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Predict the 2014 Oscars

Doctor Q

Doctor Q

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Sep 19, 2002
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The 87th annual Academy Awards (Oscars) broadcast will be Sunday, February 22, announcing the winners for the best movies of 2014. It's more than a week earlier than last year.

This year's host is Neil Patrick Harris, his first time hosting.

There are only 8 nominees for Best Picture this year. If they need more, they are welcome to use the home movies I made in iMovie last year.

One of the nominated songs is "Everything Is Awesome" but for some reason it's not from the movie "The Theory of Everything". Wouldn't that have made more sense?

Estonia and Mauritania have their first nominees in the Foreign Language category. Historically, France has had the most nominated foreign-language films, and Italy has won the most times, but neither is in the competition this year.

John Travolta will reportedly be back as a presenter, even though he mangled Idina Menzel's name last year. Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs know how it feels, after she mispronounced the name of cinematographer Dick Pope last month. But Mr. Pope, being a British gentleman, took it in stride.

This thread is for our annual contest. Here are some other movie threads I spotted in the forums:

Related to nominated movies:Movies in general:

MacRumors Oscar Contest

This is the 13th annual MacRumors Oscar Contest. This year there are 121 nominations for 60 movies in 24 categories. The forum contestant with the most correct predictions wins the traditional prize: MacRumors bragging rights. I will check the predictions against the award winners and post the results after the telecast.

Here's how to vote:
  • Copy the ballot from the next post below.
  • Delete all but one line in each category, leaving 1 choice per category (your prediction).
  • Post it in this thread.
Contest rules:
  • Post between now and 6:00pm Eastern time Sunday.
  • Do not edit your post after voting.
  • One ballot per person.
You need not vote in every category but there's no penalty for guessing. Good luck!

Previous MacRumors "Predict the Oscars" contests:
2013: winners dejo and Doctor Q and swiftaw (21 correct)
2012: winner swiftaw (19 correct)
2011: winner swiftaw (19 correct)
2010: winner Doctor Q (18 correct)
2009: winner Doctor Q (16 correct)
2008: winner Doctor Q (20 correct)
2007: winners NEENAHBOY and Doctor Q (13 correct)
2006: winner Doctor Q (15 correct)
2005: winner Doctor Q (18 correct)
2004: winners VincentVega and Pittsax (16 correct)
2003: winners wdlove and Doctor Q (20 correct)
2002: winner Doctor Q (13 correct)​
 
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--- MacRumors Oscar Ballot ---

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper for American Sniper
Best Actor: Michael Keaton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Actor: Steve Carell for Foxcatcher
Best Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything

Best Actress: Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl
Best Actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice
Best Actress: Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night
Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon for Wild

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Hall for American Sniper
Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game
Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson for Inherent Vice
Best Adapted Screenplay: Anthony McCarten for The Theory of Everything
Best Adapted Screenplay: Damien Chazelle for Whiplash

Best Animated Feature Film: Don Hall, Chris Williams, and Roy Conli for Big Hero 6
Best Animated Feature Film: Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable, and Travis Knight for The Boxtrolls
Best Animated Feature Film: Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold for How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Animated Feature Film: Tomm Moore and Paul Young for Song of the Sea
Best Animated Feature Film: Isao Takahata and Yoshiaki Nishimura for The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Best Animated Short Film: Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees for The Bigger Picture
Best Animated Short Film: Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi for The Dam Keeper
Best Animated Short Film: Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed for Feast
Best Animated Short Film: Torill Kove for Me and My Moulton
Best Animated Short Film: Joris Oprins for A Single Life

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Cinematography: Robert Yeoman for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Cinematography: Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski for Ida
Best Cinematography: Dick Pope for Mr. Turner
Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins for Unbroken

Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Costume Design: Mark Bridges for Inherent Vice
Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood for Into the Woods
Best Costume Design: Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive for Maleficent
Best Costume Design: Jacqueline Durran for Mr. Turner

Best Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Director: Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Best Director: Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher
Best Director: Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Director: Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game

Best Documentary Feature: Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky for CitizenFour
Best Documentary Feature: John Maloof and Charlie Siskel for Finding Vivian Maier
Best Documentary Feature: Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester for Last Days in Vietnam
Best Documentary Feature: Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, and David Rosi for The Salt of the Earth
Best Documentary Feature: Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara for Virunga

