Oscars 2021: Predictions For Da 5 Bloods And The King of Staten Island

Da 5 Bloods and The King of Staten Island

It’s never too early to start thinking about the Oscars even if the ceremony’s date was pushed back to the Spring. Last week, the Academy decided to push back the Oscar ceremony to April 25, 2021. More importantly, the eligibility requirements moved from Dec. 31, 2020, to the end Feb. 28, 2021. Due to COVID-19, delaying the ceremony was expected, but still surprising. This change will likely set off a domino effect for the dates of other awards shows like the Golden Globes, which usually convenes at the beginning of January.

Despite being 10 months away, there are two films from the last week that should Oscar aspirations with one being a serious contender for multiple awards. The two movies are Da 5 Bloods and The King of Staten Island. Da 5 Bloods jumps off the page as an Oscar contender because of its subject matter, stellar performances, and direction from Spike Lee. In turn, The King of Staten Island is the type of film that’s typically not represented at the Oscars, but in a perfect world, there should be Oscars’ consideration for one performance in particular.

Da 5 Bloods

It’s June 18 and Netflix’s Da 5 Bloods is the leader in the clubhouse for Best Picture. In Da 5 Bloods, four African American veterans (Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr.) return to Vietnam to find the remains of their heroic squad leader, Stormin’ Norman (Chadwick Boseman) and collect a treasure they buried during the war. Da 5 Bloods is half war drama/half crime thriller that frames the Vietnam War entirely through the eyes of black veterans, which is a first for films about that specific war. Like many of Lee’s films, it’s equally compelling as it is informational as the film references historical moments such as the assassination of Martin Luther King, the resignation of President Richard Nixon, and the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s. It’s a film that presents a war on two fronts: the war in Vietnam and the fight against oppression in the United States. At its core, Da 5 Bloods depicts how the traumas of our past stay with us today.

Lee’s passionate storytelling and careful direction are on full display in Da 5 Bloods, but will it lead to Oscar nominations? It’s hard to believe that up until 2019, Lee received only two individual nominations*: a screenplay nomination for the iconic, Do the Right Thing, and a documentary nomination for 4 Little Girls. It wasn’t until 2018’s BlacKkKlansman when Lee finally received his long-awaited competitive Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

*Lee received an honorary Oscar in 2016.

With what’s going on in this country, from the Black Lives Matters movement to protests over police brutality, it will be hard to find a more culturally relevant film in 2020 than Da 5 Bloods. Now that Lee won an Oscar, momentum is on his side with the Academy. It’s clearly at the top of the shortlist for best film of the year up to this point. Plus, the fact that it’s on Netflix could help the film remain on the public’s radar for the rest of the year. All of these components could make up the perfect storm for Lee to win Best Director, which has never been won by a black man or black woman. In addition to Lee, don’t sleep on Lindo, who gives an emotional tour-de-force of performance that’s so raw and moving. It’s still early, but Da 5 Bloods could be in for a historic night next April.

Oscars 2021: Nomination Predictions For Da 5 Bloods

  • Best Picture
  • Best Director, Spike Lee
  • Best Actor, Delroy Lindo
  • Best Supporting Actor, Clarke Peters
  • Best Orginal Screenplay, Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Spike Lee, and Kevin Willmott
  • Best Cinematography, Newton Thomas Sigel
  • Best Score, Terence Oliver Blanchard

The King of Staten Island

Time and time again, Judd Apatow finds a rising talent and turns them into a superstar. Add with Pete Davidson to the long list of Apatow’s muses thanks to The King of Staten Island, Apatow’s first non-documentary since 2015’s Trainwreck. In The King of Staten Island, Davidson stars as Scott, an unmotivated stoner that failed to move on from his firefighter father’s passing as a child. When his mother (Marisa Tomei) begins to date another fireman (Bill Burr), Scott must get his life together and figure out his future before it’s too late.

Like many of Apatow’s previous films, The King of Staten Island‘s strength is a well-balanced combination of hilarity with sincerity. It’s an unofficial autobiography of Davidson’s life, from his Staten Island roots to the passing of his real firefighter father on 9/11. Davidson’s heartfelt, nuanced, and somewhat dark performance is the complete opposite of the comedian he plays on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update. Frankly, Davidson, the actor, is my favorite version of the 26-year-old. I rarely tune into SNL and standup specials from comedians not named Dave Chappelle so my opinions on Davidson before 2020 were limited. After his performances in Big Time Adolescence and The King of Staten Island, I hope that Davidson continues to go down this road of complicated, comedic characters. If he teams with the right directors, there’s no reason why Davidson can’t be the next Seth Rogen or Jonah Hill.

The King of Staten Island benefits from its supporting cast with standout performances from Bel Powley, Marisa Tomei, and most notably, Bill Burr. All three characters call Scott out on his bullshit not because they don’t love him. In fact, all three challenge Scott to start a new life because they do care. Powley and Tomei are more tender with their approach while Burr shows Scott tough love in the firehouse and forces Scott to face the demons that have haunted him since his father’s passing. Burr’s Ray Bishop is hard-nosed, caring, and the perfect counterpoint to Davidson’s Scott. The interactions between those two characters are the strongest points in the film with Burr stealing most of those scenes.

When it comes to the Oscars, why are comedies rarely recognized? It’s an age-old question with no clear answer. Comedies are one of the most popular genres in film, and yet, they barely breakthrough in the Best Picture category. Birdman in 2014 and The Artist in 2011 both have comedic moments, but both films are a far cry from a typical comedy. Before that, 1977’s Annie Hall is the last true comedy to win Best Picture. With acting, comedic wins happen more often, but like Best Picture, it’s a performance with comedic moments in a drama. Brad Pitt, Olivia Colman, and Frances McDormand played characters with humorous moments and all won acting Oscars within the last three years. However, Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood, The Favourite, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri do not have the same comedic undertones as The King of Staten Island.

