The 90th Academy Awards Ballot, Berardinelli Edition

February 26, 2018
A thought by James Berardinelli

 

Every year I present my guesses as to what will win at the Oscars. This is all done in fun, of course and (even though I run a contest), I do not consider myself an expert. I have only once run the table with a perfect ballot and, most years, I miss between three and five categories. This year, I fully expect to miss four: two of the three genuine “toss-up” (those are Picture, Original Screenplay, and Visual Effects) and two that come out of left field. When it comes to most of the technical categories, I play the odds. Sometimes, for the majors, if something isn’t a “lock”, I play a hunch.

For those who are curious or want to laugh at me when I miss something obvious, here are my fearless predictions. (Because of the contest, I can’t wait until the day before to post them.)

Picture
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Lead Actress
Frances McDormand (Three Billboards)

Lead Actor
Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Supporting Actress
Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Supporting Actor
Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards)

Director
Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)

Animated Feature Film
Coco

Documentary Feature
Faces Places

Foreign Language Film
A Fantastic Woman

Adapted Screenplay
Call Me by Your Name

Original Screenplay
Get Out

Cinematography
Blade Runner 2049

Film Editing
Dunkirk

Costume Design
Phantom Thread

Production Design
The Shape of Water

Makeup and Hair
Darkest Hour

Sound Editing
Dunkirk

Sound Mixing
Dunkirk

Visual Effects
War for the Planet of the Apes

Original Song
Coco (“Remember Me”)

Original Score
The Shape of Water

 


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