Best Documentary Short Subject: Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry for Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Best Documentary Short Subject: Aneta Kopacz for Joanna
Best Documentary Short Subject: Tomasz Sliwinski and Maciej Slesicki for Our Curse
Best Documentary Short Subject: Gabriel Serra Arguello for The Reaper
Best Documentary Short Subject: J. Christian Jensen for White Earth

Best Film Editing: Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach for American Sniper
Best Film Editing: Sandra Adair for Boyhood
Best Film Editing: Barney Pilling for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Film Editing: William Goldenberg for The Imitation Game
Best Film Editing: Tom Cross for Whiplash

Best Foreign Language Film: Pawel Pawlikowski for Ida (Poland)
Best Foreign Language Film: Andrey Zvyagintsev for Leviathan (Russia)
Best Foreign Language Film: Zaza Urushadze for Tangerines (Estonia)
Best Foreign Language Film: Abderrahmane Sissako for Timbuktu (Mauritania)
Best Foreign Language Film: Damián Szifsón for Wild Tales (Argentina)

Best Live Action Short Film: Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis for Aya
Best Live Action Short Film: Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney for Boogaloo and Graham
Best Live Action Short Film: Wei Hu and Julien Féret for Butter Lamp
Best Live Action Short Film: Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger for Parvaneh
Best Live Action Short Film: Mat Kirkby and James Lucas for The Phone Call

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard for Foxcatcher
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White for Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat for The Imitation Game
Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer for Interstellar
Best Original Score: Gary Yershon for Mr. Turner
Best Original Score: Jóhann Jóhannsson for The Theory of Everything

Best Original Screenplay: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., and Armando Bo for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Original Screenplay: Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Best Original Screenplay: E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman for Foxcatcher
Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Original Screenplay: Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler

Best Original Song: Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois for "Lost Stars" in Begin Again
Best Original Song: Diane Warren for "Grateful" in Beyond the Lights
Best Original Song: Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond for "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" in Glen Campbell...I'll Be Me
Best Original Song: Shawn Patterson for "Everything Is Awesome" in The Lego Movie
Best Original Song: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for "Glory" in Selma

Best Picture: Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper, and Peter Morgan for American Sniper
Best Picture: Alejandro González Iñárritu, John Lesher, and James W. Skotchdopole for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Picture: Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland for Boyhood
Best Picture: Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, and Jeremy Dawson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Picture: Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, and Teddy Schwarzman for The Imitation Game
Best Picture: Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner for Selma
Best Picture: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, and Anthony McCarten for The Theory of Everything
Best Picture: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, and David Lancaster for Whiplash

Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Production Design: Maria Djurkovic and Tatiana Macdonald for The Imitation Game
Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Gary Fettis for Interstellar
Best Production Design: Dennis Gassner and Anna Pinnock for Into the Woods
Best Production Design: Suzie Davies and Charlotte Watts for Mr. Turner

Best Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman for American Sniper
Best Sound Editing: Martin Hernández and Aaron Glascock for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Sound Editing: Brent Burge and Jason Canovas for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Best Sound Editing: Richard King for Interstellar
Best Sound Editing: Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro for Unbroken

Best Sound Mixing: John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, and Walt Martin for American Sniper
Best Sound Mixing: Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, and Thomas Varga for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Sound Mixing: Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker, and Mark Weingarten for Interstellar
Best Sound Mixing: Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, and David Lee for Unbroken
Best Sound Mixing: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Supporting Actor: Ethan Hawke for Boyhood
Best Supporting Actor: Mark Ruffalo for Foxcatcher
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Duvall for The Judge
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress: Emma Stone for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood
Best Supporting Actress: Keira Knightley for The Imitation Game
Best Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep for Into the Woods
Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern for Wild

Best Visual Effects: Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill, and Dan Sudick for Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Best Visual Effects: Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, and Erik Winquist for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Best Visual Effects: Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner, and Paul Corbould for Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher for Interstellar
Best Visual Effects: Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie, and Cameron Waldbauer for X-Men: Days of Future Past
 
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Alright, here's mine:

Best Actor: Michael Keaton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice

Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game

Best Animated Feature Film: Don Hall, Chris Williams, and Roy Conli for Big Hero 6

Best Animated Short Film: Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed for Feast

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Documentary Feature: Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky for CitizenFour

Best Documentary Short Subject: Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry for Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Best Film Editing: Sandra Adair for Boyhood

Best Foreign Language Film: Pawel Pawlikowski for Ida (Poland)

Best Live Action Short Film: Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney for Boogaloo and Graham

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard for Foxcatcher

Best Original Score: Jóhann Jóhannsson for The Theory of Everything

Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Song: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for "Glory" in Selma

Best Picture: Richard Sutherland and Cathleen Sutherland for Boyhood

Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman for American Sniper

Best Sound Mixing: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood

Best Visual Effects: Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, and Erik Winquist for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

P.S. Not necessarily the ones I want to win but, rather, the ones I predict the Academy voters will favor.
 