The King of Staten Island may not have your typical Oscar performances, but Tomei and Burr should each receive consideration in the supporting categories. If there’s anyone who can win a surprise Oscar for a comedy, it’s Tomei, who won Best Supporting Actress for My Cousin Vinny. With all due respect, as good as Tomei is, it’s Burr’s performance that stood above the rest. Selfishly, I hope more studios hire Burr to star in more films because his raw, comedic persona is refreshing to see onscreen.

With all that being said, I can’t sit here with a straight face and predict any Oscar nominations for The King of Staten Island. Believe me, I’d love to be wrong about this! If there’s any consolation, Davidson could nab a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical.

What are your thoughts on Da 5 Bloods and The King of Staten Island? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

2021 Oscars: Way-Too-Early Predictions

2021 Oscars

2021 Oscars? It’s never too early! Going into the 2020 Oscars, I expected all of the favorites to win. 1917 and Sam Mendes would win Best Picture and Best Director, respectively. Joaquin Phoenix, Renée Zellweger, Brad Pitt, and Laura Dern would win in their respective acting categories. I would have been fine with all of those decisions.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

Hearing “Parasite” still gives me goosebumps. Parasite not only won Best Picture, Best Orginal Screenplay, and Best International Feature, but Bong Joon-ho shocked the world when he won Best Director. I’m here to firmly state that Parasite is the real deal. It was my favorite movie of 2019 and it deserved every major award and then some.

That being said, it’s time to look ahead to the 2021 Oscars. It may be considered “downtime” for award season movies, but I’m always looking towards what’s on the horizon. I did this same article last year and my predictions were rocky, to say the least. It’s bad, but I’ve definitely seen worse. Here were my predictions in Feb. 2019.

*Did not pick supporting categories

After I clean my mouth of vomit from those predictions, I’ll move on. So what’s on tap for 2020 that we could see at the 2021 Oscars? Three heavy hitters come right to mind: Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunite as writers for the first time since Good Will Hunting in The Last Duel. Guillermo del Toro should be releasing his followup to the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water. Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, Spike Lee, David Fincher, and Aaron Sorkin all have films coming out in 2021. A lot can change from now until next February. However, here are my way-too-early (and reckless) predictions for the 2021 Oscars.

Best Picture

  • Dune
  • The French Dispatch
  • Hillbilly Elegy
  • Mank
  • Nightmare Alley
  • Nomadland
  • Tenet
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7
  • Untitled David O. Russell film
  • West Side Story

Best Actor

  • Adam Driver, The Last Duel
  • Anthony Hopkins, The Father
  • Christian Bale, Untitled David O. Russell film
  • Denzel Washington, Macbeth
  • Gary Oldman, Mank

Best Actress

  • Amy Adams, Hillbilly Elegy
  • Ana de Armas, Blonde
  • Cate Blanchet, Nightmare Alley
  • Frances McDormand, Macbeth
  • Jennifer Hudson, Respect

Best Supporting Actor

  • Bill Murray, On the Rocks
  • Chadwick Boseman, Da 5 Bloods
  • David Strathairn, Nomadland
  • Mark Rylance, The Trial of the Chicago 7
  • Willem Dafoe, Nightmare Alley

Best Supporting Actress

  • Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy (If this movie gets positive reviews, expect a HUGE campaign for Close for Best Supporting Actress. Once again, if the movie is well-received by critics, Close will finally win an Oscar.)
  • Jodie Comer, The Last Duel
  • Octavia Spencer, The Witches
  • Rita Moreno, West Side Story
  • Saoirse Ronan, Ammonite

Best Director

  • Chloe Zhao, Nomadland
  • David Fincher, Mank
  • David O. Russell, Untitled film
  • Steven Spielberg, West Side Story
  • Wes Anderson, The French Dispatch

If I get more than 5 of these predictions right, I’ll be happy. See you next February.

Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @danny_giro.

Betting The 2020 Oscars: Best Bets To Make

Ready for the 2020 Oscars? First, I gave you my picks. Now, I want to make you some money. Betting the Oscars is not a typical bet. It’s not like a sports bet where the result is determined live. Oscar bets are voted on by the Academy so essentially, we’re betting on how a group of people voted. It’s not easy, but there are some keys to look for while betting the 2020 Oscars.

  • Use Results From Other Award Shows As Guide – It’s very rare for an award winner to come out of nowhere. Usually, each category has one to three contenders. In most cases, these contenders won awards at major shows like the Golden Globes, SAGs, or BAFTAs. Furthermore, for technical awards, there are guild awards given out for crafts like writing, editing, and cinematography. The more awards won at the guilds, the better the chances of winning an Oscar.
  • Favorites Win A Lot – This doesn’t help when it comes to making money, but it does pay off to pick favorites if you are doing an Oscars pool where you have to pick winners without odds.
  • Look For Bets With The Best Value – The bets I’m suggesting to make are not “locks.” Most of them are underdogs and long shots. They may not win, but it’s your best chance of making money. Try to avoid categories where the favorite is significantly out of reach.
  • Bet At Your Own Risk – I’m not legally obligated to say this, but I’m going to say it anyway. Have fun, but be smart!

*Odds taken from Draftkings at 5:30 PM EST. Subject to change.

My picks do NOT reflect who I believe will win. They reflect the best bet you can make to win the most money.

Best Picture

DK Best Picture 2020

Great value here for the top three spots. 1917 is the favorite because of Best Picture wins at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and PGAs. Right on its tail is Parasite, which won the Best Ensemble Award at the SAGs and will win Best International Feature Film. My pick is 1917 because the PGA winner has won 8 of the last 10 Best Pictures at the Oscars. Plus, it has great odds for a frontrunner. I’d bet on both 1917 and Parasite. If you have extra money to blow, sprinkle a little cash on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The Academy loves Tarantino and they love movies about Hollywood. 10 to 1 odds make for a great payout.

Bets To Make: 1917 in Best Picture -125 and/or Parasite in Best Picture +150

Every Acting Category

Do you like lighting your money on fire? If so, then you’ll love betting on the acting categories. I’m trying to make a case for any actor not named Renée Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, and Laura Dern, but I can’t do it with a straight face. All four actors are heavy favorites and have few losses on their resumes this season. Even though I don’t believe this will happen, if I had to pick one upset, it would be Scarlett Johansson in Best Actress. I can’t advise anyone to place a bet on an underdog in any of these categories, but Scar Jo in Marriage Story would be my play.

