My Way Too Early 2015 Oscar Predictions

And the Nominees could possibly be...

*Birdman
*Big Eyes
*Foxcatcher
*Get on Up
*Gone Girl
*The Imitation Game
*Inherent Vice
*Interstellar
*Unbroken

Birdman I feel the least sure of. Granted, all of this is meaningless conjecture, but it feels the least oscar-baity. Unbroken however, feels the most baity. If it's any good, it'll be a lock. Same goes for Foxcatcher, Gone Girl, and The Imitation Game. The academy's always been a stickler for Christopher Nolan, but if Interstellar has a similar impact that Inception did, it'll be tough to leave it out. Big Eyes sounds pretty solid on paper, and the crew behind it gives me confidence, but it may end up being this year's Saving Mr. Banks. Don't ask me why, it just has that feel to me. And finally, Get on Up just looks like a crowd pleasing movie, just like director Tate Taylor's last film The Help.

The Next Five
*The Grand Budapest Hotel
*Into The Woods
*A Most Violent Year
*The Search
*Trash

The academy loves Stephen Daldry, so Trash will factor in somehow. The Grand Budapest Hotel is getting stellar reviews, but I just don't think it'll have enough legs to make it ten whole months for nominations, but don't count it out. The Search is Michel Hazanavicius' follow up to The Artist, so it's got a shot. Into the Woods is a big, star-studded Disney musical. If it's even marginally good, it'll get into the converstation. Many people predict that J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year will factor in heavily, and it very well could, but it's one that I need to see some footage for first before I make any conclusions.

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
Unbroken

Result: 2/9

And the Nominees could possibly be...


*Paul Thomas Anderson- Inherent Vice
*David Fincher- Gone Girl
*Angelina Jolie- Unbroken
*Bennett Miller- Foxcatcher
*Christopher Nolan- Interstellar

The Next Five
*Wes Anderson- The Grand Budapest Hotel
*Tim Burton- Big Eyes
*Stephen Daldry- Trash
*Michel Hazanavicius- The Search
*Richard Linklater- Boyhood

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
Angelina Jolie- Unbroken

Result: 1/5

And the Nominees could possibly be...


*Amy Adams- Big Eyes
*Carey Mulligan- Suffragette
*Rosamund Pike- Gone Girl
*Michelle Williams- Suite française
*Reese Witherspoon- Wild

After five nominations and no wins, Adams is the early favorite here. If early whispers are any indication, she's amazing in it. Suffragette promises a strong female driven historical pic, and will likely play with voters, and Mulligan's been top-notch in everything she's done. Pike's the big question mark here, but the lead in David Fincher's last three movies (Brad Pitt, Jesse Eisenberg, Rooney Mara) have all got nods, so it's possible. Witherspoon is looking to have a comeback year with Wild and Inherent Vice. She'll be lead in Wild, and it comes from Dallas Buyers Club director Jean-Marc Vallée, and he's pretty good with comeback stars. I don't know much about Suite française, but Williams supposedly has a great roll.

The Next Five
*Bérénice Bejo- The Search
*Marion Cotillard- The Immigrant or Macbeth
*Nicole Kidman- Grace of Monaco
*Jennifer Lawrence- Serena
*Natalie Portman- Jane Got a Gun

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
Amy Adams- Big Eyes

Result: 2/5

And the Nominees could possibly be...


*Chadwick Boseman- Get on Up
*Steve Carell- Foxcatcher
*Benedict Cumberbatch- The Imitation Game
*Michael Keaton- Birdman
*Jeremy Renner- Kill the Messenger

I feel like I'm going out on a limb here. Four first time nominees would be a stretch any year, but when you look at the field, it's entirely possible. The academy loves those art-imitating-life performances, and that's exactly what Keaton's doing in Birdman. If it's good, he's got a shot. Many predicted that Cumberbatch would factor in for The Fifth Estate last year, but that didn't pan out. Here, he has a more oscar-friendly slot, and he's got the Weinsteins' backing him. Many have been predicting Carell since he was cast, and the teaser for Foxcatcher does nothing to dispell that belief. Technically, according to the sources, he's really supporting and Channing Tatum's character is the lead, but with this type of role, I think they'll switch it up. Boseman is a relative newcomer, but the oscars love biopics, and the recently released trailer looks like he's nailed. Finally, Renner's part looks like a compannion to All the President's Men but with a darker ending. That, plus it's based on a true story, makes me believe he'll make it in.

