…AND THE REEL WINNER IS…
Joshua Ojeda
The Signal
Award season is here. On Feb. 26, the 84th Academy Awards will announce this year’s big winners in film. With “The Artist,” “The Descendants” and “Hugo” taking the lead in nominations this year, viewers should expect a close race.
Due to the lack of free time and copious amounts of studying, many college students, like undergraduate science in mathematics major Taylor Rowan, find themselves uneducated on the awards.
“I spend most of my time at work,” Rowan said. “If I am not at work, I am in class. If I am not in class, I am studying.”
There are more than 30 different movies nominated for this year’s Academy Awards. That is approximately 60 hours of film in competition. Since many of UHCL’s students do not have such free time to watch the nominated films, I have taken on the burden of watching nearly all of them.
To the right is a list of the nominees, the possible winners, and who I think should win.
There is still plenty of time to view these movies before the Academy Awards. River Oaks Theater (located in Houston off West Gray) has stated Oscar-nominated movies will be shown “weeks after the awards.” Lead Assistant Manager Louis Deleon said that award season is the theater’s busiest time of the year.
“Last night, every seat was sold out in our theater,” Deleon said.
Golden Globe winner and Oscar-nominated “The Descendants” will be screened on campus as part of UHCL’s Film and Speaker Series this May for free with a student ID. Sonia Hernandez, who is responsible for choosing the majority of films for the Film and Speaker Series, seems to have an eye for selecting movies that become Oscar nominations.
“Historically, most of the films we show are nominated for Oscars,” Hernandez said. “I choose the films before they are nominated.”
Click here to download Josh’s Oscar ballot to use when the Oscars air Feb. 26.
Best Picture
The Nominees:
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
Predicted Winner: The Artist
Possible Upset: The Descendants
Personal Favorite: The Tree of Life
Best Director
The Nominees:
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Predicted Winner: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Possible Upset: Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Personal Favorite: Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Best Actor
The Nominees:
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Predicted Winner: George Clooney, The Descendants
Possible Upset: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Personal Favorite: Demian Bichir, A Better Life
Best Actress
The Nominees:
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Predicted Winner: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Possible Upset: Viola Davis, The Help
Personal Favorite: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Best Supporting Actor
The Nominees:
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Predicted Winner: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Possible Upset: Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Personal Favorite: Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Best Supporting Actress
The Nominees:
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Predicted Winner: Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Possible Upset: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Personal Favorite: Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Best Original Screenplay
The Nominees:
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
JC Chandor, Margin Call
Asghar Farhadi, A Seperation
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumulo, Bridesmaids
Predicted Winner: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Possible Upset: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Personal Favorite: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Nominees:
George Clooney & Grant Heslov, The Ides of March
Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne & Jim Rash, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan, Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy
Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Predicted Winner: Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne & Jim Rash, The Descendants
Possible Upset: Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan, Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy
Personal Favorite: Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne & Jim Rash, The Descendants
Best Foreign Language Film
The Nominees:
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation
Predicted Winner: Footnote
Possible Upset: A Separation
Personal Favorite: A Separation