Bet To Make: Scarlett Johansson in Best Actress +1000

Best Original Screenplay And Best Adapted Screenplay

Two categories, two underdogs that have legitimate shots at winning. Let’s start with original screenplay. Parasite is the favorite because of wins at the WGAs and BAFTAs. However, right on Director Bong’s heels is Mr. Quentin Tarantino. You can never count out Tarantino in the original screenplay category because of his two previous wins for Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained. I would never blame someone for betting on Tarantino. In adapted screenplay, Jojo Rabbit also picked up wins at the WGA and BAFTAs. However, Greta Gerwig wrote the best adaptation of Little Women to date. Do not count her out, but Taika Waititi and Jojo is the best bet to make.

Bets To Make: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in Best Orginal Screenplay +150 // Jojo Rabbit in Best Adapted Screenplay -177

Best Sound Editing And Best Sound Mixing

DK sound editing mixing Oscars 2020

The 1917 domino starts in the technical categories. If it wins in both sound editing and sound mixing, then 1917 is due for a huge night. That’s a possibility that may end up happening. However, for betting, Ford v Ferrari as a slight underdog in both categories is juicy. Ford v Ferrari is a very loud and effective film. If I had to choose which category Ford v Ferrari will win, I’m going with sound mixing.

Bet To Make: Ford v Ferrari in Best Sound Mixing +125

What are your best bets for the 2020 Oscars? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

2020 Oscars: Who Should Win And Who Will Win

Oh, happy day! The 2020 Oscars are finally here. I love the Oscars. I always see people complaining about how it’s boring or too long on Twitter. I’m in the opposite camp. Make the ceremony 10 hours long and I’ll watch it from start to finish.

Will tonight be all chalk or will history be made? 1917 could clean up in all of the technical categories along with wins for Best Director and Best Picture. Parasite could become the first foreign film to win Best Picture. All of the acting categories include huge favorites, but the technical categories are up for grabs. Overall, I’m excited for tonight.

Without further ado, here are my picks.

BEST PICTURE

  • Ford v Ferrari 
  • The Irishman 
  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Joker 
  • Little Women
  • Marriage Story 
  • 1917 
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
  • Parasite 

The biggest award of the night is a two-horse race. 1917 is the favorite thanks to Best Picture wins at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and PGAs. However, Parasite, my favorite movie of 2019, is making a late push thanks to its win at the SAGs. If Parasite wins Best Picture, it would be the first foreign film to ever accomplish this feat. However, 1917’s win at the PGA was significant since 10 of the last 12 PGA winners went on to take home Best Picture at the Oscars. My pick is 1917.

P.S. The wild card in this race is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Quentin Tarantino has a lot of support in the Academy. It’s a movie full of stars during the Golden Age of Hollywood. It’s right up the Academy’s alley. Plus, OUATIH has multiple acting nominations. The last film to win Best Picture without an acting nomination was Slumdog Millionaire in 2009. (1917 and Parasite both have zero acting nominations.) If Tarantino wins for original screenplay, look out for OUATIH.

P.S.S. Enough with the narrative that 1917 winning Best Picture is boring. It’s an achievement in filmmaking that people are going to remember for a while.

Who Should Win: Parasite
Who Will Win: 1917

BEST DIRECTOR

  • Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
  • Todd Phillips – Joker
  • Sam Mendes – 1917
  • Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
  • Bong Joon-ho – Parasite

Take my Best Picture argument and apply the same principles to Best Director. Mendes has won practically every directing award on the awards season circuit. However, people (including me) love Director Bong and Parasite. Tarantino is on the outside looking in. However, 1917 is in for a big night and Mendes will pick up his second win for Best Director.

Who Should Win: Bong Joon-ho – Parasite
Who Will Win: Sam Mendes – 1917

BEST ACTOR

  • Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory as Salvador Mallo
  • Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Rick Dalton
  • Adam Driver – Marriage Story as Charlie Barber
  • Joaquin Phoenix – Joker as Arthur Fleck / Joker
  • Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio

I wish this category was more of a competition between Adam Driver and Joaquin Phoenix. I preferred Driver’s performance because of his ability to capture the emotional trauma and brutal truth of what happens during a divorce. However, Joaquin’s physical and mental transformation in Joker was undeniably good. I like Joaquin and I enjoyed Joker so I have no problem with him winning.

Who Should Win: Adam Driver – Marriage Story as Charlie Barber
Who Will Win: Joaquin Phoenix – Joker as Arthur Fleck / Joker

BEST ACTRESS

  • Cynthia Erivo – Harriet as Harriet Tubman
  • Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story as Nicole Barber
  • Saoirse Ronan – Little Women as Josephine “Jo” March
  • Charlize Theron – Bombshell as Megyn Kelly
  • Renée Zellweger – Judy as Judy Garland

Confession: I never saw Judy. I had the opportunity to watch it on a plane, but I chose to watch The Peanut Butter Falcon instead. Renée Zellweger hasn’t lost in this category all season and I don’t expect that to change. However, I’d love for Saoirse Ronan to win. She’s probably the best actress of her generation and it sucks that she’s going to have to wait a little longer to win an Oscar.

Who Should Win: Saoirse Ronan – Little Women as Josephine “Jo” March
Who Will Win: Renée Zellweger – Judy as Judy Garland

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

  • Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood as Fred Rogers
  • Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes as Pope Benedict XVI
  • Al Pacino – The Irishman as Jimmy Hoffa
  • Joe Pesci – The Irishman as Russell Bufalino
  • Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Cliff Booth

Brad Fucking Pitt. This is the speech I’m looking forward to the most.

Once Upon Time in Hollywood / Sony

Who Should Win: Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Cliff Booth
Who Will Win: Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Cliff Booth

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell as Barbara “Bobi” Jewell
  • Laura Dern – Marriage Story as Nora Fanshaw
  • Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit as Rosie Betzler
  • Florence Pugh – Little Women as Amy March
  • Margot Robbie – Bombshell as Kayla Pospisil

I love Florence Pugh and she’ll be a force for years to come, but it’s time for Laura Dern to collect some hardware. No arguments here.

