Oscars Predictions 2015 According To WAMG

By Movie Geeks | February 19, 2015

When the first Academy Awards were handed out on May 16, 1929, at an Academy banquet in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, movies had just begun to talk. The attendance was 270 and guest tickets cost $5. It was a long banquet, filled with speeches, but presentation of the statuettes was handled expeditiously by Academy President Douglas Fairbanks.

The suspense that now touches most of the world at Oscar time was not always a characteristic of the Awards presentation. That first year, the award recipients were announced to the public three months ahead of the ceremony.

Today, Oscar pundits and fans alike avidly watch the precursor and guild awards to ultimately make their predictions in the 24 categories. Academy members have cast their ballots, so now it’s our turn for our Oscar picks.

Need some help in that office Oscar pool or at the party you’re throwing at home? WAMG is here to help. Below are WAMG’s predictions for the 87th Academy Awards.

Print our ballot at the bottom or head over to Oscar.com for the Academy’s ballot here.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher”
• Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper”
• Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game”
• Michael Keaton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Tom, Michelle, Jim, Melissa T.
• Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything” Melissa H., Michael, Gary

WILL WIN: Eddie Redmayne
SHOULD WIN: Michael Keaton

Note: This category could go either way. Redmayne won the Screen Actors Guild, but oh how’d we love to see Keaton up at the podium.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Robert Duvall in “The Judge”
• Ethan Hawke in “Boyhood”
• Edward Norton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
• Mark Ruffalo in “Foxcatcher”
• J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash” Tom, Michelle, Melissa H., Michael, Jim, Gary, Melissa T.

WILL WIN: J.K. Simmons
SHOULD WIN: J.K. Simmons

Note: Well liked among his peers. A slam dunk for Simmons as the crazed percussion instructor.

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night”
• Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything”
• Julianne Moore in “Still Alice” Tom, Michelle, Melissa H., Michael, Jim, Gary, Melissa T.
• Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl”
• Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”

WILL WIN: Julianne Moore
SHOULD WIN: Julianne Moore

Note: Moore is overdue and will at long last, win the Oscar.

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood” Tom, Michelle, Melissa H., Michael, Jim, Gary, Melissa T.
• Laura Dern in “Wild”
• Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”
• Emma Stone in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
• Meryl Streep in “Into the Woods”

WILL WIN: Patricia Arquette
SHOULD WIN: Patricia Arquette

Note: Arquette has won every precursor leading up to Oscar Sunday. We think this one is a shoo-in.

Best animated feature film of the year

• “Big Hero 6” Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli  Melissa H., Melissa T.
• “The Boxtrolls” Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable and Travis Knight
• “How to Train Your Dragon 2” Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold Tom, Michelle, Michael, Jim, Gary
• “Song of the Sea” Tomm Moore and Paul Young
• “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” Isao Takahata and Yoshiaki Nishimura

WILL WIN: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
SHOULD WIN: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

Note: DRAGON 2 should take it here, but be on the lookout for BIG HERO 6.

Achievement in cinematography

• “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Emmanuel Lubezki Tom, Michelle, Melissa H., Michael, Gary, Melissa T.
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Robert Yeoman
• “Ida” Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski
• “Mr. Turner” Dick Pope Jim
• “Unbroken” Roger Deakins

WILL WIN: BIRDMAN
SHOULD WIN: BIRDMAN

Note: Lubezki won last year for GRAVITY and will repeat again. Shame Roger Deakins (UNBROKEN) will go home empty handed again.

Achievement in costume design

• “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Milena Canonero Tom, Michael, Michelle, Gary
• “Inherent Vice” Mark Bridges
• “Into the Woods” Colleen Atwood Melissa T.
• “Maleficent” Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive Melissa H.
• “Mr. Turner” Jacqueline Durran Jim

WILL WIN: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
SHOULD WIN: MALEFICENT

Note: The 17th Costume Designers Guild Awards recently went to Into the Woods (Fantasy) – Colleen Atwood and to The Grand Budapest Hotel (Period Film) – Milena Canonero. It’s a toss up.