Best Actor: Michael Keaton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice

Best Adapted Screenplay: Anthony McCarten for The Theory of Everything

Best Animated Feature Film: Don Hall, Chris Williams, and Roy Conli for Big Hero 6

Best Animated Short Film: Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed for Feast

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Director: Richard Linklater for Boyhood

Best Documentary Feature: Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky for CitizenFour

Best Documentary Short Subject: Gabriel Serra Arguello for The Reaper

Best Film Editing: Barney Pilling for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Foreign Language Film: Damián Szifsón for Wild Tales (Argentina)

Best Live Action Short Film: Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney for Boogaloo and Graham

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Score: Jóhann Jóhannsson for The Theory of Everything

Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Song: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for "Glory" in Selma

Best Picture: Richard Sutherland and Cathleen Sutherland for Boyhood

Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Gary Fettis for Interstellar

Best Sound Editing: Richard King for Interstellar

Best Sound Mixing: Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker, and Mark Weingarten for Interstellar

Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood

Best Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher for Interstellar
 
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything

Best Actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice

Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game

Best Animated Feature Film: Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold for How to Train Your Dragon 2

Best Animated Short Film: Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed for Feast

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Documentary Feature: Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky for CitizenFour

Best Documentary Short Subject: Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry for Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
(I didnt see any of these but some people told me this was good so Ill just go with them)

Best Film Editing: Sandra Adair for Boyhood

Best Foreign Language Film: Pawel Pawlikowski for Ida (Poland)

Best Live Action Short Film: Mat Kirkby and James Lucas for The Phone Call

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Score: Jóhann Jóhannsson for The Theory of Everything

Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Song: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for "Glory" in Selma

Best Picture: Richard Sutherland and Cathleen Sutherland for Boyhood
(still think birdman or whiplash should get this)

Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman for American Sniper

Best Sound Mixing: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood

Best Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher for Interstellar
 
I predict the Academy awards will be the same self congratulatory, Hollywwod slapping themselves on the back ego fest it's always been.
 
I'll play along :

Best Actor: Michael Keaton for Birdman

Best Actress: Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Hall for American Sniper

Best Animated Feature Film: Don Hall, Chris Williams, and Roy Conli for Big Hero 6

Best Animated Short Film: Joris Oprins for A Single Life

Best Cinematography: Robert Yeoman for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman

Best Documentary Feature: Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester for Last Days in Vietnam

Best Documentary Short Subject: Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry for Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Best Film Editing: Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach for American Sniper

Best Foreign Language Film: Pawel Pawlikowski for Ida (Poland)

Best Live Action Short Film: Mat Kirkby and James Lucas for The Phone Call

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Score: Jóhann Jóhannsson for The Theory of Everything

Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Song: Diane Warren for "Grateful" in Beyond the Lights

Best Picture: Alejandro González Iñárritu, John Lesher, and James W. Skotchdopole for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Production Design: Dennis Gassner and Anna Pinnock for Into the Woods

Best Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman for American Sniper

Best Sound Mixing: Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker, and Mark Weingarten for Interstellar

Best Supporting Actor: Edward Norton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood

Best Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher for Interstellar
 
kds1 said:
I predict the Academy awards will be the same self congratulatory, Hollywwod slapping themselves on the back ego fest it's always been.
Click to expand...

Sounds about right. Along with a bunch of pretentious films winning.

I enjoy movies however all these award shows for movies and music is a bit much.
 
In case anyone wonders, the Best Picture winner is determined using the preferential voting system. Rather than have Academy members vote for their favorite movie, with the movie getting the most votes winning, a ranking system is used.

