

Soren: O.J.: Made in America was one of the best things I have seen this past year. Well worth the eight hour entry fee.

Will: O.J.: Made in America

Live Action Short Film

Enemies Within

The Railroad Lady

Silent Nights

Sing

Timecode

PICKS:

Will: The Railroad Lady

Foreign Language Film

Land of Mine

A Man Called Ove

The Salesman

Tanna

Toni Erdmann

PICKS: The Salesman

Original Song

“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)”, La La Land

“Can’t Stop the Feeling!”, Trolls

“City of Stars”, La La Land

“The Empty Chair”, Jim: The James Foley Story

“How Far I’ll Go”, Moana

PICKS:

Brendan: La La Land delays Lin-Manuel Miranda’s EGOT. “City of Stars” takes it.

Soren: This has to be one of the more sure bets of the night: La La Land.

Casey: Has to be “City of Stars.”

Will: “City of Stars”

Original Score

Mica Levi, Jackie

Justin Hurwitz, La La Land

Dustin O’Halloran and Volker Bertelmann, Lion

Nicholas Britell, Moonlight

Thomas Newman, Passengers

PICKS:

Casey: I’m going back and forth between Moonlight and La La Land, but am really hoping it goes to Moonlight.

Will: La La Land

Brendan: I’m fully on board the Mica Levi upset hype train for Jackie

Soren: Nicholas Brittell should win for this song alone. So beautiful.

Directing

Denis Villeneuve, Arrival

Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge

Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

PICKS:

Brendan: I’d love to see a Best Picture/Director split with Barry Jenkins getting some love here for Moonlight while La La Land wins Best Picture, but Chazelle will win.

Soren: Barry Jenkins deserves it, but I think Chazelle will take this one home.

Casey: Can’t argue with Soren on this one.

Will: Damien Chazelle

Actress in a Leading Role

Isabelle Huppert, Elle

Ruth Negga, Loving

Natalie Portman, Jackie

Emma Stone, La La Land

Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

PICKS:

Brendan: Emma Stone. I think Natalie Portman is a dark horse candidate for an upset, more so than Isabelle Huppert, but Stone’s “audition” scene is the nail in the coffin.

Will: Isabelle Huppert

Soren: Emma Stone will win it. Not because she was the best, but because we’re all human beings who like her.

Actor in a Leading Role

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge

Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

Denzel Washington, Fences

PICKS:

Soren: For me, it’s a race between Viggo and Casey Affleck. Denzel took home the SAG, but I think it’s Viggo Mortensen that takes home the Oscar.

Will: Casey Affleck

Casey: I feel like this one is going to end up going to Casey Affleck.

Brendan: I wish Andrew Garfield was nominated for Silence. I think that would have been my pick. But I think Denzel follows up his SAG win with his 3rd Oscar statue.

Best Picture

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

PICKS:

Soren: I think that “Moonlight” is the best picture of the year.

Casey: Like Soren I also think Moonlight is the best picture of the year. Sadly I think La La Land will be the film that wins the best picture though.

Brendan: Like Soren and Casey, I think Moonlight is the best picture and the one that we’ll really remember 10+ years from now. But La La Land will cap off its big night and win this biggest prize of the night.

Will: La La Land