The award season is coming to an end with The Oscars this week. While there was a record-breaking amount of snubs this year, the nominees are still the most deserving of the honors. The Vision editors, Taylor Haag and Jesse Hudgins, put in their predictions on who the big winners will be.
Best Picture
Taylor: “Oppenheimer”
Jesse: “Oppenheimer”
This is the obvious choice for multiple reasons. Firstly, the film has won every “Best Film” honor during this award season. Secondly, this film was the most talked about movie of the year, in addition to “Barbie,” which was snubbed of a nomination. If “Oppenheimer” does not win Best Picture at The Oscars, many could consider it the snub of the century.
Best Actor
Taylor: Cillian Murphy
The emotional complexity Cillian Murphy exudes as Oppenheimer is the main reason why he has swept every award show thus far. The depth he brings to a scientist and the arc of his downfall is a beautiful sight to see. His performance is the best of his career and shows what an amazing actor he is. He is the star of the show and so deserving of this award.
Jesse: Jeffrey Wright
Cillian Murphy is the frontrunner to win this year, since he has swept award after award this season. Despite this, Jeffrey Wright should be in the talks, and many believe if Murphy does not get the award, it should go to Wright for his performance in “American Fiction” as Monk. Wright’s ability to go from dramatic to fall-out-of-your-seat funny in an instant shows the phenomenal acting range that drove the film’s emotions throughout.
Best Actress
Taylor: Emma Stone
Again, another obvious choice. Emma Stone winning Best Actress at this year’s Oscars for her performance in “Poor Things” should be a clear choice. Portraying a dead woman who was brought back to life is no easy feat, but Stone excels in her craft and brings heart and empathy to Bella Baxter. From the staggering movements and her accent, this is one of Stone’s most impressive roles to date.
Jesse: Lily Gladstone
To be able to have an outstanding performance in a movie featuring former Oscar winners, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, is nothing to scoff at. Lily Gladstone rose above her fellow costars and delivered a performance that itself made the movie worth watching, with many praising her over her costars in reviews. It will be tough, since Stone has been sweeping awards, but there is a good likelihood this beautiful performance from the “Killers of the Flower Moon” actress will get the recognition it deserves.
Best Supporting Actor
Taylor: Robert Downey Jr.
Jesse: Robert Downey Jr.
Like “Oppenheimer” winning Best Picture, this is the obvious choice. Downey reinvented himself through this performance. He did it despite the pressure, with it being his first movie post-Iron Man. Not to mention, people claim this to be the best role in the movie. This role (like his role as Iron Man) has brought a resurgence to Downey’s career that has seen awards galore, and this year’s Oscars will likely follow suit.
Best Supporting Actress
Taylor: Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Jesse: Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Da’Vine Joy Randolph is finally getting the recognition she deserves. Her performance as a grieving mother in “The Holdovers” is perfection. There is no fluff, over-dramatics or shame in her character’s emotional journey. Notably, she portrays the ups and downs of grief in a flawless and realistic manner, making her the front runner of this award.
Best Director
Taylor: Christopher Nolan
Jesse: Christopher Nolan
“Oppenheimer” is a culmination of Christopher Nolan’s entire career. It has single-handedly presented itself as the best thing he has made, and may-haps ever will, since he pulled experiences and shots from throughout his career to build a, quite simply put, beautifully tragic film. Not to mention, the very last scene of the movie leaves people in utter awe at how it was put together to portray the hopeless emotion of the scene.
Animated Feature Film
Taylor: “The Boy and the Heron”
Jesse: “The Boy and the Heron”
Hayao Miyazaki and the Toho Co. are looking to walk away with their second Oscar since their 2001 film, “Spirited Away.” “The Boy and the Heron” is captivating audiences across the globe, whether it be the Japanese version or its star-studded English dub. It’s a beautiful story with gorgeous animation and amazing voice acting in both versions. It is almost a shoo-in that this film will walk away with the Best Animated Feature award at The Oscars.
