The preliminary awards – you know, the Golden Globes, the SAG awards, the BAFTAs, etc. – have narrowed the field for Sunday evening’s 89th annual Academy Awards, making the job of prognosticator much easier.
In fact, the Las Vegas oddsmakers are calling most of the top categories to be statistical runaways. Still, nothing is ever completely sure at the Oscars, though this year you can safely bet on a lot of politically themed acceptance speeches. (To paraphrase Sally Field, “They don’t like him. They really don’t like him!”)
Anyway, I am ready to still my neck out once again and announce this year’s Oscar winners in advance. Please, no gloating if – when? – I get some of them wrong.
* Best Picture – La La Land
* Best Director – Damien Chazelle, La La Land
* Best Actor – Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
* Best Actress – Emma Stone, La La Land
* Best Supporting Actor – Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
* Best Supporting Actress – Viola Davis, Fences
* Best Animated Feature Film – Zootopia
* Best Foreign Film – Toni Erdmann
* Best Original Screenplay – Manchester by the Sea
* Best Adapted Screenplay – Moonlight
* Best Costume Design – La La Land
* Best Original Song – “City of Stars,” La La Land
* Best Original Score – La La Land
* Best Documentary – O.J., Made in America
* Best Documentary (Short) – Joe’s Violin
* Best Makeup and Hairstyling – Star Trek Beyond
* Best Production Design – La La Land
* Best Film Editing – La La Land
* Best Cinematography – Arrival
* Best Sound Editing – La La Land
* Best Sound Mixing – La La Land
* Best Visual Effects – The Jungle Book
* Best Short Film (Animated) – Piper
* Best Short Film (Live Action) — Sing