Academy members rank the 8 nominated movies from 1 to 8. If one nominee gets more than half the votes, it wins. Otherwise, the ballots for the movie that got the least number of votes are reassigned to their second-place choices. The process repeats until one movie gains a majority.
 
Best Actor: Bradley Cooper for American Sniper
Best Actress: Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl
Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game
Best Animated Feature Film: Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold for How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Animated Short Film: Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi for The Dam Keeper
Best Cinematography: Robert Yeoman for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Director: Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Documentary Feature: Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester for Last Days in Vietnam
Best Documentary Short Subject: Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry for Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Best Film Editing: William Goldenberg for The Imitation Game
Best Foreign Language Film: Pawel Pawlikowski for Ida (Poland)
Best Live Action Short Film: Mat Kirkby and James Lucas for The Phone Call
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Original Song: Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond for "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" in Glen Campbell...I'll Be Me
Best Picture: Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper, and Peter Morgan for American Sniper
Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Sound Editing: Martin Hernández and Aaron Glascock for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Sound Mixing: Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, and Thomas Varga for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Duvall for The Judge
Best Supporting Actress: Keira Knightley for The Imitation Ga
Best Visual Effects: Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie, and Cameron Waldbauer for X-Men: Days of Future Past
 
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There are too many of these films I've not seen to even make an educated guess. However I'll observe that 10 movies up for Best Picture is a bad idea and if The Grand Budapest Hotel wins best picture, I'll never trust the Academy again! ;)
 
The tough calls for me this year were Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture, and best Sound Mixing.

For Director, do you reward the guy who carried out a clever idea (Richard Linklater) or the guy who created the best overall movie (Alejandro González Iñárritu)? I went with the latter.

For Best Original Screenplay, I went with my own preference, for The Grand Budapest Hotel over Birdman. They were both highly enjoyable stories, but The Grand Budapest Hotel had an edge for originality.

For Best Picture I think we had 8 good movies but no masterpiece, the kind that will be remembered through the ages. Birdman didn't excel in every category (good acting, great directing and cinematography, ok screenplay, ok sound) but it did poorly in none, and it had enough unabashed craziness to make it all add up. Frankly, Boyhood bored me because it felt like a collection of home movies rather than a story with a plot. Academy voters may rank it first or second but I rank it last of the 8. Sorry Mr. Linklater and Ms. Sutherland.

Because of the way vote-counting works for Best Picture (see my post about it above), second and third place votes can make a difference. I can't imagine many voters ranking Birdman near the bottom, but I'm betting that there are others like me who won't rank Birdman highly. Either you liked it or you didn't like it.

For Best Sound Mixing, I think Academy voters tend to vote for noisy movies with lots of sound effects, for both Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, which leads to the same movie winning both awards. The two crafts are actually quite different, and Whiplash had the technical edge. But Academy voters may stick to their habits and give it to American Sniper.
​

I saw all 15 shorts (animated, documentary, and live action), and sometimes that gets me in trouble. Rather than predict what I think the Academy members will vote for, I risk voting for what I liked best. For the record, my personal favorites were Me and My Moulton (animated), Joanna (documentary), and Parvaneh (live action).


My ballot:

Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything

Best Actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice

Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game

Best Animated Feature Film: Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold for How to Train Your Dragon 2

Best Animated Short Film: Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed for Feast

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Documentary Feature: Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky for CitizenFour

Best Documentary Short Subject: Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry for Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Best Film Editing: Sandra Adair for Boyhood

Best Foreign Language Film: Pawel Pawlikowski for Ida (Poland)

Best Live Action Short Film: Mat Kirkby and James Lucas for The Phone Call

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Score: Jóhann Jóhannsson for The Theory of Everything

Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Song: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for "Glory" in Selma

Best Picture: Alejandro González Iñárritu, John Lesher, and James W. Skotchdopole for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman for American Sniper

Best Sound Mixing: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood

Best Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher for Interstellar

------

Note: In the official ballot post above made a typo in the producer credits for Boyhood. It's Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland, but I typed last name Sutherland twice. Sorry. Please don't edit your posts to fix the name, however, since there's a no-editing rule in this game!
 
JamesMike: You didn't vote for Best Original Screenplay. Want to? Just post again if you want to vote in that category.
 