The Next Five
*Ralph Fiennes- The Grand Budapest Hotel
*Oscar Isaac- A Most Violent Year
*Jack O'Connell- Unbroken
*Joaquin Phoenix- Inherent Vice
*Christoph Waltz- Big Eyes

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
Steve Carell- Foxcatcher

Result: 3/5 though, in my defense, at the time when I was making this list The Theory of Everything was listed for 2015. Had I expected it to land in 2014, I would've predicted Redmayne to make it in.

And the Nominees could possibly be...


*Josh Brolin- Inherent Vice
*James Franco- True Story
*Edward Norton- Birdman
*Mark Ruffalo- Foxcatcher
*Channing Tatum- Foxcathcer

Inherent Vice has a few possibilities in this category (Benicio Del Toro, Owen Wilson), but Brolin as the antagonist seems the most likely. I've been predicting Ruffalo for a while, and he's looking pretty good here. Tatum is really the lead in Foxcatcher, but if he's good in the movie, that probably won't matter. Franco's said to have a pretty crazy role in True Story, so with nothing else to go on, that's good enough for me. Norton is my dark horse pick here. He's the antagonist in Birdman, playing an egotistical method actor. It's been 16 years since his last nod, and I think that sort of thinking could land him a nod.

The Next Five
*Albert Brooks- A Most Violent Year
*Johnny Depp- Into the Woods
*Robert Duvall- The Judge
*Logan Lerman- Fury
*Matthias Schoenaerts- Suite française

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
Mark Ruffalo- Foxcatcher

Result: 2/5

And the Nominees could possibly be...


*Viola Davis- Get on Up
*Vanessa Redgrave- Foxcatcher
*Octavia Spencer- Get on Up
*Meryl Streep- Into the Woods
*Kristin Scott Thomas- Suite française

Most people are going with either Davis or Spencer, but there last team-up with Tate Taylor got them both nods, so I feel reasonably in the right (though either could go lead). Meryl Streep could get nominated for taking a two-hour dump on screen. I've already been predicting Foxcatcher like crazy, so why stop here. Redgrave's been nominated and won several times. Scott Thomas is my wild card, but I think her recent retirement announcement will help her here.

The Next Five
*Annette Bening- The Search
*Jessica Chastain- Interstellar
*Anna Kendrick- Into the Woods
*Keira Knightley- The Imitation Game
*Andrea Riseborough- Birdman

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
Viola Davis- Get on Up

How'd I Do?: Wow, I'm pretty sure that this was my weakest category. I got Meryl Streep right, but really, who didn't? I gambled big with Get On Up, and it came back to bite me. Redgrave was in Foxcatcher for maybe five minutes, and Suite française wasn't even released.

And the Nominees could possibly be...

*Big Eyes- Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski
*Birdman- Armando Bo, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone and
Alejandro González Iñárritu
*The Grand Budapest Hotel- Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
*Interstellar- Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan
*A Most Violent Year- J.C. Chandor

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
The Grand Budapest Hotel- Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness

Result: 2/5

And the Nominees could possibly be...

*Foxcatcher- E. Max Frye & Dan Futterman
*Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn
*Inherent Vice- Paul Thomas Anderson
*Trash- Richard Curtis
*Unbroken- Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Richard LaGravenese and
William Nicholson

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
Unbroken- Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Richard LaGravenese, William Nicholson

Result: 1/5, but Foxcatcher did make it in Original.

And the Nominees could possibly be...

*Godzilla
*The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
*Interstellar
*Noah
*Transformers: Age of Extinction

The Next Five
*Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
*Guardians of the Galaxy
*Jupiter Ascending
*Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
*X-Men: Days of Future Past

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
Interstellar

Result: 1/5

And the Nominees could possibly be...

*Guardians of the Galaxy
*Inherent Vice
*Maleficient

The Next Three
*Jupiter Ascending
*Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
*X-Men: Days of Future Past

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
Maleficient

Result: 1/3

And the Nominees could possibly be...

*Big Hero 6
*Home
*How to Train Your Dragon 2
*The Lego Movie
*Mr. Peabody & Sherman

My Bold, Way Too Early, Out on a Limb Predicted Winner
How to Train Your Dragon 2

Result: 2/5