My picks for the Academy Awards

Excited for the Oscars!  Below are my predicted winners (★), my personal favorites among the nominees (♥), and the ones that should have been nominated, in my opinion.  Just for the top eight categories.

BEST PICTURE

♥ The Father

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank

Minari

★ Nomadland

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago Seven

Should have been nominated: His House; Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Palm Springs

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

♥ Viola Davis - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Andra Day - The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Vanessa Kirby - Pieces of a Woman

★ Frances McDormand - Nomadland

Carey Mulligan - Promising Young Woman

Should have been nominated: Sophia Loren - The Life Ahead

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Riz Ahmed - Sound of Metal

★ Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

♥ Anthony Hopkins - The Father

Gary Oldman - Mank

Steven Yeun - Minari

Should have been nominated: Adarsh Gourav - The White Tiger

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Maria Bakalova - Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Glenn Close - Hillbilly Elegy

Olivia Colman - The Father

Amanda Seyfried - Mank

★ ♥ Youn Yuh-jung - Minari

Should have been nominated:  Toni Colette - I’m Thinking of Ending Things; Dominique Fishback - Judas and the Black Messiah; Helena Zengel - News of the World

 

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Sacha Baron Cohen - The Trial of the Chicago Seven

★ Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah

♥ Leslie Odom Jr. - One Night in Miami

Paul Raci - Sound of Metal

Lakeith Stanfield - Judas and the Black Messiah

Should have been nominated:  Glynn Turman - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

DIRECTING

Lee Isaac Chung - Minari

Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman

David Fincher - Mank

Thomas Vinterberg - Another Round

★ ♥ Chloe Zhao - Nomadland

Should have been nominated:  George C. Wolfe - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Steven Soderbergh, Let Them All Talk

WRITING (Adapted Screenplay)

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

★ The Father

Nomadland

One Night in Miami

♥ The White Tiger

Should have been nominated: The Life Ahead

WRITING (Original Screenplay)

♥ Judas and the Black Messiah

Minari

★ Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago Seven

Should have been nominated:  Palm Springs