Who Should Win: Florence Pugh – Little Women as Amy March
Who Will Win: Laura Dern – Marriage Story as Nora Fanshaw

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

  • Knives Out – Rian Johnson
  • Marriage Story – Noah Baumbach
  • 1917 – Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Quentin Tarantino
  • Parasite – Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won

Toughest category to predict. All five of these scripts are stellar. However, this will come down to Tarantino and Bong. Tarantino has the experience thanks to his two previous wins in this category. That being said, Bong won at the Writers Guild Awards (Tarantino was not eligible) last week, but I still believed Tarantino would win at the Oscars. Fast forward to the BAFTAs and Bong beat Tarantino head-to-head in this category. Because of that, I’m going with Bong by the slimmest of margins.

Who Should Win: Parasite – Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won
Who Will Win: Parasite – Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

  • The Irishman – Steven Zaillian based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt
  • Jojo Rabbit – Taika Waititi based on the novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens
  • Joker – Todd Phillips and Scott Silver based on characters created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson
  • Little Women – Greta Gerwig based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott
  • The Two Popes – Anthony McCarten based on his play The Pope

Once again, another early frontrunner came back to the pack. This should be Greta Gerwig’s first Oscar win because Little Women was brilliant. Unfortunately, I don’t think she wins here. Taika Waititi has all the momentum in the world thanks to two wins over Gerwig at the WGAs and the BAFTAs. Taika walks home a winner.

Who Should Win: Little Women – Greta Gerwig based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott
Who Will Win: Jojo Rabbit – Taika Waititi based on the novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

  • How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World – Dean DeBlois, Bonnie Arnold, and Brad Lewis
  • I Lost My Body – Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice
  • Klaus – Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh, and Marisa Román
  • Missing Link – Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner, and Travis Knight
  • Toy Story 4 – Josh Cooley, Jonas Rivera, and Mark Nielsen

When in doubt, Pixar at the Oscars. When in even more doubt, Toy Story at the Oscars.

Who Should Win: Toy Story 4 – Josh Cooley, Jonas Rivera, and Mark Nielsen
Who Will Win: Toy Story 4 – Josh Cooley, Jonas Rivera, and Mark Nielsen

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

  • Corpus Christi (Poland) in Polish – Directed by Jan Komasa
  • Honeyland (North Macedonia) in Turkish and Macedonian[9] – Directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov
  • Les Misérables (France) in French – Directed by Ladj Ly
  • Pain and Glory (Spain) in Spanish – Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
  • Parasite (South Korea) in Korean – Directed by Bong Joon-ho

Who Should Win: Parasite (South Korea) in Korean – Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Who Will Win: Parasite (South Korea) in Korean – Directed by Bong Joon-ho

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

  • American Factory – Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, and Jeff Reichert
  • The Cave – Feras Fayyad, Kirstine Barfod, and Sigrid Dyekjær
  • The Edge of Democracy – Petra Costa, Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris, and Tiago Pavan
  • For Sama – Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts
  • Honeyland – Ljubomir Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska, and Atanas Georgiev

Flip a coin between American Factory and Honeyland. I’ll back the Obama-produced American Factory.

Who Should Win: American Factory – Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, and Jeff Reichert
Who Will Win: American Factory – Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, and Jeff Reichert

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

  • Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir
  • Little Women – Alexandre Desplat
  • Marriage Story – Randy Newman
  • 1917 – Thomas Newman
  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – John Williams

Five really good scores. If any person in this category won, I’d be happy. It’s a win-win-win-win-win for me. One of my favorite scores of the year belongs to Randy Newman, who has never won in this category. However, Hildur Guðnadóttir’s haunting score was the co-MVP of Joker.

Who Should Win: Marriage Story – Randy Newman
Who Will Win: Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

  • “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4 – Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman
  • “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman – Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Bernie Taupin
  • “I’m Standing with You” from Breakthrough – Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren
  • “Into the Unknown” from Frozen II – Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
  • “Stand Up” from Harriet – Music and Lyrics by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo

This should have happened at the Oscars. It’s a damn shame. Since it’s not happening, I’ll always root for Elton John.

Who Should Win: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman – Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Bernie Taupin
Who Will Win: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman – Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Bernie Taupin

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

  • The Irishman – Rodrigo Prieto
  • Joker – Lawrence Sher
  • The Lighthouse – Jarin Blaschke
  • 1917 – Roger Deakins
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Robert Richardson

Roger “The God” Deakins.

Who Should Win: 1917 – Roger Deakins
Who Will Win: 1917 – Roger Deakins

*Note: The difference between sound editing and sound mixing at the Oscars is confusing and I still don’t understand it. However, if you said 1917 wins all of the technical categories, I wouldn’t blame you. That being said, Ford v Ferrari might split with 1917. I’m honestly not sure and I’ll stop talking.

BEST SOUND EDITING

  • Ford v Ferrari – Donald Sylvester
  • Joker – Alan Robert Murray
  • 1917 – Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Wylie Stateman
  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Matthew Wood and David Acord

Who Should Win: 1917 – Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate
Who Will Win: 1917 – Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate

BEST SOUND MIXING

  • Ad Astra – Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson and Mark Ulano
  • Ford v Ferrari – Paul Massey, David Giammarco, and Steven A. Morrow
  • Joker – Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and Tod Maitland
  • 1917 – Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler, and Mark Ulano

Who Should Win: Ford v Ferrari – Paul Massey, David Giammarco, and Steven A. Morrow
Who Will Win: 1917 – Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

  • The Irishman – Production Design: Bob Shaw; Set Decoration: Regina Graves
  • Jojo Rabbit – Production Design: Ra Vincent; Set Decoration: Nora Sopková
  • 1917 – Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
  • Parasite – Production Design: Lee Ha-jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won-woo

Who Should Win: Parasite – Production Design: Lee Ha-jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won-woo
Who Will Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

