Eimer's 2015 Academy Award Picks

Welp, it's that time of the year once again. I haven't seen a lot of the Oscar frontrunners, but that's not going to stop me from attempting to guess all of them - suckas! 

So, not going to bitch or moan about how I have no time to see all of these movie (I guess I just did). That said, I'll just give you my picks with some reasoning on each pick (in red)

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR

• AMERICAN SNIPER
• BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
• BOYHOOD
• THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
• THE IMITATION GAME
• SELMA
• THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
• WHIPLASH

Eimer Note: Haven't seen it, but I have a hunch. Although Boyhood is strong contender and American Sniper could pull a Million Dollar Baby and surprise everyone.


PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

• STEVE CARELL - FOXCATCHER
• BRADLEY COOPER - AMERICAN SNIPER
• BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH - THE IMITATION GAME
• MICHAEL KEATON - BIRDMAN
• EDDIE REDMAYNE - THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Eimer Note: Redmayne took the Screen Actor's Guild Award, but I'm going with Keaton on this. The Academy likes a good comeback story. 

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• ROBERT DUVALL - THE JUDGE
• ETHAN HAWKE - BOYHOOD
• EDWARD NORTON - BIRDMAN
• MARK RUFFALO - FOXCATCHER
• J.K. SIMMONS - WHIPLASH

Eimer Note: This one is a pretty good lock. Simmons has won every award thus far.



PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

• MARION COTILLARD - TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT
• FELICITY JONES - THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
• JULIANNE MOORE - STILL ALICE
• ROSAMUND PIKE - GONE GIRL
• REESE WITHERSPOON - WILD

Eimer Note: Giving this one to Moore for playing an Early Onset Alzheimer's Sufferer.


PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• PATRICIA ARQUETTE - BOYHOOD
• LAURA DERN - WILD
• KEIRA KNIGHTLEY - THE IMITATION GAME
• EMMA STONE - BIRDMAN
• MERYL STREEP - INTO THE WOODS

Eimer Note: She's won every other award, so why not this one?

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR

• BIG HERO 6
• THE BOXTROLLS
• HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
• SONG OF THE SEA
• THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA

Eimer Note: I loved Lego Movie (but it wasn't nominated). I liked Big Hero 6. But I enjoyed Dragon 2 more than Big Hero 6.

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

• EMMANUEL LUBEZKI - BIRDMAN
• ROBERT YEOMAN - THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
• LUKASZ ZAL AND RYSZARD LENCZEWSKI - IDA
• DICK POPE - MR. TURNER
• ROGER DEAKINS - UNBROKEN

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

• THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - MILENA CANONERO
• INHERENT VICE - MARK BRIDGES
• INTO THE WOODS - COLLEEN ATWOOD
• MALEFICENT - ANNA B. SHEPPARD
• MR. TURNER - JACQUELINE DURRA

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

• BIRDMAN - ALEJANDRO G. INARRITU
• BOYHOOD - RICHARD LINKLATER
• FOXCATCHER - BENNETT MILLER
• THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - WES ANDERSON
• THE IMITATION GAME - MORTEN TYLDUM

Eimer Note: Inarritu won the Director's Guild Award. This is, pretty much, a lock.


BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

• CITIZENFOUR
• FINDING VIVIAN MAIER
• LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM 
• THE SALT OF THE EARTH
• VIRUNGA 

Eimer Note: Snowden is a hot-button topic. Look for this doc to take the top prize.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

• CRISIS HOTLINE: VETERANS PRESS 1
• JOANNA
• OUR CURSE
• THE REAPER (LA PARKA)
• WHITE EARTH

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING

• AMERICAN SNIPER - JOEL COX AND GARY D. ROACH
• BOYHOOD - SANDRA ADAIR
• THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - BARNEY PILLING
• THE IMITATION GAME - WILLIAM GOLDENBERG
• WHIPLASH - TOM CROSS

Eimer Note: Went with Whiplash on this because I bet it was hard to make a movie about music so damn good - and editing comes into play.



BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

• IDA - POLAND
• LEVIATHAN - RUSSIA
• TANGERINES - ESTONIA
• TIMBUKTU - MAURITANIA
• WILD TALES - ARGENTINA

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

• FOXCATCHER - BILL CORSO AND DENNIS LIDDIARD
• THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - FRANCES HANNON AND MARK COULIER
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - ELIZABETH YIANNI-GEORGIOU AND DAVID WHITE

ORIGINAL SCORE

• THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - ALEXANDRE DESPLAT
• THE IMITATION GAME - ALEXANDRE DESPLAT
• INTERSTELLAR - HANS ZIMMER
• MR. TURNER - GARY YERSHON
• THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING - JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON

Eimer Note: Would be nice to see Zimmer win, but - fuck it - let's go with Grand Budapest Hotel.

ORIGINAL SONG

• EVERYTHING IS AWESOME - THE LEGO MOVIE
• GLORY - SELMA
• GRATEFUL - BEYOND THE LIGHTS
• I’M NOT GONNA MISS YOU - GLEN CAMPBELL...I’LL BE ME
• LOST STARS - BEGIN AGAIN

Eimer Note: I just thought Begin Again was a great movie and all of the songs were pretty damn catchy.


ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN

• THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - ADAM STOCKHAUSEN,  ANNA PINNOCK
• THE IMITATION GAME - MARIA DJURKOVIC, TATIANA MACDONALD
• INTERSTELLAR - NATHAN CROWLEY,  GARY FETTIS
• INTO THE WOODS - DENNIS GASSNER, ANNA PINNOCK
• MR. TURNER - SUZIE DAVIES, CHARLOTTE WATTS

Eimer Note: It's the details that matter in design. I thought Anderson nailed it. Although be careful for Into the Woods to sneak a win.

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

• THE BIGGER PICTURE
• THE DAM KEEPER
• FEAST
• ME AND MY MOULTON
• A SINGLE LIFE

Eimer Note: I like Disney's look and feel. Plus the little puppy is pretty cute. 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

• AYA
• BOOGALOO AND GRAHAM
• BUTTER LAMP (LA LAMPE AU BEURRE DE YAK)
• PARVANEH
• THE PHONE CALL

Eimer Note: This is a 100% total blind guess. I have no clue.

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

• AMERICAN SNIPER 
• BIRDMAN 
• THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 
• INTERSTELLAR
• UNBROKEN 

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING

• AMERICAN SNIPER 
• BIRDMAN 
• INTERSTELLAR
• UNBROKEN
• WHIPLASH

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

• CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
• DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
• INTERSTELLAR
• X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• AMERICAN SNIPER - JASON HALL
• THE IMITATION GAME -  GRAHAM MOORE
• INHERENT VICE - PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
• THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING - ANTHONY MCCARTEN
• WHIPLASH - DAMIEN CHAZELLE

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• BIRDMAN - Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando 
• BOYHOOD - RICHARD LINKLATER
• FOXCATCHER -  E. MAX FRYE AND DAN FUTTERMAN
• THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - WES ANDERSON
• NIGHTCRAWLER - DAN GILROY

Let's see what happens on Sunday night. I'll provide a recap on Monday morning - Feb. 23!