Ahead of Sunday’s 93rd Academy Awards, Associated Press Film Writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr share their predictions for a ceremony that is forging on in…
Ahead of Sunday’s 93rd Academy Awards, Associated Press Film Writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr share their predictions for a ceremony that is forging on in the midst of the pandemic. BEST PICTURE Nominees: “The Father,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Mank,” “Minari,” “Nomadland,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Sound of Metal,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” COYLE: A contemplative character study made for $5 million and populated by non-professional actors, Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” is not your typical Oscar heavyweight. And yet it’s overwhelming the favorite, a roundly acclaimed movie from an exciting auteur that has already ruled at the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs and, most crucially, the producers and directors’ guilds. The weirdness of this unending pandemic awards season adds a drop of uncertainty to everything. But as much as I’d like to see “Sound of Metal,” “Promising Young Woman” or “Minari” sneak in for an upset, “Nomadland” is a near-lock, and an eminently worthy winner. BEST ACTRESS Nominees: Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”; Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”; Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”; Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”; Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” BAHR: The best actress race is perhaps the biggest wild card of the night. Viola Davis won the SAG, Andra Day won the Golden Globe and Frances McDormand won the BAFTA. It’s chaos! Day still seems like a long shot and McDormand’s last win still seems fresh enough that it might push voters who would’ve otherwise went for her Fern elsewhere. This year I’m inclined to believe that Davis will walk away with the trophy for her raw portrayal of blues singer Ma Rainey, but I can’t help but think that perhaps Mulligan should win for “Promising Young Woman.” BEST ACTOR Nominees: Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”; Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”; Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”; Gary Oldman, “Mank”; Steven Yeun, “Minari.” COYLE: After some ho-hum years, the best actor category is really strong this time around. I loved all of these performances. Still, this award has — rightly — belonged to Boseman throughout an award season that has doubled as tribute and wake for the late “Ma Rainey” actor. His greatest performance was his last. Some see a chance of Hopkins (who won at the BAFTAs) pulling off an upset for his devastating portrait of a man stricken with dementia.