  • Bombshell – Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan, and Vivian Baker
  • Joker – Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou
  • Judy – Jeremy Woodhead
  • Maleficent: Mistress of Evil – Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten, and David White
  • 1917 – Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis, and Rebecca Cole

Who Should Win: Bombshell – Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan, and Vivian Baker
Who Will Win: Bombshell – Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan, and Vivian Baker

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

  • The Irishman – Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson
  • Jojo Rabbit – Mayes C. Rubeo
  • Joker – Mark Bridges
  • Little Women – Jacqueline Durran
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Arianne Phillips

Who Should Win: Little Women – Jacqueline Durran
Who Will Win: Little Women – Jacqueline Durran

BEST FILM EDITING

  • Ford v Ferrari – Andrew Buckland and Michael McCusker
  • The Irishman – Thelma Schoonmaker
  • Jojo Rabbit – Tom Eagles
  • Joker – Jeff Groth
  • Parasite – Yang Jin-mo

Who Should Win: Parasite – Yang Jin-mo
Who Will Win: Parasite – Yang Jin-mo

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

  • Avengers: Endgame – Dan DeLeeuw, Matt Aitken, Russell Earl, and Dan Sudick
  • The Irishman – Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Stephane Grabli, and Nelson Sepulveda
  • The Lion King – Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Elliot Newman
  • 1917 – Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, and Dominic Tuohy
  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach, and Dominic Tuohy

Who Should Win: Avengers: Endgame – Dan DeLeeuw, Matt Aitken, Russell Earl, and Dan Sudick
Who Will Win: 1917 – Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, and Dominic Tuohy

Note: I’m a novice when it comes to shorts at the Oscars so these predictions are based on what I’ve read.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

  • In the Absence – Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam
  • Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) – Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva
  • Life Overtakes Me – John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson
  • St. Louis Superman – Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan
  • Walk Run Cha-Cha – Laura Nix and Colette Sandstedt

Who Should Win: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) – Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva
Who Will Win: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) – Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

  • Brotherhood – Meryam Joobeur and Maria Gracia Turgeon
  • Nefta Football Club – Yves Piat and Damien Megherbi
  • The Neighbors’ Window – Marshall Curry
  • Saria – Bryan Buckley and Matt Lefebvre
  • A Sister – Delphine Girard

Who Should Win: Brotherhood – Meryam Joobeur and Maria Gracia Turgeon
Who Will Win: Brotherhood – Meryam Joobeur and Maria Gracia Turgeon

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

  • Dcera (Daughter) – Daria Kashcheeva
  • Hair Love – Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver
  • Kitbull – Rosana Sullivan and Kathryn Hendrickson
  • Memorable – Bruno Collet and Jean-François Le Corre
  • Sister – Siqi Song

Who Should Win: Hair Love – Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver
Who Will Win: Hair Love – Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver

Do you agree with these predictions for the 2020 Oscars? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

Can 1917 Shake Up The 2020 Oscars?

Awards season is in full swing. With just over two months before Oscar nominations, most of the potential nominees have been released in theaters, premiered at festivals, or at the very least, been screened by critics. However, there’s still one film on the horizon that hasn’t been seen by most. It’s this year’s “ace-in-the-hole” and it should be on everyone’s watchlist. That film is 1917.

1917 tells the story of two young British soldiers (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) who are given a seemingly impossible task during the height of World War I during Spring 1917 in northern France. The soldiers must deliver a message in enemy territory that will stop 1,600 men, including one of the soldier’s brothers, from walking into a deadly trap.

1917 is no ordinary war epic. Director Sam Mendes imagined and eventually directed the film as one continuous shot, meaning that the film will feel like a few long takes with choreographed moving camera shots. The idea behind the one-shot technique heightens the race against time as well as immerse the audience with the two young soldiers throughout the entire film. Cinematographer Roger Deakins, who worked on the film, worried that the one-shot approach was a “gimmick” at first, but he later said, “It’s a way to get sucked into the story.”

1917 is full of speculation in the film community because hardly anyone has seen it. The majority of critics have not seen this film and most likely won’t see it until the end of November. The film will have its world premiere on December 4 at a UK Royal Charity event. However, back in September, there were reports about a test screening with enthusiastic and positive reactions, with one source comparing it to Saving Private Ryan.

If the test screening reactions are a sign of what’s to come, 1917 could end up being the film that shakes up the 2020 Oscars. Right now, most critics have Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Irishman, and Marriage Story as the leaders of the pack this awards season. However, with strong reviews and a successful run at the box office, 1917 could catapult to the top of the Best Picture hopefuls.

First of all, the Academy loves war movies. Giant set pieces, elaborate battle sequences, and elegant costumes are right up the Academy’s alley. Out of 91 ceremonies, 16 films set against the backdrop of war have won Best Picture at the Oscars. Casablanca, Patton, Platoon, Braveheart, and The Hurt Locker are some of the war films that have won Best Picture. That list doesn’t include previously nominated war movies that didn’t win like Saving Private Ryan, War Horse, and Dunkirk.

The Academy also loves familiarity and rewarding previously nominated filmmakers and actors. Mendes directed American Beauty, which won five Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture. Deakins is a living legend and one of the most heralded cinematographers ever. Deakins has received fourteen nominations (!) for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, winning once for Blade Runner 2049. Plus, the cast includes Golden Globe and Oscar nominees and winners such as Richard Madden, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

1917 has all the ingredients of an Oscar-nominated film. I don’t see a world where 1917 isn’t nominated for Best Picture. 1917 should be nominated (and win) for Best Cinematography. Plus, it should clean up in all of the technical categories (film editing, sound editing, etc.) and there’s a chance that Mendes could pick up a nomination for Best Director.

Let the 1917 Oscar campaign begin.

Will 1917 be a force at the 2020 Oscars? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @unafraidshow, or email us immad@unafraidshow.com.

10 Best Movies Of The Decade

Determining the 10 best movies of the decade is a somewhat impossible task. For starters, there are thousands of movies to choose from so narrowing it down to 10 is not easy. That being said, a huge selection is a great problem to have. Think about how far movies have come in a decade. Who would’ve thought that streaming services would be winning Oscars? Maybe I’m the “old man yelling at cloud” but I didn’t think it would happen, but I’m glad it has.

