Best Picture:

•         American Sniper
•         Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
•         Boyhood
•         The Grand Budapest Hotel
•         The Imitation Game
•         The Theory of Everything
•         Whiplash
•         Selma

The best picture category is a two-horse race between Birdman and Boyhood, both of which are phenomenal feats in filmmaking. Birdman is a profound and perplexing analysis of the “industry” psyche, frequently teetering on the cusp of sheer realism. Boyhood, however, may have an edge over its chief adversary, considering its historic accomplishment of longitudinal filming – having been shot over 12 years. While certainly commendable in their own right, American Sniper, Selma and Grand Budapest Hotel simply do not compare in gravitas to the aforementioned frontrunners. The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game are entirely driven by brilliant performances, which concealed some of their glaring faults. Whiplash is the dark horse of this race, and, as far as quality, can go toe-to-toe with any movie of the last decade.

Should Win – Birdman

Will Win – Boyhood

Best Actor:

•         Steve Carell in Foxcatcher
•         Bradley Cooper in American Sniper
•         Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game
•         Michael Keaton in Birdman
•         Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything

Michael Keaton is the heavy favorite for best actor, and deservedly so. Keaton’s performance in is riveting and real as anything of the past decade, and further consolidating his chances, his legacy is long overdue. Eddie Redmayne’s transformative performance as Stephen Hawking is the best bet to usurp the Oscar from Keaton. Steve Carell’s performance in Foxcatcher, while a stark departure from his signature comedy roles, will likely play third-fiddle, just ahead of Cumberbatch and Cooper. A major snub in this year’s race is David Oyelowo, whose powerful performance as Martin Luther King Jr. deserves recognition.

Should Win – Michael Keaton

Will Win – Michael Keaton

Best Actress:

•         Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night
•         Felicity Jones in The Theory of Everything
•         Julianne Moore in Still Alice
•         Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl
•         Reese Witherspoon in Wild

Felicity Jones does an exemplary job of standing her ground in The Theory of Everything, epitomizing womanhood at its finest. Reese Witherspoon carries Wild on her shoulders, delivering a heart-wrenching epic and Rosamund Pike’s haunting performance in Gone Girl is certainly deserving of Oscar spotlight. Come awards day, however, these performances will likely be overshadowed by Julianne Moore’s brilliant performance in Still Alice. Another major snub this year is Jennifer Aniston, whose raw and exhilarating performance in Cake could’ve given Moore’s a run for its money.

Should Win – Julianne Moore

Will Win – Julianne Moore

Best Supporting Actor:

•         Robert Duvall in The Judge
•         Ethan Hawke in Boyhood
•         Edward Norton in Birdman
•         Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher
•         J.K. Simmons in Whiplash

Robert Duvall is his usual brilliant self, functioning as the bright spot in an otherwise mediocre movie. Ethan Hawke’s very natural and grounded performance as the cool dad is an integral piece in the Boyhood puzzle, without which the film would be lacking. The two Hulks, Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo, each give terrific supporting performances in their respective movies. J.K. Simmons gives the greatest performance of his career in Whiplash, absolutely commanding screen presence. Simmons’ Sergeant Hartman-esque performance is the most nuanced and engaging of 2014, bar none.

Should Win – J.K. Simmons

Will Win – J.K. Simmons

Best Supporting Actress:

•         Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
•         Laura Dern in Wild
•         Keira Knightley in The Imitation Game
•         Meryl Streep in Into the Woods
•         Emma Stone in Birdman

Patricia Arquette is the heart, soul and glue of Boyhood; her strong performance is certainly worthy of the Oscar. Laura Dern, while lacking an abundance of screen time, takes advantage of her opportunities and makes an impression. Keira Knightley is undoubtedly one of the most underrated actresses in Hollywood, standing her own against Cumberbatch and delivering a powerful performance. In a movie lavish with extraordinary talent, Emma Stone shines as bright as any other. While Meryl Streep is arguably one of the greatest thespians of the Hollywood era, she in no way deserved to be nominated for Into the Woods. Although Streep does give a quality performance, there are others more deserving of Oscar recognition: Jessica Chastain in Interstellar or Tilda Swinton in Snowpiercer.

Should Win – Keira Knightley

Will Win – Patricia Arquette

Best Animated Feature: (I haven’t yet seen Song of the Sea or The Tale of Princess Kaguya)

•         Big Hero 6
•         The Boxtrolls
•         Song of the Sea
•         How to Train Your Dragon 2
•         The Tale of Princess Kaguya

This category has the honor of biggest snub of the year! Where’s The Lego Movie?

Should Win – Big Hero 6

Will Win – Big Hero 6

Directing:

•         Alejandro G. Inarritu for Birdman
•         Richard Linklater for Boyhood
•         Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher
•         Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
•         Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game

Should Win – Alejandro G. Inarritu

Will Win – Richard Linklater

Costume Design:

•         The Grand Budapest Hotel
•         Inherent Vice
•         Into the Woods
•         Maleficent
•         Mr. Turner

Winner – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Original Screenplay: (I haven’t yet seen Nightcrawler)

•         Birdman
•         Boyhood
•         Foxcatcher
•         The Grand Budapest Hotel
•         Nightcrawler

Winner – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Adapted Screenplay:

•         American Sniper
•         The Imitation Game
•         Inherent Vice
•         The Theory of Everything
•         Whiplash

Winner – Whiplash

Makeup and Hairstyling:

•         Foxcatcher
•         The Grand Budapest Hotel
•         Guardians of the Galaxy

Winner – Guardians of the Galaxy

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

Winner – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Production Design:

•         The Grand Budapest Hotel
•         The Imitation Game
•         Interstellar
•         Into the Woods
•         Mr. Turner

Winner – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Cinematography: (I have yet to see Ida or Unbroken)

•         Birdman
•         The Grand Budapest Hotel
•         Ida
•         Mr. Turner
•         Unbroken

Winner – Birdman

Editing:

•         American Sniper
•         Boyhood
•         The Grand Budapest Hotel
•         The Imitation Game
•         Whiplash

Winner – Boyhood

Original Score:

•         The Grand Budapest Hotel
•         The Imitation Game
•         Interstellar
•         Mr. Turner
•         The Theory of Everything

Winner – The Theory of Everything

Sound Editing: (I have yet to see Unbroken)

•         American Sniper
•         Birdman
•         The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
•         Interstellar
•         Unbroken

Winner – Interstellar

Sound Mixing: (I have yet to see Unbroken)

•         American Sniper
•         Birdman
•         Interstellar
•         Unbroken
•         Whiplash

Winner – Interstellar