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2018 Oscar Predictions

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WM chapter.

Image from Flickr

On Tuesday, I broke down my thoughts on this year’s nominees for the Best Picture Oscar. Today, it’s time for my predictions for some of Sunday’s biggest categories.

Best Actor

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread

Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Who will win: Gary Oldman

Who should win: Timothée Chalamet

Oldman will win simply based on the physical and vocal transformation he underwent to capture the essence of Churchill. Chalamet should win because his emotional performance as Elio, showed much more depth, but also marked him as an emerging talent.

Best Actress

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Meryl Streep, The Post

Who will win: Frances McDormand

Who should win: Saoirse Ronan

While both of these performances were incredible, McDormand was playing too much of a character. I much preferred the grounded performance of Ronan.

Best Supporting Actor

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project

Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Who will win: Sam Rockwell

Who should win: Sam Rockwell

The actors I thought were winners weren’t even nominated (Michael Stuhlbarg in Call Me By Your Name and Michael Shannon in The Shape of Water). Sam Rockwell does a great job as Officer Dixon and was my pick among the nominated actors.

Best Supporting Actress

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread

Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Who will win: Allison Janney

Who should win: Laurie Metcalf

I love Allison Janney and her win on Sunday will be well deserved. However, Laurie Metcalf’s performance made me cry both times I watched Lady Bird. Just like in the race for Best Actress, I much prefer the performances grounded in reality.

Best Director

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

Jordan Peele, Get Out

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird

Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread

Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

Who will win: Guillermo del Toro

Who should win: Paul Thomas Anderson

Del Toro will win due to the fact that he is able to tell a thorough story, even amongst the spectacle that is The Shape of Water. Anderson on the other hand deftly navigated the twists and turns of Phantom Thread, ensuring that the audience had no idea where the film was going to lead them until those exceptional final minutes. Just consider me #teamphantomthreadforever

Best Original Screenplay

The Big Sick

Get Out

Lady Bird

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Who will win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Who should win: The Big Sick

The Big Sick, though it failed to garner any other nominations, was an exceptional film and it should be recognized for that.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Call Me By Your Name

The Disaster Artist

Logan

Molly’s Game

Mudbound

Who will win: Call Me By Your Name

Who should win: Call Me By Your Name

Call Me By Your Name, as the only nominee in this category to be also nominated for Best Picture, has an advantage. That being said, that advantage is deserved, as the screenplay perfectly captures the emotional ups-and-downs of Elio and Oliver’s relationship.

Best Original Song

“Mighty River” from Mudbound

“Mystery of Love” from Call Me By Your Name

“Remember Me” from Coco

“Stand Up for Something” from Marshall

“This is Me” from The Greatest Showman

Who will win: “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman

Who should win: “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman

Just as with The Big Sick, The Greatest Showman was a good film that should have garnered more recognition. Pasek and Paul have contributed to yet another movie musical that has impacted pop culture in a major way. Their anthem of self-acceptance and resilience needs to be acknowledged.

Best Picture

Call Me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Who will win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Who should win: Lady Bird

Film is supposed to be a form of escapism, and in practice with that, I very rarely want to watch movies that are even remotely similar to my real life. Lady Bird is the sole exception. I love this movie and all it represents. 

Thumbnail Image from Flickr

Sarah Shevenock is a graduate of The College of William and Mary, where she served as a staff writer and Campus Correspondent for Her Campus William and Mary. Currently, she is a National Contributing Writer and Entertainment Blogger. In her free time, she enjoys reading voraciously, watching morning news programs, and keeping up with the latest television and movie news. She loves to talk about anything and everything related to theatre, cheer for her beloved Pittsburgh Penguins, and drink fancy coffee.