Everyone wants a list. Or many lists. So here they are. I am a strong supporter of “Boyhood” and “Selma.” Also, Patricia Arquette. If life were fair, “Boyhood” would win Best Picture, Oyelowo Best Actor, Julianne Moore Best Actress, Arquette and Simmons in supporting. The problems this year were just too many great performances. Everyone was on their game.
My sentimental favorite film, “Begin Again,” fizzled but its song- “Lost Stars”– should win Best Song. Hands down. “Belle” is the underdog of the year; Gugu Mbatha Raw must be nominated. And look at the list of lead actors. There are 8. Whom do you remove? Keaton? Isaac? Murray? What about Jake Gyllenhaal? By the way. “Foxcatcher” is the most underrated movie of the year. It’s simply outstanding. And “The Imitation Game” is by far the Best Ensemble. A final note about “American Sniper.” It’s easy to be snarky when you have a Legend with lots of Oscars (Eastwood) and a failed movie earlier in the year (Jersey Boys). Don’t take it, or him, for granted.
The one really botched situation: Al Pacino in Barry Levinson’s “The Humbling.” It should have been sold to a distributor, held for next year, and given a real release. Forcing it into this Oscar year with no support was tragic. Someone please rescue that movie.
BEST PICTURE
American Sniper
Begin Again
Belle
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Imitation Game
Into the Woods
Selma
Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Unbroken
BEST ACTOR
Steve Carell
Bradley Cooper
Benedict Cumberbatch
Oscar Isaac
Michael Keaton
Bill Murray
David Oyelowo
Eddie Redmayne
BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard
Felicity Jones
Julianne Moore
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Reese Witherspoon
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall
Ethan Hawke
Edward Norton
Mark Ruffalo
J.K. Simmons
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette
Jessica Chastain
Laura Dern
Carmen Ejogo
Keira Knightley
BEST DIRECTOR
Ava Duvernay
Clint Eastwood
Richard Linklater
Bennett Miller
Morten Tyldum