When making my best of the decade list, I took into account the following factors:

  1. Do I rewatch the movie frequently and can I find something new every time?
  2. Do I think about it often?
  3. When I watch a film in the same genre, do I compare it to this film?
  4. Do I revisit scenes on YouTube?
  5. Was it a memorable theater viewing?

There were so many films I had to cut and if you talk to me in a few weeks, I’m sure I’ll adjust this list in some way, shape, or form. That being said, here are the 10 best films of the decade.

10. Free Solo

I watch movies to be inspired, and one of the most inspiring movies I’ve ever seen is Free Solo. I can’t remember leaving a theater saying “humans are awesome” until I saw Free Solo. Not only is the story of Alex Honnold’s death-defying climb inspiring, but it’s visuals are jaw-dropping. Even though I knew Honnold would complete the climb, my heart could not stop racing to the point where I debated on taking a xanax after it ended.

9. Get Out

By far, Get Out is the most memorable viewing experience I’ve ever had at a theater. I saw Get Out on a Sunday afternoon a few days after its premiere. The sold-out crowd was laughing, screaming, and cheering throughout the entirety of the film. I felt like I was at a basketball game. It’s an experience that will never be replicated. Get Out is one of the most unique pieces of social commentary I’ve ever seen. Jordan Peele is a genius.

8. Moneyball

Every year, you can make a case that X should have won the Oscar over Y. I understand it’s completely subjective and arguments can be made for or against every performance. That being said, one of the biggest crimes of the decade happened at the 2012 Oscars when Brad Pitt lost in Best Actor for Moneyball. Look at this category and make the case that any of these performances should have won over Pitt.

Billy Beane is my favorite Brad Pitt performance of all time. Pitt somehow made a movie about spreadsheets and on-base percentage so entertaining and riveting that whenever it’s on television, I stop everything I’m doing to watch.

7. Sicario

A “Best of the decade” list without a film from Denis Villeneuve should be invalid. This is Villeneuve’s decade of movies since 2013: Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049. Swap in any of those for Sicario and you won’t hear a peep out of me. However, I’m going with one of the most underrated films of the 21st century, Sicario. It’s a thriller that relentlessly punches you in the stomach and shakes you to your core for two hours. It’s terrifying but brilliant.

6. The Wolf of Wall Street

I’m not fucking leaving! I’ve done an entire 180 on The Wolf of Wall Street. When I first saw it in 2013, I thought it was over-the-top, long, and ridiculous. Now, it’s one of the funniest movies of the decade and I appreciate all the aspects that I initially believed held it back. It’s an adrenaline rush fueled by cocaine and quaaludes. Oh, it also has one of the greatest living directors, Martin Scorsese, and actors, Leonardo DiCaprio, at the top of their games.

5. Parasite

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect a South Korean black comedy thriller from 2019 to be included in the best of the decade list. That all changed when I saw Parasite. I saw Parasite on a Friday afternoon in November, three weeks after it premiered in my local theater. The theater was packed. Parasite fever is real. Masterpiece is the only word that comes to mind when describing Bong Joon-ho’s film. Parasite successfully manages to be a popcorn thriller disguised as a social commentary piece on the wealthy versus the poor. Could this be recency bias? Honestly, who cares. Parasite is phenomenal.

4. Inception

Christopher Nolan is the greatest living director of mass spectacle. His ability to craft gigantic set pieces and enthralling action sequences is second to none. This spot on my list came down to Dunkirk or Inception. You can’t go wrong in my opinion. However, I went with his 2010 follow-up to The Dark Knight. Imagine directing the greatest comic book movie of all time and following that up with a film about the unconscious mind and our perception of what’s real and what’s a dream. That takes stones and Nolan has major onions. It’s a genius and innovative film that still keeps you guessing a decade later.

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

In an age where content is often rushed, Mad Max: Fury Road is the perfect example of when patience is rewarded. After a 30 year absence, Max Rockatansky returned to the big screen in 2015’s Max Max: Fury Road. This film is the greatest action film of the decade. From the exhilarating chase sequences to the spectacular performance from Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road proved that blockbusters can be both entertaining and thematically compelling.

2. The Social Network

The Social Network is a perfect movie. Having both David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin was a cheat code. Between Sorkin’s sharp script and Fincher’s keen direction, The Social Network is a spell-binding look into the mind of one of the most important minds of the 21st century. Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield Armie Hammer, and Justin Timberlake all give career-best performances. The score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is a triumph for cinematic music. How it lost Best Picture is beyond me. Spend your next two hours revisiting this 21st-century classic.

1. La La Land

This musical is a joy to watch. La La Land a love letter to all of the dreamers searching for a better life. The musical numbers are breathtaking and bring me so much joy. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have so much chemistry together that it’s shocking to learn that they’re not a real-life couple. From Justin Hurwitz’s score to Damien Chazelle’s script and direction, La La Land is a film I find myself revisiting every week of my life. The ending is not your fairytale ending, but its sheer honesty is beautiful. Simply put, La La Land is why I watch movies.

What are your favorite movies of the decade? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet me, @danny_giro.

2020 Oscars: Biggest Takeaways From Golden Globes And SAG Nominations

The chaos of awards season has only just begun. This past week, both the Golden Globes and SAG Awards released its nominations, which means it’s one step closer to the Oscars in February. The Irishman, Marriage Story, and Once Upon a Time In Hollywood all took giant steps towards Oscar glory while Little Women, Uncut Gems, and The Farewell have a lot of campaigning left to do. Here are the biggest Oscar takeaways from these nominations.

