Predictions for the 96th Academy Awards

Best Supporting Actor: Sterling K. Brown - “American Fiction”; Robert De Niro - “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Robert Downey Jr. - “Oppenheimer”; Ryan Gosling - “Barbie”; Mark Ruffalo - “Poor Things”

Robert Downey Jr. in "Oppenheimer"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Will Win and Should Win: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer” - For his stunning work as US Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Lewis Strauss, Downey has had a lot of luck with both critics groups and the major award ceremonies.  Over the last couple of months, he has won the Golden Globe, Critics' Choice Award, BAFTA (British Academy Film and Television Award), and Screen Actors Guild Award.  It’s a performance that shows Downey can still deliver tremendous work outside of his decade-long tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’ll leave you yearning to see what he brings us next.  This is Downey’s third Oscar nomination, and it’ll definitely lead him to the gold statue on Oscar night.

Best Supporting Actress: Emily Blunt - “Oppenheimer”; Danielle Brooks - “The Color Purple”; America Ferrera - “Barbie”; Jodie Foster - “Nyad”; Da’Vine Joy Randolph - “The Holdovers”

Da'Vine Joy Randolph in "The Holdovers"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Will Win and Should Win: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers” - Randolph is another performer this year who has been earning considerable recognition from critics groups and the big awards shows.  Just like Downey Jr., she has come out on top at the four most significant ceremonies that lead to the Oscars, and it couldn’t have been happening to a more deserving actress.  For her poignant and humorous work as a boarding-school cafeteria worker grieving the loss of her son during the Vietnam War, Randolph warmed our hearts in what will surely become a Christmas classic in the years to come.  Expect the Academy to have her first nomination become her first win.

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper - “Maestro”; Colman Domingo - “Rustin”; Paul Giamatti - “The Holdovers”; Cillian Murphy - “Oppenheimer”; Jeffrey Wright - “American Fiction”

Cillian Murphy in "Oppenheimer"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Will Win and Should Win: Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer” - As a veteran supporting actor of several Christopher Nolan film’s, Murphy was given the lead role in the director’s biographical drama, and he delivered one of the most mammoth performances of the year as the titular theoretical physicist who created the atomic bomb.  Murphy’s galvanizing portrayal has given him quite a bit of fortune with the critics groups, and he made a big splash at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and SAG Awards.  This is Murphy’s first nomination, and the work that he put into this role will be more than enough to carry him to the Dolby Theater stage.

Best Actress: Annette Bening - “Nyad”; Lily Gladstone - “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Sandra Hüller - “Anatomy of a Fall”; Carey Mulligan - “Maestro”; Emma Stone - “Poor Things”

Lily Gladstone in 
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win: Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon” - While the other three acting categories have clear winners, Best Actress is where things get a little interesting.  For the whole awards season, this was a race between Gladstone as Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese’s true-story western, and Stone as a resurrected woman in Yorgos Lanthimos’ sci-fi comedy-drama.  For Stone, not only has she done well with some of the critics groups, but she has also won the Golden Globe for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, the Critics’ Choice Award, and the BAFTA.  Meanwhile, Gladstone came out on top with many critics groups and won Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama at the Golden Globes and Best Actress at the SAG Awards, the latter of which could be pretty telling in terms of the direction in which this race is headed.  Gladstone has capped off the best year of her career with her first Oscar nomination, and unless Stone manages to pull off a win, the trophy is Gladstone’s.

Emma Stone in "Poor Things"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Should Win: Emma Stone, “Poor Things” - If there were to be a tie in this category between Stone and Gladstone, I’d welcome it because it was near impossible for me to pick which of their performances I’d like to see win at the Oscars.  As much as I loved both performances, I have to say that Stone edges out Gladstone for me.  Stone gave such an endearing and entertaining performance as Bella Baxter, a woman who’s reintroduced to the world when given a second chance at life, and the way in which Stone pulls off Bella’s progression as she attempts to re-grasp speech and proper physical mobility is fascinating to watch.  This is the most adventurous performance of Stone’s career, and seeing her win for her magnificent work will be one of the best moments of the night.

Best Director: Jonathan Glazer - “The Zone of Interest”; Yorgos Lanthimos - “Poor Things”; Christopher Nolan - “Oppenheimer”; Martin Scorsese - “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Justine Triet - “Anatomy of a Fall”

Christopher Nolan, director of "Oppenheimer"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win and Should Win: Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer” - For his work on a crowning achievement in narrative and technical filmmaking, Nolan has received his second Best Director nomination, and it couldn’t be more obvious that he’ll win the top prize.  He has had spectacular outcomes with the critics groups, and he has won Best Director at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, BAFTAs, and the Director’s Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film.  In what was the best film of the year, and one of the best of the decade so far, Nolan took a huge cast and sprawling historical account and made a three-hour biographical drama that moved along at the pace of a thriller.  This is astonishing work from a director who keeps managing to find new ways to amaze moviegoers, and although all five nominees represent towering accomplishments in their filmmaking skills, Nolan rises above the competition and will win the much-deserved statue for his monumental epic.

Best Picture: “American Fiction,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Barbie,” “The Holdovers,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer,” “Past Lives,” “Poor Things,” “The Zone of Interest”

"Oppenheimer"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Will Win and Should Win: “Oppenheimer” - 2023 was a top-notch year for film, with many people giving the best work of their careers, be they actors, directors, or writers.  However, “Oppenheimer” was the movie this year that stood above the rest.  Everything about this film screamed the need to see it on a big screen, between its army of amazing performances, mesmerizing story, grand direction, and grand-scale production values.  This was an event movie that impressed with its equal amount of entertainment and artistic value, an aspect that has become synonymous with Nolan’s movies.  Up to this point, “Oppenheimer” has won Best Picture at the Critics’ Choice Awards and BAFTAs, Best Motion Picture - Drama at the Golden Globes, Best Ensemble at the SAG Awards, and the Producers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.  Also, the film has the most Oscar nominations with 13, having a nice spread throughout top-of-the-line and below-the-line categories.  This is the year of “Oppenheimer,” and it’s going to finish it off in superb fashion.

Be sure to catch the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 10, at 7:00 p.m. EST and 4:00 p.m. PST on ABC.