If I Were the Academy...

A look at all the nominees in major categories and who I want to see take home gold for the 90th annual Academy Awards.

By: Josh McCormack

Best Picture:

The Nominees

*"The Shape of Water"

*"Darkest Hour"

*"Dunkirk"

*"Phantom Thread"

*"Get Out"

*"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

*"The Post"

*"Call Me by Your Name"

*"Lady Bird"

My Choice

While I listed "The Shape of Water" higher on my favorite films of 2017 list, I still believe "Lady Bird" is the better film. It's more deserving than any movie on this list, which is saying something because this is a surprisingly great year in terms of nominees (excluding the subpar "Darkest Hour"). 

Having seen it three times, Greta Gerwig's solo directorial debut is one that keeps me laughing and wanting to revisit its quaint setting of Sacramento over and over. It's a coming of age story that never feels melodramatic, yet gives each individual character such emotional density and personality that you honestly might miss many of the subtle nuances and foreshadowing with just a single viewing.

At the center is a beautifully chaotic relationship between a mother and a daughter. A relationship  that is simultaneously loving and heartbreaking in a way I've never seen before on screen.

If I were the Academy, "Lady Bird" would absolutely take home the gold for best picture. 

Best Director:

The Nominees:

*Guillermo Del Toro ("The Shape of Water")

*Jordan Peele ("Get Out")

*Greta Gerwig ("Lady Bird")

*Christopher Nolan ("Dunkirk")

*Paul Thomas Anderson ("Phantom Thread")

My Choice:

The visionary filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro would be my lead choice in yet another very strong category of great filmmakers. 

Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele are rightfully being recognized for their strong directorial debuts. However, I find it dangerous to give an up and coming filmmaker such accolades at the beginning of their career. And if we're being honest, none of these filmmakers (yes, even Nolan and Anderson) could conjure up the gorgeous images put on screen by Del Toro in "The Shape of Water". 

As a lover of classic cinema and classic cinematic monster films, Del Toro's Oscar is long overdue. I truly do think he has this one in the bag and I can't wait to see him walk that stage come Sunday night. 

Best Actress:

The Nominees

*Sally Hawkins ("The Shape of Water")

*Meryl Streep ("The Post")

*Frances McDormand ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri")

*Margot Robbie ("I, Tonya")

*Saoirse Ronan ("Lady Bird")

My Choice

This is by far the hardest category. Each of these performances are truly remarkable and, in many cases, are the reasons the film shine. For that exact reason I'm going with the surefire winner, Frances McDormand.

What I love about the character of Mildred Hayes, and McDormand's portrayal of her, is something people aren't talking enough about; her softer side. The film is being spoken about as an angry movie. A film that is gloriously over the top in displaying how far a woman will go to seek justice for her daughter's grisly murder. That's all true, but when Mildred is behind closed doors or in her own headspace she can be doubtful of herself. She can even be seen taking some responsibility for the hell that has become her life.

My favorite sequence in the entire film is a minute and a half encounter between Mildred and a deer. In this moment we see a hint of her rage, her love, and finally her regret. It's wonderful and I don't think any actress other than McDormand could pull that off. 

McDormand will almost surely be taking home the Oscar and I for one think she deserves it. 

Best Actor:

The Nominees

*Daniel Day-Lewis ("Phantom Thread")

*Timothée Chalamet ("Call Me by Your Name")

*Daniel Kaluuya ("Get Out")

*Denzel Washington ("Roman J. Israel, Esq.)

*Gary Oldman ("Darkest Hour")

My Choice

Almost all the experts have their money on Gary Oldman's kabuki portrayal of Winston Churchill. This is incredibly depressing given the fact that it's far from the best performance Oldman's ever given and probably the weakest of the nominees. In my mind, Timothée Chalamet's performance as the young, love-stricken Elio in "Call Me by Your Name" is the most deserving of any of these nominees. 

Though the film has some wonderfully written dialogue, much of Chalamet's performance is conceived without words. The film takes its time and lingers on long shots of Elio's face that wind up telling much of the story and describing a huge, early portion of the romance between him and Armie Hammer's Oliver. 

For me, this felt like a star making performance. One that I couldn't take my eyes off of and immediately made me want to see Chalamet in more roles. 

The final moments of the film that shift all focus on Chalamet are so incredibly acted that you'll be rightfully furious when he loses on Sunday because Gary Oldman wore a fat suit. 

