Predicting the Academy Awards 2020 Winners – Part Three

Images Courtesy of Sony Pictures, Searchlight Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Universal Pictures (Stills from LITTLE WOMEN, JOJO RABBIT, JOKER, and 1917)

The Academy Awards are just around the corner, set to debut in roughly twenty-four hours from when you are reading this. Like 2019, the show will be broadcast by ABC at 8:00 PM EST and will entail some twenty-four categories where the prized golden statues will be handed out to the deserving winners. Over the past few weeks, I have published two parts already of my predictions for who those deserving winners will be, and with the ceremony tomorrow, it is time for the third and final part of my predictions, covering some of the most coveted categories. Including Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Actor and Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture, these will undoubtedly be some of my most divisive thoughts, particularly in the Best Supporting Actress category where I am more than expecting (and hoping) for an upset.

Best Supporting Actor:

Image Courtesy of Sony Pictures (Still from ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD)

In the Best Supporting Actor category, it is almost a guaranteed lock like two of the other acting categories. Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino’s raucous Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is sure to take home the award, marking his first acting win from The Academy. Indeed, no other front-runners besides Pitt have been established, making his win this Sunday even more likely.

Best Supporting Actress:

Image Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures (Still from JOJO RABBIT)

As for Best Supporting Actress, the common consensus is that Netflix’s two film awards juggernauts: The Irishman and Marriage Story will take their only award of the night with Laura Dern for her dastardly impeccable divorce lawyer role in Marriage Story. However, I disagree with what many have called the surefire lock of the night. The fact that Scarlett Johansson was able to nab not one, but two nominations this year signals support that just may be able to trump Dern’s chances. Besides, Johansson’s role as a single German mother in Jojo Rabbit is so much more integral to the spirit of the film than Dern in Marriage Story in that it is far more digestible and accessible by the common audience member. If Laura Dern takes the win, few people will be surprised, including myself, but I will be a little disappointed that Johansson’s best year in her career came with little accolades.

Best Actor:

Image Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures (Still from JOKER)

Like I mentioned before, Netflix could walk away Sunday night without a single Oscar, despite having the strongest lineup of awards contenders of any distributor this year, outside of possibly Sony with Little Women, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and that fact is disappointing, especially when considering Adam Driver’s revolutionary turn in Marriage Story. But Joaquin Phoenix has single-handedly been the face of both the marketing and awards campaign for Joker, and voters are sure to reward that with his first win from the Academy.

Best Actress:

Image Courtesy of Roadside Attractions (Still from JUDY)

For a while, I thought that we might see an upset in the Best Actress category this year, coming off Glenn Close’s loss to Olivia Colman last year, but Renee Zellweger has swept the awards season, just like Laura Dern has. However, Zellweger’s heartfelt stride in Judy marks the kind of role that the Academy usually falls for. Many Academy voters will have some nostalgic ties to the film’s lead subject and will act by that nostalgia, just like how Tom Hanks was nominated for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, possibly my single favorite film of 2019.

Best Director:

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures (Still from 1917)

We have finally come to the two biggest awards of the night with the lesser of the two being Best Director. The Director’s Guild of America is usually a strong predictor for these results with their independent ceremony, and this year, the honor went to Sam Mendes for 1917. This comes after Mendes’ wins at the Golden Globes and Critic’s Choice Awards and was before Mendes’ directorial win at the BAFTAs. It’s almost a surefire bet that Mendes will win at least one Oscar this year in either this category or in Best Picture, or likely in both. However, never count out Bong Joon Ho whose critically acclaimed Parasite is still making tidal waves with the public.

Best Picture:

The biggest award of the ceremony is undoubtedly Best Picture, and this year, it may just be the most fluid. After strong receptions at the precursor film festivals like Cannes and the New York Film Festival and outstanding critical acclaim, it seemed like The Irishman, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, and Joker could be the winners of the category this year. While I wouldn’t count out Once Upon a Time or Joker, their chances have certainly diminished, leaving room for 1917 and Parasite to bolster their stances. My personal pick of the bunch is 1917 which is also incidentally my favorite film of all nine nominees though The Irishman is a close second.

That’s it for my predictions on what will take home Oscars come Sunday night. A reminder that all these predictions are just that: predictions. We all have our differing opinions on what is going to happen and what should happen, especially the Academy voters who decide the results. A reminder that the ceremony will debut on ABC at 8 PM EST, so be sure to tune in to see if your predictions were correct. God bless!