2019 Oscars Predictions
Beloved by some and scorned by others, The Oscars are the biggest night in film each year. Here are the Arts & Entertainment Department’s predictions on who will take home the night’s biggest awards (though not necessarily the artists that may deserve them).
Best Picture:
“BlackKklansman
”
“Black Panther
”
“Bohemian Rhapsody
”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book”
“Roma”
“A Star Is Born
”
“Vice”
Prediction: “Roma”
While there were some disappointments for films that didn’t even make the nominations list for the 2019 Oscars (“Beautiful Boy,” “Eighth Grade”), “Roma” is certainly one that deserved all ten of its accolades. It stands out in the list of films from 2018. It is beautiful and well crafted and has received excellent attention from audiences alike.
However, it does have some hurdles to overcome if it were to win. “Roma” would be the first foreign language film to receive the award for Best Picture, and it was shown to wide audiences through Netflix. Typically, the Academy likes to stick with what they knew best. It would be a complete breakthrough if “Roma” wins.
The film is extraordinary, however, and very chaotic considering the hot discussion of Mexican immigration within the past year. While it has leaps to make in order to prove itself, it clearly considered as a top nominated picture. - Jade Campos
Best Director:
Alfonso Cuarón - “Roma
”
Yorgos Lanthimos - “The Favourite
”
Spike Lee - “BlackKklansman”
Adam McKay - “Vice”
Pawel Pawlikowski - “Cold War”
Prediction: Alfonso Cuarón - “Roma ”
Very rarely does a film win Best Picture without receiving Best Director. Although the Academy has been mixing it up in the past 10 years, the pattern has proven to be pretty consistent. If “Roma” were to win Best Picture, Alfonso Cuarón can expect to be getting his own award. The picture would not have been made possible without Cuarón’s masterful storytelling about his own childhood, and so he is certainly a top contender for the award. - Jade Campos
Best Original Screenplay:
“The Favourite
”
“First Reformed”
“Green Book
”
“Roma”
“Vice
”
Prediction: “The Favourite”
“The Favourite” is one of the top nominated films by the Academy this year, earning a total of 10 nominations. It is a period drama with a dark twist, which is something the Oscars would absolutely eat up. Receiving high praise from critics and fans alike, “The Favourite” stands out in this category as it takes a familiar topic and mixes it up. It is witty and dark, and completely refreshing. It has already taken home the award for Best Original Screenplay at the British Academy Awards on Feb. 10, one of four awards the film received that night. - Jade Campos
Best Adapted Screenplay:
“A Star Is Born”
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
“BlackKklansman”
“If Beale Street Could Talk”
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Prediction: “BlackKklansman”
With the “#OscarsSoWhite” controversy beginning a few years ago, the Academy has had the chance to redeem themselves by nominating an array of films starring and created by people of color. “BlackKklansman” is another film that takes precedence not just because of the writing and performance, but it brings relevance from nearly fifty years ago to modern day. Not only is the film a well-done adaptation of former Black Klansman member, Ron Stallworth, but it gives the Academy a chance to recognize people of color. - Jade Campos
Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Christian Bale - “Vice”
Bradley Cooper - “A Star is Born”
Willem Dafoe - “At Eternity’s Gate”
Rami Malek - “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Viggo Mortensen - “Green Book”
Prediction: Christian Bale - “Vice”
“Vice” is bound to pick up some recognition at this year’s Academy Awards, and Christian Bale is due for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Lead Role. Bale previously won the award for Best Supporting Actor in 2010 for his fantastic performance in “The Fighter.” Bale went through yet another amazing transformation for a role, gaining weight and sitting through four to eight hours of makeup and prosthetics a day to resemble Dick Cheney, and his brilliant performance proves that he is the dominant method actor. Bale will prove to be a spoiler to Rami Malek in the battle of biopics. - Owen Paiva
Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Yalitza Aparicio - “Roma”
Glenn Close - “The Wife”
Olivia Colman - “The Favourite”
Lady Gaga - “A Star Is Born”
Melissa McCarthy - “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Prediction: Lady Gaga - “A Star Is Born”
Lady Gaga sobbed as she received a standing ovation at the premiere for her debut performance of “A Star is Born.” She took on a well-known character as her very first role and did it with passion and expertise. Gaga is a stand out merely because she mastered the art on her first try. While it wouldn’t be upsetting to see another actress take home the award, critics have already shown their love for Lady Gaga as an actress and it’s hard to see the night ending without her taking home a trophy. - Jade Campos
Best Original Song
“All the Stars” - “Black Panther
”
“I’ll Fight” - “RBG”
“The Place Where Lost Things Go” - “Mary Poppins Returns”
“Shallow” - “A Star Is Born”
“When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” - “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Prediction: “Shallow” - “A Star Is Born”
There’s no doubt that “Shallow” will take home the award for Best Original Song. In the few months that the song has been released, it has dominated the radio and the awards seasons. Since early January, “Shallow” has been nominated for fifteen awards and has won eleven of them already. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper have proven themselves to be a powerhouse, particularly Gaga. She has stunned audiences with her vocal talents on live performances of the track, particularly the Grammys’ performance on Feb. 10. It would come as a complete shock to viewers watching if “Shallow” didn’t take the Oscar home. Surely, it would be a shock to Lady Gaga herself. - Jade Campos
