A couple weeks ago, we made our Oscar predictions on who we thought was going to win big at the awards this year. So how did we do? Let’s find out!
Best Picture
Our Pick: Boyhood
Who Won: Birdman
The 2015 Oscars belonged to Birdman. While Boyhood had plenty of momentum early on during awards season winning Best Motion Picture and Best Director at the Golden Globes, Birdman swooped in and stole the show. They came away with four awards of the evening, the most of the night (though they tied with The Grand Budapest Hotel), including Best Picture and Best Director. Boyhood, on the other hand, fell short after being nominated in six categories, and only picking up one win: Patricia Arquette for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
While it came as a bit of a surprise that Boyhood didn’t win big at all, the race between Birdman and Boyhood was tight in both the Best Picture and Best Director categories. And ultimately Birdman came out on top.
Score So Far: 0/1
Best Actor in a Lead Role
Our Pick: Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Who Won: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Though Redmayne was the clear favorite in this category, we were rooting for Cooper to pull an upset win for his performance as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in Sniper. It was Cooper’s third consecutive acting nomination making him overdue for a win, and his portrayal of Kyle earned rave reviews from viewers and critics alike. However, Redmayne’s win was well deserved for his portrayal as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, especially after winning a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for his performance. His acceptance speech, dedicating it to those suffering with ALS around the world, was especially touching.
Score: 0/2
Best Actress in a Lead Role
Our Pick: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Who Won: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
This category was basically no contest. Julianne Moore owned every awards show this season, picking up trophies at the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards and the BAFTAs for her performance as Alice, a woman suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s. Her speech was inspiring as well, thanking her family and then shining a light on Alzheimer’s. “So many people with this disease feel isolated and marginalized…And people with Alzheimer’s deserve to be seen so we can find a cure.”
Score: 1/3
Best Director
Our Pick: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Who Won: Alejandro Iñarritu, Birdman
Birdman came out on top on this category as well, with Iñarritu beating out Linklater for the Best Director prize. While we chose Linklater for his distinct and unique approach to Boyhood, Iñarritu proved to be a formidable foe as he swept up the award. Iñarritu also picked up awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture.
Score: 1/4
Best Cinematography
Our Pick: Ida
Who Won: Birdman
Though Ida won for Best Foreign Film, the favorite at the awards this year, Birdman, once again came out on top. We chose Ida originally for its subtle and inventive techniques that gave it an edge over other films, but Birdman was the clear favorite in this category.
Final Score: 1/5
Overall, we didn’t do as well as we hoped with our predictions, but there’s always next year!
-by Jackie Hart