Four (Maybe Five) Movies Can Best Picture

Parasite / Madman Films

While the field of Best Picture nominees slowly narrows, the frontrunners are clear. As of 12/13, there are four films that can win Best Picture: The Irishman, Marriage Story, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Parasite. These four films are towards the top of every expert’s ranking on GoldDerby. The only film that could make it a five-way race is 1917, which hits theaters on Christmas Day. The Golden Globes will announce their Best Picture winners in early January, but the most important show for films looking to win Best Picture at the Oscars is the Producers Guild Awards (PGA). 21 of the 31 winners for Best Theatrical Motion Picture at the PGA Awards have gone on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Win at the PGA Awards and you become the frontrunner.

Robert De Niro And Adam Sandler Are In Trouble

Best Actor is one of the most crowded races of the season. There are 10-15 performances that have legitimate cases for a Best Acting nomination. Two of the most notable names that are on the outside looking in are Robert De Niro for The Irishman and Adam Sandler for Uncut Gems. Both De Niro and Sandler failed to receive a best acting nomination at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards. This is less than ideal for their Oscar chances. De Niro has a better chance to crack into the field because of his previous Oscar wins, but Sandler is in serious trouble despite winning Best Actor from the National Board of Review. That being said, not all hope is lost. Bradley Cooper received a best acting nomination for American Sniper despite being shut out from the Globes and SAGs. The precedent is there, but the difficulty remains.

Can Anyone Beat Renée Zellweger or Laura Dern?

By the time the Oscars air on February 9, Renée Zellweger and Laura Dern will be experts at acceptance speeches. Both Zellweger and Dern are huge frontrunners for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively. The Academy loves transformations and honoring “Old Hollywood” so Zellweger portraying Judy Garland is like using L + Down, R + C-Right, R + C-Up, L + Right, L + C-Down, R + C-Up, L + Right, R + Down, L + Left, L + R + C-Right for invincibility in N64’s Goldeneye. Barring an unexpected nomination, Dern’s only competition is Jennifer Lopez, who was fantastic in Hustlers. In any other year, Lopez would be the favorite, but Dern’s on fire with an Emmy win and Golden Globe win since 2017. It’s her time to win the Oscar.

No Love For Little Women

This is my biggest surprise of awards season. Little Women has all the components for an awards season movie: Established filmmaker (Greta Gerwig), star-studded cast (Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, and MERYL STREEP), and a favorable release date (Christmas Day). Little Women checks all of the boxes and yet the film received two Golden Globes nominations and zero SAG nominations. It makes no sense. After nine Critics’ Choice Award nominations, Little Women has the ability to make a late-push for the Oscars, which is what I believe will happen. Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score are all possibilities.

Check back in January for Oscar nomination predictions. In the meantime, go see Parasite.

Follow me on Twitter for more analysis.

2020 Oscars Best Picture Predictions: Is There A Frontrunner?

Marriage Story

The race for Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars is heating up, or is it? Back in July, these were my early Best Picture predictions.

These predictions aren’t bad, but there are a few misfires. Your honor, please remove A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Ad Astra, Cats (LOL), and Toy Story 4 from the list. Now, let’s go with the locks of the group. The Irishman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood are guaranteed to be nominated for Best Picture. From there, I’m confident in keeping Ford v. Ferrari and Little Women on this list because of their positive reviews and well-respected directors (James Mangold for Ford v. Ferrari and Greta Gerwig for Little Women). I’m also going to keep Bombshell (previously titled Fair and Balanced) for now because of strong buzz after its initial screening last week. Plus, it’s a reflection on the political climate (think Vice from last year) and that should play well with voters.

So who rounds out the list? For argument’s sake, let’s say that the Academy will choose ten films to receive Best Picture nominations, which means there are five spots remaining. (Best Picture has not included 10 nominations since 2010. It’s usually been eight or nine.) One of those spots is going to Marriage Story, which has a chance to win the top prize. Because it won the Golden Lion at Venice and its box office success, Joker should get a nomination as well.

Now comes the hard part. With three spots remaining, the Academy can go in one of many directions. Parasite, the South Korean thriller from Bong Joon-ho, has been met with universal acclaim and should win Best International Feature Film. That being said, will it also be nominated for Best Picture? Remember that last year, Roma won International Film, but lost in Best Picture. Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi’s satirical black comedy about Hitler youth, won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF. Why is that significant? The last seven winners of that award went on to be nominated for Best Picture. The Farewell won critics over earlier this Summer, but the film’s best chance at a nomination may be in Best Actress for Awkwafina. The Two Popes has not been seen by most people but it received a warm reception on the festival circuit. Finally, watch out for 1917, a WWI film about two young British soldiers racing to deliver a message to save their troops against the Germans. WWI epic with an Academy Award-winning director (Sam Mendes for American Beauty) has a Best Picture nomination written all over it.

We’re still over a month away from Golden Globes‘ nominations, which will be a good barometer for the Oscars. That being said, here are my Best Picture nominations as of Oct. 25.

Best Picture Predictions

  • 1917
  • Bombshell
  • Ford v. Ferrari
  • The Irishman
  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Joker
  • Little Women
  • Marriage Story
  • Parasite
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

As for the answer I posed in the headline, there is no true frontrunner, but the three films near the top are The Irishman, Marriage Story, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

What are your Best Picture predictions? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

Little Women Trailer: Greta Gerwig’s Adaptation Will Be Major Factor At The Oscars

Little Women

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Best Picture race for the 2020 Oscars and how there have been few, if not any, favorites to be in the hunt for the industry’s top prize. After the release of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, it’s clear that OUATIH is the first clear contender for Best Picture. After watching the first trailer to Little Women, Tarantino will have some company in the form of Greta Gerwig.

In her second solo directorial feature, Gerwig presents her adaptation of Little Women, which is based on the 1869 novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. Little Women focuses on the lives of the March sisters in 1860s New England in the aftermath of the Civil War. This marks the eighth film adaptation of the novel.

In order to differentiate itself from the novel, Gerwig is going to focus more on the sisters’ young adult lives, particularly after Meg, Jo, and Amy leave their family home, according to one of the film’s producers. The film will jump back and forth between timelines to focus on themes rather than narratives. The trailer presents a more modern approach to 1860s New England that’s full of strong female protagonists.

