Chance's Corner: Oscar's Season 2016

It's that time of the year when Oscar buzz has turned into Oscar reality. Some hopefuls have become duds. Some underdogs have become contenders. While 2016 gave us an onslaught of remakes and sequels that left many wondering if cinema was dead, there were still a few rays of hope, and many of those rays were nominated for Oscars this year. But who will win?

Here are my predictions:

Best Picture:

La La Land, a jazz-inspired musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. I think this one will win because the Academy has a history of appreciating films that remind them of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Examples include Chicago and The Artist. However, Moonlight could possibly overtake La La Land because it's extremely topical.

Best Actor:

This category is still up in the air. Casey Affleck won the Golden Globe (Drama) for Manchester by the Sea, Ryan Gosling won the Golden Globe (Musical/Comedy) for La La Land, and Denzel Washington won the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for Fences. I think Denzel is the man to beat, though. There's some serious buzz behind Andrew Garfield for Hacksaw Ridge, but I don't think the Academy is going to swing his way.

Best Actress:

Everyone thought Natalie Portman had this category in the bag for her portrayal of Jackie Kennedy in Jackie, but Isabelle Huppert ran off with the Golden Globe (Drama) for Elle, and Emma Stone took away the Golden Globe (Musical/Comedy) and the SAG award for La La Land. Emma Stone is now the one to beat.

Best Supporting Actor:

Mahershala Ali has the upper hand in this category for his supporting role in Moonlight, and I think he'll win unless something goes wrong.

Best Supporting Actress:

Viola Davis has already been robbed of an Oscar twice, but here's hoping that the third time is the charm for her performance in Fences.

Best Director Winner Prediction:

It's the ultimate showdown between Damien Chazelle for La La Land and Barry Jenkins for Moonlight, and Damien's odds of delivering the knock-out punch are extremely high.

Best Animated Film Winner Prediction:

Zootopia will most likely snatch up this award, but another Disney film, Moana, may steal it away.



That's my Oscar ballot for this year. We'll see how well I guessed on February 26th!