Academy Award picks: who will win big in 2016?
By Hannah Corwin // Staff Writer
The Oscars are a month away, with Chris Rock hosting the Academy Award ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 28. Some films such as “The Revenant” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” are boasting double-digit nominations (“The Revenant” has 12 and “Mad Max” has 10). Some categories are dominated with well-known and much celebrated actors and actresses such as Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon.
Currently there are 24 different categories for the Oscars. With so many categories to choose from, I decided to pick four of the most popular and anticipated categories. These categories are competitive and prove time and time again how demanding the entertainment industry is. Now the real question is, who will win?
Best Picture
The nominees for Best Picture are “The Big Short,” “Bridge of Spies,” “Brooklyn,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Martian,” “The Revenant,” “Room” and “Spotlight.” I believe that the winner will be “The Martian.” It told a compelling, dynamic and entertaining story with beautiful sets and CGI, wonderful acting (several actors are nominees) and captivating music. While “Mad Max: Fury Road” was wildly popular and “The Revenant” is receiving much praise, “The Martian”, in my opinion, had an edge on the competition.
Actor in a Leading Role
The nominees for Best Actor in a Leading role are Bryan Cranston for “Trumbo,” Matt Damon for “The Martian,” Leonardo DiCaprio for “The Revenant,” Michael Fassbender for “Steve Jobs” and Eddie Redmayne for “The Danish Girl.” Many people want Leonardo DiCaprio to win the Oscar, mostly because he has yet to win one. On the other hand, it’s becoming a widespread internet joke that Leo has yet to win. I will predict that DiCaprio will win, mostly because I feel very bad for him at this point. He has had an amazing career, please Oscar board, give that man his award.
Actress in a Leading Role
The nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role are Cate Blanchett for “Carol,” Brie Larson for “Room,” Jennifer Lawrence for “Joy,” Charlotte Rampling for “45 Years” and Saoirse Ronan for “Brooklyn.” I believe Brie Larson will win this category for her performance as the mother of a five-year-old who was trapped in a room with her child for five years, until she is able to help her son escape. The story is compelling and heartbreaking. Brie Larson does an amazing job as a mother trying to help her son survive and discover the world.
Animated Feature Film
The nominees for Best Animated Feature Film are “Anomalisa,” “Boy and the World,” “Inside Out,” “Shawn the Sheep Movie” and “When Marnie was There.” I believe “Inside Out” will win. It did a beautiful job breaking stereotypes, like the character Riley was a girl who wasn’t stereotypically feminine, explained how depression works. A lot of psychological research went into the creation and it handles some heavy content for a children’s movie while balancing that with some brevity. “When Marnie was There” and “Anomalia” were amazing and thought-provoking movies, but I believe “Inside Out” might just be able to win this category.