Achievement in directing

• “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu Tom, Michelle, Melissa H., Gary
• “Boyhood” Richard Linklater Michael, Jim, Melissa T.
• “Foxcatcher” Bennett Miller
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson
• “The Imitation Game” Morten Tyldum

WILL WIN: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
SHOULD WIN: Richard Linklater

Note: Will it be a spread the wealth type of year with a picture/director split?

Best documentary feature

• “CitizenFour” Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky Michelle, Michael, Jim, Gary, Melissa T.
• “Finding Vivian Maier” John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
• “Last Days in Vietnam” Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester
• “The Salt of the Earth” Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and David Rosier
• “Virunga” Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

WILL WIN: CITIZENFOUR
SHOULD WIN: LAST DAYS OF VIETNAM

Note: CITIZENFOUR won the Bafta and DGA documentary award. All of the stories were powerful, but Laura Poitras’ timely subject matter has the edge here.

Best documentary short subject

• “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry Michelle, Melissa T.
• “Joanna” Aneta Kopacz Gary
• “Our Curse” Tomasz Sliwinski and Maciej Slesicki
• “The Reaper (La Parka)” Gabriel Serra Arguello
• “White Earth” J. Christian Jensen

WILL WIN: CRISIS HOTLINE: VETERANS PRESS 1
SHOULD WIN: JOANNA

Note: Dealing with the Veterans Crisis Line, voters will most likely go with CRISIS HOTLINE: VETERANS PRESS 1. However, the story of a JOANNA, a mother facing a terminal illness, could win here.

Achievement in film editing

• “American Sniper” Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach
• “Boyhood” Sandra Adair Tom, Michelle, Melissa H., Michael, Jim, Gary, Melissa T.
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Barney Pilling
• “The Imitation Game” William Goldenberg
• “Whiplash” Tom Cross

WILL WIN: BOYHOOD
SHOULD WIN: BOYHOOD

Note: Competing against WHIPLASH and AMERICAN SNIPER, and with no BIRDMAN in the line up, we think BOYHOOD takes home the Oscar. Will BIRDMAN’s subject matter and seamless editing cancel out the no editing nomination-no best picture rule this year?

Best foreign language film of the year

• “Ida” Poland Michelle, Michael, Gary
• “Leviathan” Russia  Jim
• “Tangerines” Estonia
• “Timbuktu” Mauritania Melissa T.
• “Wild Tales” Argentina

WILL WIN: IDA
SHOULD WIN: IDA

Note: Poland’s entry recently won the BAFTA earlier in February, but LEVIATHAN could pull the upset.

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling

• “Foxcatcher” Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier Michelle, Michael, Gary
• “Guardians of the Galaxy” Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White Melissa H., Jim, Melissa T.

WILL WIN: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
SHOULD WIN: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Note: The Hair and Makeup Guilds split on this – they awarded both GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (Contemporary Make-Up) and THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (Best Period and/or Character Make-Up & Hair). With all the Wes Anderson characters, Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier look to win this.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

• “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Alexandre Desplat  Melissa H., Gary
• “The Imitation Game” Alexandre Desplat Melissa T.
• “Interstellar” Hans Zimmer Michelle
• “Mr. Turner” Gary Yershon
• “The Theory of Everything” Jóhann Jóhannsson Tom, Michael, Jim

WILL WIN: Jóhann Jóhannsson
SHOULD WIN: Alexandre Desplat

Note: Alexandre Desplat has two noms this year and has never won, but composer Johann Johannson’s THEORY OF EVERYTHING… FTW.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

• “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie”
  Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson Melissa H.
• “Glory” from “Selma”
  Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn Tom, Michael, Jim, Gary
• “Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights”
  Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
• “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me”
  Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond Michelle, Melissa T.
• “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”
  Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

WILL WIN: “Glory”
SHOULD WIN: “I’m Not Gonna Miss You”

Note: “Glory” from SELMA will ultimately win here, but what a moment it would be if the Academy granted Glen Campbell one final award with an Oscar win.

