The Oscars are today and I have MANY thoughts.  First, please tell me if the Oscars are something you watch/care about.  It’s easy to get stuck in my own bubble of movie excitement and not realize it may be just that… a bubble.  If you live outside this bubble, let me just tell you 2019 was an EXCELLENT movie year and it’s been such an exciting time to be a Alamo movie pass holder 😛  Okay, let’s get to it!

Best Picture

What I Want to Win: GIVE US A PARASITE BEST PICTURE WIN NOW!!!!  Okay, my actual favorite Best Picture nominee is Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, but Parasite feels like it would be SUCH an exciting win.  I want and need to see that cast and crew on stage, if I’m to feel true happiness.  Give the Bong Hive what it deserves!

What I Think Will Win: 1917??  All signs point toward this outcome, but maybe not??  I actually liked this film, but it would be a truly boring win, IMHO.

Best Actor

Who I Want to Win: I’m conflicted on this one.  It truly pains me to root for anyone other than Leo, but I was really moved by Adam Driver’s performance in Marriage Story.

Who I Think Will Win: It’s Joaquin, guys.  And even though I didn’t love Joker, Joaquin is an amazing actor and he basically always turns in an interesting and committed performance so I can’t really be mad at a win for him.  Plus, he’s been giving some excellent acceptance speeches.

Best Actress:

Who I Want to Win: Joey really liked Charlize in Bombshell, but Saoirse WAS Jo March.  She’s been nominated four times, so give it to her already.  Justice for Little Women AND justice for Lady Bird!

Who I Think Will Win: Renee Zellweger.  I truly don’t understand why or how this got cemented so early on.  Can we all recall that Renee already has an Oscar??  This performance was good, I guess, but this movie was painfully dull and I did not enjoy the way it was formatted.

Best Supporting Actor

Who I Want to Win AND Who I Think Will Win: Brad Pitt forever!!!  I’m truly excited to hear his latest stand-up set at the Oscars.  I’m sure it will be epic 🙂

Best Supporting Actress:

Who I Want to Win: Maybe it’s because I feel safe enough in Laura Dern’s win that I’m saying this, but I was so blown away by Florence Pugh as Amy March!  She pulled off childish and mature perfectly and she was subtly the funniest parts of this movie.  When Jo cut her hair and Amy uttered “your one true beauty!” I laughed out loud!

Who I Think Will Win: The great Laura Dern does deserve an Oscar and I can’t wait to watch that clip of her male privilege tirade again!

Best Director:

Who I Want to Win: Guys, have I mentioned Bong Joon Ho?  I’ve heard he’s extremely meticulous about every aspect of his films and I love and admire this, plus it has absolutely paid off in this film.

Who I Think Will Win: Sam Mendes, do we have to?

Best Original Screenplay:

Who I Want to Win: It’s a toss up between Parasite and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.  I mean, no one writes an original screenplay quite like Quentin!  But the fact that I’ve seen this “alternate reality” thing from him before gives Parasite a slight edge over OUATIH for me.

Who I Think Will Win: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.  The Academy loves to give this award to Quentin and I won’t be even a little bit mad if he wins this one.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Who I Want to Win: Little Women!!!!  I really really loved what Greta did with this adaptation.  She NAILED the proposal scene between Jo and Laurie in a way that the 1994 version did NOT and it was simultaneously satisfying and heart wrenching.  The way she wove Louisa May Alcott’s true life into Jo’s story was so beautiful and the more I thought about the movie, the more impressed I was with the many smart decisions she made in telling this story.  Ugh, I love this movie so much!

Who I Think Will Win: I’ve heard a lot of talk that Taika Waititi is winning this for Jojo Rabbit and to that I say NO, but I have very real fear that he will.  Nothing against Taika, who I love, but this movie was just okay.

Oscar-Nominated Short Films:

We saw all of the shorts — live-action, animated, documentary — and I have nothing super important to say except that I hope Brotherhood, Hair Love and Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) win.

Best Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Production Design, Visual Effects:

I know these are not the most glamorous award categories but I’m excited about them for some reason??  Maybe it’s because all the acting categories feel decided or because I better understand what these categories are?  Either way, I hope 1917 doesn’t (mostly) sweep these technical awards and Parasite, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood or hey, even Ford v Ferrari or Avengers: Endgame get some love here!  Those movies can have AN award, as a treat.

Best Score:

I did my due diligence and listened to every single one of these scores, okay??  And guess what, the Joker score is NOT great background noise at work, but I suppose it’s cool and there’s only ONE woman nominated in this category, so I can’t say I’ll be mad when Hildur Guðnadóttir wins.  That being said, the Little Women score is BEAUTIFUL.  It makes me feel emotional and wistful and happy.  The end!

Best Cinematography:

It’s Deakins! As a major fan of The Lighthouse though, I was ecstatic to see a nomination for this film!

Other Random Thoughts:

I hope the hostlessness serves us well again this year and I really just can’t wait to see all the people who made all these wonderful films in a room together celebrating.  Give me all the montages, all the speeches and all the glimpses of Tom Hanks ♥