Adapted Screenplay
Taylor: “Poor Things”
Yet another classic book-to-film adaptation that is perfect in every way. The story of a mad scientist who brings a woman back to life and is learning to cope with his new role as a parent is an odd one, to say the least. Yet, the heart in this Victorian-age “Frankenstein” sets it apart from the normal monster film. The adaptation is funny, heartfelt and awkward at times, but it is beautiful in every way.
Jesse: “American Fiction”
The “American Fiction” adaptation came out at the perfect time. The themes of its original book, “Erasure,” apply to Hollywood and the media world at this very moment. For a book with an original publication date in 2001, the original themes were brought out and tweaked to fit the modern era perfectly by writer and director Cord Jefferson. For the application to the modern day alone, this movie deserves to win best adaptation at this year’s Oscars.
Original Screenplay
Taylor: “The Holdovers”
Jesse: “The Holdovers”
A seemingly boring story of a teacher, a chef and a student stuck at school over Christmas break turns into the most meaningful and heartfelt story of the decade. The complexity of the characters, the revelations that come with time and the overall character development are done masterfully, and the film would not be half as good without this amazing script.
Visual Effects
Taylor: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”
Although this film is the most depressing and tear-jerking film ever made by MARVEL (those who have seen it will understand), the visual effects are top-notch. Just looking at the character of Groot, a giant tree-man, the detail of his person is breathtaking. Although “Godzilla Minus One” is a strong contender, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” has it in the bag, since the majority of the characters are visual effects.
Jesse: “Godzilla Minus One”
This is a true underdog story. This is the first time since Godzilla’s inception the lizard receives an Academy Award nomination. For good reason at that. With a small team of less than 50 people and a rumored budget of only five thousand dollars towards the animation, by all accounts this movie should not look as good as it does. Every scene draws in the viewer with the back-to-basics design of Godzilla, along with the destruction he leaves in his wake.
Original Score
Taylor: “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Jesse: “Killers of the Flower Moon”
The use of music composed by actual Osage Tribe members and longtime composer Robbie Robertson is masterful. Robertson knows the intricacies of Indigenous music and culture due to living on the Six Nations Reserve as a kid. This soundtrack blends so well with the movie to the point the very last track in the score, “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” often brings tears to the audience’s eyes. Not to mention it would be a huge posthumous honor for Robertson, who tragically passed away at 80 years old after finishing his work on the film.
Original Song
Taylor: “What Was I Made For,” Billie Eilish
Jesse: “What Was I Made For,” Billie Eilish
Literal tears. If this does not win, The Academy is wrong.
Costume Design
Taylor: “Barbie”
Jesse: “Barbie”
The accuracy of every single “Barbie” costume is impeccable. Each costume in the movie is an outfit a Barbie doll wore throughout the years or an accessory they sold separately. This level of detail shows the amount of love that was put in by the film’s team. Each costume on top of that served a purpose one way or the other. Not to mention “Barbie” NEEDS to win something at The Oscars.
Film Editing
Taylor: “Oppenheimer”
Jesse: “Oppenheimer”
Adding to “Oppenheimer’s” already potential long list of winnings, the editing in this film makes many of its scenes. The standout scene that comes to mind is after the bombing of Japan, when the team is celebrating. Oppenheimer gets flashing visions of the effects of his creation that turned the scene into a horror film. The acting completes what needs to be done within the scene, but the editing, like the rest of it throughout the film, takes it to another level.
Sound
Taylor: “Maestro“
It is a movie about a composer and his music. It may not win against the atomic bomb in “Oppenheimer,” but Leonard Bernstein deserves some recognition.
Jesse: “Oppenheimer”
Nuke scene. Enough said.
Makeup and Hairstyling
Taylor: “Poor Things”
Jesse: “Poor Things”
The makeup and hair in “Poor Things” are intricate, over the top and sometimes unnecessary. They help build the mystique and glamour of the world throughout the allotted run time. Willem Dafoe’s makeup is enough to build an argument that his character is a true monster. His look contrasts with Stone’s in a physical and nonphysical manner, and the makeup he wears reflects that perfectly.
The Oscars premiere on Sunday, March 10 on ABC at 7 p.m. ET on cable. They are also available to stream on Hulu Live TV.
Jesse Hudgins co-wrote this article.