Best motion picture of the year

• “American Sniper”
• “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Tom, Melissa H., Michael, Jim, Gary
• “Boyhood” Michelle, Melissa T.
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
• “The Imitation Game”
• “Selma”
• “The Theory of Everything”
• “Whiplash”

WILL WIN: BIRDMAN
SHOULD WIN: BOYHOOD

Note: With wins at the Screen Actors Guild, Producers Guild and Directors Guild, BIRDMAN wins gold. But BOYHOOD could spoil here – its the kind of film Oscar voters like to honor. Could the box office momentum thrust AMERICAN SNIPER as the ultimate spoiler?

Achievement in production design

• “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock Tom, Michelle, Melissa H., Michael, Jim, Gary
• “The Imitation Game” Production Design: Maria Djurkovic; Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald
• “Interstellar” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
• “Into the Woods” Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock Melissa T.
• “Mr. Turner” Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts

WILL WIN: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
SHOULD WIN: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Note: It made us want to check in!

Best animated short film

• “The Bigger Picture” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees
• “The Dam Keeper” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
• “Feast” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed Michelle, Gary
• “Me and My Moulton” Torill Kove Melissa T.
• “A Single Life” Joris Oprins

WILL WIN: FEAST
SHOULD WIN: FEAST

Note: They got us with the little dog, Winston.

Best live action short film

• “Aya” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
• “Boogaloo and Graham” Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
• “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)” Hu Wei and Julien Féret
• “Parvaneh” Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger
• “The Phone Call” Mat Kirkby and James Lucas Michelle, Gary, Melissa T.

WILL WIN: THE PHONE CALL
SHOULD WIN: THE PHONE CALL

Note: BOOGALOO AND GRAHAM won the BAFTA, but we have a soft spot for the film done, according to Mat Kirkby (interview), as a “homage to our mums,” THE PHONE CALL. We think the Academy voters will too.

Achievement in sound editing

• “American Sniper” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman Tom, Michelle, Michael, Jim, Gary
• “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock Melissa H.
• “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” Brent Burge and Jason Canovas
• “Interstellar” Richard King Melissa T.
• “Unbroken” Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro

WILL WIN: AMERICAN SNIPER
SHOULD WIN: BIRDMAN

Note: This is where AMERICAN SNIPER will pick up a statue.

Achievement in sound mixing

• “American Sniper” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin Tom, Michael, Jim
• “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga Michelle
• “Interstellar” Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten
• “Unbroken” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee Melissa T.
• “Whiplash” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley Melissa H., Gary

WILL WIN: BIRDMAN
SHOULD WIN: WHIPLASH

Note: Another win for Clint Eastwood’s movie could happen. BIRDMAN should win this category as it won the trophy for outstanding sound mixing during the 51st annual Cinema Audio Society Awards.

Achievement in visual effects

• “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick
• “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist Tom
• “Guardians of the Galaxy” Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould  Melissa H., Melissa T.
• “Interstellar” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher Michelle, Michael, Jim, Gary
• “X-Men: Days of Future Past” Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer

WILL WIN: DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
SHOULD WIN: INTERSTELLAR

Note: DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES won the top prize at the VFX Society, but with the black hole, the gravity of space and the 4,000 ft high tidal wave, the upset could be INTERSTELLAR.

Adapted screenplay

• “American Sniper” Written by Jason Hall
• “The Imitation Game” Written by Graham Moore  Michelle, Michael, Jim, Gary
• “Inherent Vice” Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson Melissa T.
• “The Theory of Everything” Screenplay by Anthony McCarten Melissa H.
• “Whiplash” Written by Damien Chazelle Tom

WILL WIN: THE IMITATION GAME
SHOULD WIN: WHIPLASH

Note: IMITATION GAME won Adapted Screenplay last weekend at the Writers Guild Awards. As the guilds and voters overlap, this will probably be your Oscar winner.

Original screenplay

• “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo Tom, Melissa H., Jim, Melissa T.
• “Boyhood” Written by Richard Linklater
• “Foxcatcher” Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
• “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness  Michelle, Michael, Gary
• “Nightcrawler” Written by Dan Gilroy

WILL WIN: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
SHOULD WIN: BIRDMAN

Note: Going by its win at the Writers Guild Awards, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL and Wes Anderson will take the Academy Award.

Download our high-resolution ballots here: https://www.dropbox.com/l/S0MeOsGeMprvK59b5jOlHp

The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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