Best Documentary Short
Could win: Joanna
Should win: N/A
The shorts are always hard to predict, and quite typically most people don’t get a chance to see them. I haven’t seen them, so I have no real preference on a victor.
Best Live Action Short
Could win: Boogaloo and Graham
Should win: N/A
See: Best Documentary Short
Best Animated Short Film
Could win: The Dam Keeper
Should win: Feast
The only animated short I’ve seen is Feast, and it’s quite lovely. I’d be very happy if it won, and it probably will.
Best Film Editing
Could win: Joel Cox, American Sniper
Should win: Sandra Adair, Boyhood
Of all the Best Film Editing nominees, American Sniper was cut in a way that makes it the most tense. However, it’s the editing on Boyhood that is the most obviously praise-worthy. Sandra Claire had to take 12 years of footage and cut it together in a seamless way. That was the biggest challenge, and it’s likely she’ll be rewarded for it.
Best Cinematography
Could win: Robert D. Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel (but not really)
Should win: Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
No cinematographer has won the Oscar two years in a row since John Toll won for Legends of the Fall and Braveheart in 1994 and 1995, respectively. It’s all but a sure thing that Emmanuel Lubezki will end that drought. Lubezki won for his groundbreaking work on Gravity last year, and his incredible work on Birdman will almost certainly be recognized this year. Look out for his work on Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups, 2016 Oscars.
Best Original Score
Could win: Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel (or The Imitation Game)
Should win: Hans Zimmer, Interstellar
Alexandre Desplat has been nominated for eight Oscars since 2007 without a single victory, and even though he has two of the nominees this year, he’s probably going to lose again.
Johann Johannsson and his Theory of Everything score should take this. It’s the classic kind of score that The Academy loves to recognize, and it has plenty of time to shine, particularly in the film’s final moments. A victory will be well deserved; the score is very beautiful.
Best Original Song
Could win: “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond, Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
Should win: “Glory,” John Legend and Common, Selma
This is a very tough one to call. There was a lot of hubbub when Selma was snubbed from categories it should have received nominations in, and it’s possible that The Academy gives the Oscar to John Legend and Common for “Glory” simply to show that they don’t hate Selma. On the other hand, it’s very possible Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond could take home the award for “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” the last song Glen Campbell wrote before his battle with Alzheimers ended his career.
Both songs are deserving. They’re both well written and emotional. While “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” may be one of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard, especially within the contexts of Campbell’s personal battle, I’d personally give the award to “Glory” because of how perfectly it paints just how little progress we’ve made since the days of Dr. King.
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