2023 Oscar Predictions

I care less and less about the Oscars each year. It’s hard to get excited about an awards show for the best movies of the year that waits until almost halfway through March to announce their winners; and this is coming from an admitted procrastinator. Still, writing an Oscars article over a decade ago is what got me started in film writing. So, for the few people who want to see how I do with my predictions (hi, Mom!), here is my Oscar preview. I’m sticking with my usual format: I’ll make my prediction, name my favorite nominee, and name my favorite overall (as sometimes my favorite isn’t even nominated). This year, however, I will just list all that stuff together and save my comments for the very end of the article just to keep things neater. Oh, and I’m not listing all the nominees. Google that shit if you want to know them all.

Best Cinematography

Prediction: Tár

My Pick: All Quiet on the Western Front

My Overall Favorite: Nope

Best Original Score

Prediction: Babylon

My Pick: Babylon

My Overall Favorite: Crimes of the Future

Best Original Song

Prediction: Naatu Naatu

My Pick: Naatu Naatu

My Overall Favorite: Uh, Naatu Naatu, I guess. Look, I do not care about this one at all.

Best Visual Effects

Prediction: Avatar: The Way of Water

My Pick: Avatar: The Way of Water

My Overall Favorite: Avatar: The Way of Water

Best Original Screenplay

Prediction: The Banshees of Inisherin

My Pick: The Banshees of Inisherin

My Overall Favorite: The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Adapted Screenplay

Prediction: Women Talking

My Pick: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

My Overall Favorite: The Northman

Best Documentary

Prediction: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

My Pick: Fire of Love

My Overall Favorite: I Didn’t See You There

Best Animated Feature

Prediction: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

My Pick: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

My Overall Favorite: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Best International Feature

Prediction: All Quiet on the Western Front

My Pick: All Quiet on the Western Front

My Overall Favorite: Decision to Leave

Best Supporting Actor

Prediction: Ke Huy Quan

My Pick: Ke Huy Quan

My Overall Favorite: Ke Huy Quan

Best Supporting Actress

Prediction: Stephanie Hsu

My Pick: Kerry Condon

My Overall Favorite: Kerry Condon

Best Actor

Prediction: Colin Farrell

My Pick: Colin Farrell

My Overall Favorite: Colin Farrell

Best Actress

Prediction: Cate Blanchett

My Pick: Michelle Yeoh

My Overall Favorite: Michelle Yeoh

Best Director

Prediction: The Daniels

My Pick: The Daniels

My Overall Favorite: Damien Chazelle

Best Picture

Prediction: Everything Everywhere All at Once

My Pick: The Banshees of Inisherin

My Overall Favorite: The Banshees of Inisherin

So, that’s it. Typically, I do not do well with these predictions, and I doubt this year will be different. As far as the nominations in general are concerned, I was pleasantly surprised by a few of them this year (Triangle of Sadness and All Quiet on the Western Front having so many noms was nice), and there were the usual head-scratchers (Top Gun: Maverick for Best Adapted Screenplay?!). I have a hard time these days caring about all this like I used to when I was younger. There was a time when the Oscars could enrage me. I’m thinking about Adrien Brody beating Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York), and Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan, and Chicago beating Gangs of New York, and The Artist winning, and Sean Penn over Mickey Rourke, and Michael Keaton losing to Eddie Redmayne, and DiCaprio losing to Jamie Foxx, and…okay, the Oscars can still piss me off. 

But over the years, I learned that the voting process is highly political and there are ads purchased and campaigns ran and all that shit. But mainly, I just got older. I’ve got kids and whatnot these days, so I’ve lost the emotional capacity to care that much about who wins the Hollywood popularity contest each year. I still find it fun, and I will always be interested in all the awards stuff, but my days of letting them anger me are thankfully over. So maybe I’ll get a few of these right this year, but as far as the most deserving people winning? I know what my favorites were, and that’s enough for me.