Oscar Predictions

Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything

Best Actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice

Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game

Best Animated Feature Film: Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold for How to Train Your Dragon 2

Best Animated Short Film: Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed for Feast

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Director: Richard Linklater for Boyhood

Best Documentary Feature: Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky for CitizenFour

Best Documentary Short Subject: Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry for Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

Best Film Editing: Sandra Adair for Boyhood

Best Foreign Language Film: Pawel Pawlikowski for Ida (Poland)

Best Live Action Short Film: Mat Kirkby and James Lucas for The Phone Call

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Score: Jóhann Jóhannsson for The Theory of Everything

Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Song: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for "Glory" in Selma

Best Picture: Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland for Boyhood

Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman for American Sniper

Best Sound Mixing: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood

Best Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher for Interstellar
 
I'm surprised that three-time Oscar contest champ swiftaw has yet to make an appearance. We'll see if he submits a ballot before this evening.

By the way, anyone who enters the MacRumors Oscar contest but does not win will take home a gift bag worth $125,000. So post your predictions before it's too late!
 
Doctor Q said:
I'm surprised that three-time Oscar contest champ swiftaw has yet to make an appearance. We'll see if he submits a ballot before this evening.

By the way, anyone who enters the MacRumors Oscar contest but does not win will take home a gift bag worth $125,000. So post your predictions before it's too late!
Click to expand...

OMG. Now I know why I usually don't watch the show.

Vibrators ? Seriously ? LOL


Grand Budapest Hotel is tonights sleeper. Watch.

;)
 
I'm going to do a quick pick on just a few items - this isn't who I predict will win, but who I'd like to win (if that's OK) - leaving categories where I didn't have a say :)

Best Actor: Michael Keaton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Actress: Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl

Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game

Best Animated Feature Film: Don Hall, Chris Williams, and Roy Conli for Big Hero 6

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Director: Richard Linklater for Boyhood

Best Film Editing: Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach for American Sniper

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer for Interstellar

Best Original Screenplay: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., and Armando Bo for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Picture: Alejandro González Iñárritu, John Lesher, and James W. Skotchdopole for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman for American Sniper

Best Sound Mixing: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons for Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood

Best Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott Fisher for Interstellar
 
In my defense I knew Selma would win for Best Song and Imitation Game for screenplay. :)

Guess I need to see Birdman, Imitation Game, and Theory of Everything. :D

The Lady Gaga performance and the Glory Song were the highlights of the evening.

Happy that GBH did not win BP as I thought it was fairly horrid. :)
 
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well at least boyhood didn't win best picture. grand budapest hotel upset a lot of films. birdman overall was the best film this year which is cool.

overall this whole award show was god awful. bad jokes, unnecessary singing performances (really?). just terribly boring and a waste of 3.5 hours of my life. i mean dedicating so much time to the sound of music just because it turned 50? really? i've seen that movie twice and I liked it both times, but wow, just totally unnecessary
 
Results

MacRumors 2014 Oscar contest results

1. 20 correct. Doctor Q
2. 19 correct. impulse462
3. 18 correct. rlgjok89
4. 16 correct. dejo
5. 13 correct. D.T. (out of 18 voted categories)
6. 11 correct. Peace
7. 10 correct. AustinIllini
8. 8 correct. JamesMike

Random guessing would get you a score of less than 5, so everyone dd well.

Other results:
  • Only JamesMike correctly predicted That Best Original Score would go to Alexandre Desplat for The Grand Budapest Hotel.
  • Only D.T. correctly predicted that Best Original Screenplay would go to Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., and Armando Bo for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).
  • None of us correctly predicted that Best Film Editing would go to Tom Cross for Whiplash.
Congratulations to everyone who played. Perhaps we should also congratulate the Oscar winners, but it's mostly about us, of course.

Movies that won more than one Oscar:
  • 4 Oscars: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
  • 4 Oscars: The Grand Budapest Hotel
  • 3 Oscars: Whiplash
Movies with multiple nominations and 1 win:
  • American Sniper
  • Boyhood
  • Ida
  • The Imitation Game
  • Interstellar
  • Selma
  • The Theory of Everything
Movies with multiple nominations and no wins:
  • Foxcatcher
  • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Inherent Vice
  • Into the Woods
  • Mr. Turner
  • Unbroken
  • Wild
 
dejo said:
Maybe I should go with who I want to win vs. who I think will win more often.
Click to expand...
That's what Mrs. Q often does. She usually beats me, but this time I get bragging rights around the house. She got 18 out of 24.
 
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