Best Supporting Actress:

The Nominees

*Mary J. Blige ("Mudbound")

*Allison Janney ("I, Tonya")

*Lesley Manville ("Phantom Thread")

*Octavia Spencer ("The Shape of Water")

*Laurie Metcalf ("Lady Bird")

My Choice

Allison Janney has definitely been sweeping the awards circuit for her truly fantastic performance as Tonya Harding's venomous mother in "I, Tonya". However, she does not leave the lasting impression that Laurie Metcalf leaves as her portrayal of a financially struggling mother in "Lady Bird".

At the heart of "Lady Bird' is the story of a mother and a daughter, and Laurie Metcalf is able to be lovely and then mean spirited from scene to scene so convincingly. 

It's not a showy performance like Janney's, but it's one that has really left a lasting impression on me more than any other this year. 

It still sounds like Janney might be the winner, but I would be ecstatic if Metcalf got the accolade she so well deserves. 

Best Supporting Actor:

The Nominees

*Richard Jenkins ("The Shape of Water")

*Willem Dafoe ("The Florida Project")

*Sam Rockwell ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri")

*Woody Harrelson ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri")

*Christopher Plummer ("All the Money in the World")

My Choice

"The Florida Project" was one of last year's best films and it didn't receive the accolades it deserved during this year's awards season. Willem Dafoe gives what may be his best performance since 1986's "Platoon" as the manager of an Orlando motel/slum named Bobby. 

A wonderful actor who sadly gets typecast, Dafoe makes Bobby one of the best working class heroes I've seen on film in quite a while. In a film in which he is the only name actor (and one of the very few actors in general) he holds his own amongst the child actors and colorful cast of side characters that populate this motel. 

One scene in which he confronts a suggested pedophile is one of my favorites movie sequences of last year. 

Sam Rockwell is another phenomenal actor who has not gotten his due and even though my heart still lies with Dafoe, I'm positive Rockwell will take home the gold. Either way I'll be happy. 

Best Original Screenplay:

The Nominees

*"The Shape of Water"

*"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

*"Get Out"

*"The Big Sick"

*"Lady Bird"

My Choice

Another incredibly difficult category. Each of these screenwriters have their own unique voice and style that work specifically for their films and they're all pretty wonderful. But when it comes down to a strong idea told with such precision and narrative conciseness, I think Jordan Peele's "Get Out" is the most deserving. 

It's a horror story that is not only relevant, but more importantly WORKS as horror story. It has such a simple premise that is all about escalation. The narrative is so tight with wonderful set ups and payoffs as well as little hints and foreshadowing that rewards viewers with subsequent re-watches. 

Jordan Peele surprised the hell out of everyone last year with "Get Out" and I think it would be great to see a horror movie finally get some recognition at the Oscars. 

Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Nominees

*"Call Me by Your Name"

*"The Disaster Artist"

*"Logan"

*"Molly's Game"

*"Mudbound"

My Choice

It's great to see both "Logan" and "The Disaster Artist" get some love, but to me there's no other option than "Call Me by Your Name".

Adapted by James Ivory from André Aciman's script, "Call Me by Your Name" is written so beautifully and with such profound dialogue. It captures the feeling of falling in love and eventually having your heart broken. It's one of those rare movies where it's just a joy to listen to these people talk. 

The final monologue given by Michael Stuhlbarg's character is enough on its own to give this film the Academy Award. 

Best Cinematography:

The Nominees

*Rachel Morrison ("Mudbound")

*Bruno Delbonnel ("Darkest Hour")

*Hoyt van Hoytema ("Dunkirk")

*Roger Deakins ("Blade Runner 2049")

*Dan Laustsen ("The Shape of Water")

My Choice

I'm cheating here and I don't care. "Blade Runner 2049" and "The Shape of Water" are the two most beautiful films I saw last year and Roger Deakins and with Dan Laustsen are two of the best cinematographers working in the industry today. 

Deakins has been snubbed for decades now and if there's any film that deserves to be awarded due to his work it's "Blade Runner 2049". Every frame is a painting and are somehow even more gorgeous than the images in the original 1982 film.

Laustsen on the other hand was working with a film that had an overall production budget of $19 million. That's pretty small and the fact that he was able to conjure up such beautiful storybook images in those constraints is something to behold.

In a perfect world I want to see these two win in a tie. 

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What's missing? Let me tell you...

Best Picture

*"Baby Driver"

Best Director

*Denis Villeneuve ("Blade Runner 2049")

Best Actress 

*Vicky Krieps ("Phantom Thread")

Best Actor

*Ryan Gosling ("Blade Runner 2049")

Best Supporting Actress

*Beanie Feldstein ("Lady Bird")

Best Supporting Actor

*Mark Hamill ("Star Wars: The Last Jedi")