Oscar Nominations – Predictions & Wish Lists

This year's Academy Award nominations will be announced early Thursday morning!  Here are my predictions for the six major categories, as well as the nominees that I would pick if I were in charge.

Best Supporting Actress

Predicted nominees:

•   Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
•   Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
•   Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
•   Emma Stone, Birdman
•   Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

I would nominate:

• Eileen Atkins, Magic in the Moonlight
• Jillian Bell, 22 Jump Street
• Laura Dern, Wild
• Agata Kulesza, Ida
• Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer

Best Supporting Actor

Predicted nominees:

• Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice
• Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
• Edward Norton, Birdman
• Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
• J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

I would nominate:

• Charlie Cox, The Theory of Everything
• John Goodman, The Gambler
• Samuel L. Jackson, Robocop
• Tony Revolori, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Luke Wilson, The Skeleton Twins

Best Lead Actor

Predicted nominees:

• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
• Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Michael Keaton, Birdman
• David Oyewolo, Selma
• Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

I would nominate:

• Chadwick Boseman, Get On Up
• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
• Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
• Miles Teller, Whiplash
• Ben Whishaw, Lilting

Best Lead Actress

Predicted nominees:

• Jennifer Aniston, Cake
• Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
• Julianne Moore, Still Alice
• Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
• Reese Witherspoon, Wild

I would nominate:

• Amy Adams, Big Eyes
• Cheng Pei-Pei, Lilting
• Essie Davis, The Babadook
• Catherine Deneuve, On My Way
• Angelina Jolie, Maleficent
• Hilary Swank, The Homesman

(Yes, I know I listed six instead of five.  It was a tie!)

Best Director

Predicted nominees:

• Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Ava DuVernay, Selma
• Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
• Richard Linklater, Boyhood
• Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

I would nominate:

• Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
• Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
• Pawel Palkowski, Ida
• Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

Best Picture

Predicted nominees:

• American Sniper
• Birdman
• Boyhood
• Gone Girl
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The Imitation Game
• Nightcrawler
• Selma
• The Theory of Everything
• Whiplash

I would nominate:

• The Babadook
• Birdman
• Foxcatcher
• Ida
• The Imitation Game
• Interstellar
• Into the Woods
• Lilting
• Pride
• The Way He Looks