Speaking of protagonists, this cast is full of young stars and living legends. The March sisters are Saoirse Ronan as Joe, Emma Watson as Meg, Florence Pugh as Amy, and Eliza Scanlen. As if those four women weren’t popular enough, throw in future “It” star of Hollywood, Timothée Chalamet, and this young core would make the Denver Nuggets jealous. I purchased Saoirse Ronan stock years ago thanks to Atonement and Brooklyn, but Florence Pugh is joining Saoirse in my “Drop Everything And See Their Movie” list. Did I mention that Laura Dern and MERYL FREAKING STREEP rounds out the cast?

I only needed to watch this trailer once to convince myself that Little Women will be nominated for multiple Oscars. The Academy tens to award historical period pieces based on famous works of literature AND films with actors and directors who have received/won previous Oscars. Ronan, Chalamet, Dern, and Gerwig have all received Oscar nominations previously while Streep and Chris Cooper have won for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively. The ingredients of an Oscar-nominated film are present. The question is not if they will receive nominations, but how many nominations it will receive.

Timothée Chalamet and Florence Pugh in Little Women (2019) / Wilson Webb/© 2019 CTMG, Inc.

The person whose Oscar chances intrigue me the most is Gerwig. In 2017, Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut, Lady Bird, was nothing short of a success. Lady Bird was nominated for five Oscars including Best Orginal Screenplay and Best Picture. More importantly, Gerwig became the fifth women in Oscar history to receive a nomination for Best Director. Gerwig set the bar extremely high. I have no doubt that she can match or even surpass those expectations, but will the Academy reward with her more nominations so quickly?

Little Women is going to be nominated for Best Picture. I’d bet that Gerwig receives an Adapted Screenplay nomination as well. Director is where it gets tricky. As previously stated, The Academy has only nominated five women for Best Director so unfortunately, history is not in Gerwig’s favor. However, if Little Women receives a Best Picture nomination as well as a screenplay and multiple acting nominations, don’t be surprised if Gerwig makes history once again.

Full Oscar Predictions for Little Women

  • Best Picture
  • Best Adapted Screenplay – Greta Gerwig
  • Best Actress – Saoirse Ronan
  • Best Supporting Actress – Meryl Streep OR Florence Pugh
  • Best Costume Design

See you this Christmas when Little Women arrives in theaters.

Are you excited to see Little Women? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us @unafraidshow.

Oscars 2020: Best Picture Race Is Set For Takeoff

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

The year is more than halfway over and the field for Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars is hazy, to say the least. Most of the films that are drawing buzz have not premiered yet at major film festivals, which means their theatrical release date will be in the fall. There’s no such thing as a “sure thing,” but this year, in particular, has more questions than answers.

Where are all of the contenders in the first half of the year? If you’re looking for this year’s Get Out or Mad Max: Fury Road, which both hit theaters before June in their respective years, your search will come up short. That’s not to say there haven’t’ been any critically acclaimed films or box office success that will garner awards consideration. Us, Apollo 11, Toy Story 4*, and The Farewell have all been lauded by critics across the board. However, the likelihood that these films receive Best Picture nominations is slim.

*Toy Story 3 was the last animated film to be nominated for Best Picture. Depending on how the back half of the year goes will determine if Toy Story 4 can sneak into the Best Picture race.

The lack of Best Picture buzz for the first half of the year is concerning, but not problematic. The majority of films looking to be in awards contention position their release dates between September and December/early January so they stay fresh in voters’ minds and can be seen at the box office while the awards are happening. In fact, the last film to win Best Picture that had its release date before July was The Hurt Locker, which had its release in late June 2009.

Although the first half of the year provided little hope, the future is still bright. The film community won’t have to wait until September to see a contender. In fact, the first film that will receive major Oscar buzz premieres on July, 26. That film is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

If you could draw up the perfect film to receive awards consideration, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood would be the blueprint. It includes huge movie stars like Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Leonardo DiCaprio, who is returning to the big screen for the first time since his Oscar-winning performance in The Revenant. The film involves a well-known and well-received director in Quentin Tarantino, who previously won two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay. Plus, the Academy loves films about Hollywood that capture the true essence of cinema, which is the very nature of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 5/5 stars and said it’s “entirely outrageous, disorientating, irresponsible, and also brilliant.”

Speaking of festivals, there are three major ones that typically serve as launching pads for the Best Picture race. They are the Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). All three festivals will occur over the course of a few weeks at the end of August through the middle of September. Last year’s Best Picture winner, Green Book, premiered at TIFF. In 2017, The Shape of Water premiered at Venice. In 2016, Moonlight premiered at Telluride. It’s no secret as to why films with awards’ aspirations premiere at these three major festivals. If a film has a strong premiere at one of the three festivals, it’s odds for entering the Best Picture conversation dramatically increase.

According to Variety, Joker with Joaquin Phoenix, Bradd Pitt’s space epic Ad Astra, Tom Harper’s The Aeronauts, Fernando Meirelles’ The Pope, and The Burnt Orange Heresy starring Mick Jagger are all rumored to be showing at Venice. Since 2014, at least one film has been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars that was shown at Venice so expect the same to happen this year. The lineups have not been announced for Telluride or Toronto, but it’s a guarantee that films from the festival will draw Best Picture hype.

Films that should also accumulate serious Best Picture conversations: Martin Scorsese’s star-studded The Irishman, Ford v. Ferrari starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, the musical adaptation of Cats featuring Taylor Swift, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Goldfinch starring Ansel Elgort, Ang’s Lee Gemini Man starring Will Smith, and Jay Roach’s Fair and Balanced about the former head of Fox News, Roger Ailes.

There’s bound to be at least a few films not previously mentioned that sneak up on the film community and join the Best Picture race. That being said, here are my best guesses for Best Picture nominees at the 2020 Oscars as of July 17.

Best Picture Predictions

  • A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
  • Ad Astra
  • Cats
  • Fair and Balanced
  • Ford v. Ferrari
  • The Irishman
  • Little Women
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
  • Toy Story 4

Only time will tell as to which films receive nominations. However, with an abundance of films premiering these next five months, the Best Picture race is about to take off.