Only weeks away from the 2017 Academy Awards, the film community is waiting in anticipation over which films will take home the industry’s most coveted prize. From musical homages to coming-of-age tales, a diverse set of films looks to compete for Oscar glory, with some movies’ chances looking noticeably better than others’.
The clear frontrunner for most of the awards is “La La Land” with a record-tying 14 nominations. The musical love story from “Whiplash” director Damien Chazelle seems to be a shoo-in for at least a majority of the technical awards, while it’s certainly in the race for Best Picture as well as Best Actress for Emma Stone’s (“Easy A”) marvelous lead performance.
Headlining a refreshingly diverse Oscar year is “Moonlight” with eight nominations. The story of a young gay black man struggling to find himself in the Miami projects has placed itself as “La La Land’s” main competitor, looking to snag wins for Best Picture and Best Director while most likely securing the Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali (“House of Cards”), whose understated performance in the film is perhaps the best of the year. The film’s place amongst the top of the list for those nominated this year marks a noticeable departure from previous years, as this season’s nominees include a much larger number of filmmakers and actors of color.
While not big competitors in the technical categories, other films look to grab predicted wins in the acting categories. Casey Affleck (“Gone Baby Gone”) has dominated the Best Actor race with his role as a mournful handyman watching over his deceased brother’s son in “Manchester by the Sea.” Viola Davis also has turned many heads with her emotional performance as Denzel Washington’s (“Training Day”) tortured wife in “Fences.” Outside of these few awards, it’s pretty much “La La Land” and “Moonlight’s” game to win.
The complete list of nominations is available here.
2017 Oscar Predictions: Who Should Win vs. Who Will Win
Who Should Win
Best Picture: “Moonlight”
Best Actor: Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”
Best Actress: Emma Stone, “La La Land”
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Naomie Harris, “Moonlight”
Best Director: Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Best Original Screenplay: Taylor Sheridan, “Hell or High Water”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Best Cinematography: James Laxton, “Moonlight”
Best Editing: Joe Walker, “Arrival”
Best Original Score: Nicholas Britell, “Moonlight”
Best Original Song: City of Stars, “La La Land”
Best Production Design: “La La Land”
Best Costume Design: “Jackie”
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “Star Trek Beyond”
Best Visual Effects: “Doctor Strange”
Best Sound Editing: “Hacksaw Ridge”
Best Sound Mixing: “La La Land”
Who Will Win
Best Picture: “La La Land”
Best Actor: Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”
Best Actress: Emma Stone, “La La Land”
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis, “Fences”
Best Director: Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Best Original Screenplay: Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Best Cinematography: Linus Sandgren, “La La Land”
Best Editing: Tom Cross, “La La Land”
Best Original Score: Justin Hurwitz, “La La Land”
Best Original Song: City of Stars, “La La Land”
Best Production Design: “La La Land”
Best Costume Design: “La La Land”
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “Star Trek Beyond”
Best Visual Effects: “The Jungle Book”
Best Sound Editing: “Hacksaw Ridge”
Best Sound Mixing: “La La Land”