Best Animated Feature Film:
“Incredibles 2”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Mirai”
“Wreck-it-Ralph 2: Ralph breaks the Internet”
“Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse”
Prediction: “Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse”
In arguably one of the categories strongest years, Phil Lord and Chris Miller have all the momentum with their smash hit “Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse,” which was, for many, an introduction to Miles Morales, Spider Gwen, and alternate Spider People. The film had an amazing soundtrack with artists such as Post Malone, Juice WRLD, Ski Mask the Slump God and Denzel Curry, fitting in with the fantastic performance by Shameik Moore as Miles, continuing his amazing rise after films like “Dope.” Brad Bird and “Incredibles 2” could pull an upset, but all the other films deserve their nominations. - Owen Paiva
Best Cinematography:
“The Favourite”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“A Star is Born”
“Roma”
“Vice”
“Green Book”
“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
Prediction: “The Favourite”
Yorgos Lanthimos is renowned in the film industry, but there is no doubt that he has a unique eye for cinematography. Working with Director of Photography Robbie Ryan, “The Favourite” simultaneously mixes different aspect ratios, camera lenses, original shot types, depths of field and more in a professional yet playful way throughout the films entirety, adding to its emotional depth and overall essence of the film. The camera moves like one of the characters, following the storyline closely while carefully adding a mixture of modern artistic elements to the 18th-century plot. The film can, at times, seem mundane and slow with its 18th-century dialogue, but with the stunning cinematography, as well as the unique camera angles, sudden changes of lenses, and more, “The Favourite” is wound tightly together to create this Best Picture nominee, as well as one of the best films in Lanthimos’s career. - Lilly Adams
Best Film Editing:
“Green Book”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“Vice”
“The Favourite”
“BlacKkKlansman”
Prediction: “The Favourite”
Challenges will always rise with films that have three main characters. Whether it is challenges of screen time, dialogue, acting abilities, and more, having an emotional connection with all characters at once can seem impossible in filmmaking. However, within the careful editing skills of Yorgos Mavropsaridis, it seems that this challenge is completely erased. “The Favourite,” tells the tale of Queen Anne and her close partnership with her advisor, Sarah, and Sarah’s twisted cousin emerging to take her place as the Queen’s new right-hand lady. The editing is nearly impeccable, letting the audience naturally craft their own ideas about the films unpredictable plotline, while not giving away anything, and intelligently juxtaposing between the three lead actresses. He let the actresses have enough screen time to have each character take over the movie all at once. The editing is as smooth and elegant as the costumes and sets in “The Favourite,” and will no doubt take home the Best Editing award at the Academy Awards. - Lilly Adams
Best Sound Editing:
“Black Panther”
“First Man”
“Roma”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“A Quiet Place”
Prediction: “A Quiet Place”
John Krasinki’s new take on modern horror films rightfully got the best sound editing nomination for this years Academy Awards, by tastefully creating a sound as the monster in “A Quiet Place.” The attention to detail in terms of the sound and what the audience and the characters hear is masterful. The sheer amount of time the movie is silent, something that very difficult to achieve. Each sound that is made is instrumental in regards to the plot and the conflict. One element of sound here that really works is the contrast from extremely quiet scenes to terrifyingly loud points of action. Krasinski focuses on sound in this film as the most important element, paying attention to any noise that was made. This focus and mastering of the diegetic noise are one of the large reasons this film worked and it deserves the nomination and award for best sound editing. -Lilly Adams
Best Sound Mixing:
“Black Panther”
“A Star is Born”
“First Man”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“Roma”
Prediction: “First Man”
With all of the talent and innovation flowing from the film industry in 2018, “First Man” seems to be one of the many overlooked ones by the Academy Awards. Telling the tale of Neil Armstrong’s moon landing mission of the late 60s, the film has the difficult task of taking a personal look at Armstrong’s difficult and depressing personal life, with the intensity of his years leading up to the moon landing, and ultimately, the mission itself. Armstrong is told in the film to be a man of few words, and in some films, that emotional depth can be lost when juxtaposing it with something as intense as the moon landing. But, with the incredible sound mixing of Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montano, Ai-Ling Lee, the story’s emotional depth would not have been as impactful, and the moon landing itself would not have had the cinematic intensity that it needed. - Lilly Adams
Jade Campos is a freshman majoring in print journalism. To contact her, email jmc7727@psu.edu.
Owen Paiva is a sophomore majoring in Film/Video, to contact him, email owenpaiva@sbcglobal.net.
Lilly Adams is a sophomore majoring in Film/VIdeo. To contact her, email lillyadams11@gmail.com.
