Oscar Predictions: In general I don’t like awarding one thing to be better than all else. I believe there are multiple best pictures of the year, and that it is all subjective anyway. However, that won’t stop me from predicting who I think will win some of the categories this year! (Please do not bet money on these predictions) 

Best Animated Feature: The Boy And The Heron Due to this maybe being director Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, and because of its vibrant and emotional storytelling this movie seems very likely to secure the award. Just in terms of animation quality, it surpasses everything before it (and probably everything after). It has already gained a lot of popularity, and influence. Miyazaki has won an Oscar before for his film Spirited Away. However, he did not attend those Academy Awards in part to protest the Iraq War transpiring at the time. Maybe he will show up this time to accept an award if he wins. However, considering his age and the fact he usually has kept himself distant from the limelight, it still seems unlikely. 

Best Music: Oppenheimer soundtrack by Ludwig Göransson[1]. While I would personally have put down Joe Hisaish for best music because of his score on the previously mentioned The Boy And The Heron, it turns out that quite criminally the Oscars didn’t even nominate him (he’s been making the best music for over forty years, please Oscars just recognize him already). But the Oppenheimer score is a good choice regardless. Its energetic and imaginative qualities create a fast-paced feel that really captures a wide scope, giving the film a feeling of importance. 

Best VFX: Godzilla Minus One This is the first time in the seventy-year-long history of this franchise that a Godzilla movie has ever been nominated for an Oscar. Now, I am biased, I do really like this movie,but I truly believe that the effects for most of the film were truly stunning and realistic, and it is made all the more impressive considering the film had a budget that apparently didn’t break fifteen million dollars. All other films on the list had budgets tens of millions of dollars higher. Not to mention the reaction of the Godzilla Minus One team seeing themselves being nominated for an Oscar was very wholesome, and enough in my opinion that they should win it. 

Best Actor: Paul Giamatti: While overall I enjoyed The Holdovers, there were some parts I didn’t like. Giamtti’s performance, however, was not one of those things. He expressed a wide range of emotions in the film, but never did it not feel believable (I am not against unbelievable performances, just in this context it really enhanced the movie). He brought subtlety to the performance, so I would notsay he acted the most, but I could say he did act the best. The movie would not have been the same without him. I actually have not watched any of the movies that have best actresses, who hired me to write this list? So I will just throw out a guess and say Emma Stone for Poor Things. 

Best Original Song: I’m Just Ken What? It’s fun. Plus they need to give Barbie at least one award after snuffing it from so many other categories – this should please the masses and the Academy can capitalize one last time on the whole Barbeheimer thing. Unfortunately Wonka was not nominated for anything in this category so I can’t do any tie-ins with the Fall Musical that happened here at EHS. 

Best Movie: Oppenheimer Considering the popularity of this movie, and an overall good critical reception, it seems to be the best choice for the Academy to pick to please as many people as possible and keep general audiences watching their fading-out-of-relevance award show (Unfortunately animated films can be put in this category, otherwise I would have put The Boy And The Heron).