I took home several Oscars last night. Jen makes these delicious Oscar cookies for her high holiday. And she always packs a take-home pack for me. Cate Blanchett is not eating her prize with coffee this morning.
This year was a great one in film. I saw all but two movies (“The Wolf on Wall Street” and “August: Osage County”) in the major categories. There wasn’t a clunker in the group. Because of the quality of the selections, it was hard to rank them for our Oscar racing form. I did the worst ever in my Oscar picks. Still, I’m happy with the outcome.
Best Picture:
– American Hustle
– Captain Phillips
– Dallas Buyers Club
– Gravity
– Her
– Nebraska *I picked this for the win. The aging ordinariness of it was so powerful.
– Philomena
– 12 Years a Slave WINNER! I sobbed after this film. Human trafficking in the USA is an abomination that has happened over centuries.
– The Wolf of Wall Street
Best Actor:
– Christian Bale, American Hustle
– Bruce Dern, Nebraska
– Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
– Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave *I picked him for the win. He gave an exhausting performance.
– Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers ClubWINNER! I’m proud of MM! I have been enchanted with him since I saw him in “A Time to Kill.” I love him on “True Detective.” And when an actor radically transforms his body for a part, I’m always impressed. Matthew was amazing in this important film about AIDS.
Best Actress:
– Amy Adams, American Hustle
– Cate Blanchett, Blue JasmineWINNER! She was fabulous. Of course, she always is a stunner.
– Sandra Bullock, Gravity
– Judi Dench, Philomena*I picked the Dame because I’ll always pick the Dame!
– Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Best Supporting Actor:
– Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips*I picked this guy. He was excellent as were his peers but I also thought this is his one chance and I wanted him to get the honor.
– Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
– Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
– Jonah Hill, Wolf of Wall Street
– Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club*WINNER! His performance was equally amazing to MM. And I loved his acceptance speech where he honored his mother, a single parent.
Best Supporting Actress:
– Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
– Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle*I picked Jen. I saw “American Hustle” and was impressed by the depth of her wacky portrayal.
– Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a SlaveWINNER! She was phenomenal. And was the reason I sobbed during the movie.
– Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
– June Squibb, Nebraska
Best Director:
– David O. Russell, American Hustle
– Alfonso Cuaron, GravityWINNER! The feats of this film were the standout elements. I saw it at the Imax which makes it even more mind-blowing.
– Alexander Payne, Nebraska*I’m a purist. I think best picture and direction go hand in hand.
– Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
– Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
Best Adapted Screenplay:
– Before Midnight
– Captain Phillips
– Philomena*I loved this story on so many levels.
– 12 Years a SlaveWINNER! There is no dispute. It was powerful.
– The Wolf of Wall Street
Best Original Screenplay:
– American Hustle
– Blue Jasmine
– Dallas Buyers Club
– Her * I picked the WINNER! It was so damn clever!
– Nebraska