- The Winner Is
- INFLUX Round-up
- Gordon Shelly
- Nav Qateel
- Martin Hafer
- Rob Rector
- Randy Krinsky
- Bethany Rose
The Winner Is
In summation, here’s the overall results from the INFLUX writers. Click on individual writers to see how they voted and read what they had to say!
Category: Best Picture
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: We predicted Boyhood by one vote.
Category: Best Actor
Winner: Eddie Redmayne
Commentary: Deserved. Earned. But it hurts! Our heartstrings were pulling for Keaton.
Category: Best Supporting Actor
Winner: JK Simmons
Commentary: Was there really any doubt?
Category: Best Actress
Winner: Julianne Moore
Commentary: Ha! We knew it!
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Patricia Arquette
Commentary: Hey, we got this one right! Nailed it.
Category: Best Animated Feature
Winner: Big Hero 6
Commentary: We’re still wondering where The Lego Movie was. Guess it wasn’t animated enough!
Category: Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: The Imitation Game
Commentary: One of the bigger, more pleasing surprises.
Category: Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: We can’t complain. Well-deserved.
Category: Best Cinematography
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: This could have gone any direction, really.
Category: Best Director
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: Not a major surprise. We felt is was going here or to Boyhood.
INFLUX Round-up
In summation, here’s the overall results from the INFLUX writers. Click on individual writers to see how they voted and read what they had to say!
Category: Best Picture
Winner: Boyhood
Commentary: Barely edged out Birdman.
Category: Best Actor
Winner: Eddie Redmayne | Michael Keaton
Commentary: Split down the middle.
Category: Best Supporting Actor
Winner: JK Simmons
Commentary: Nearly unanimous.
Category: Best Actress
Winner: Julianne Moore
Commentary: One vote for Felicity Jones snuck in.
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Patricia Arquette
Commentary: Almost all in agreement except for single judge in favor of Streep.
Category: Best Animated Feature
Winner: Big Hero 6
Commentary: No runaway winner here.
Category: Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: American Sniper
Commentary: Sniped the competitors.
Category: Best Original Screenplay
Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Commentary: Majority rules.
Category: Best Cinematography
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: Close call, but just surpassed Grand Budapest.
Category: Best Director
Winner: Boyhood
Commentary: A few other votes squeaked in, but Boyhood ruled the category.
Gordon Shelly
Gordon Shelly’s Predictions
Category: Best Picture
Winner: The Imitation Game
Commentary:Head and shoulders, the best movie of the bunch. If American Sniper wins, it will be more about patriotism than filmmaking.
Category: Best Actor
Winner: Michael Keaton
Commentary: It’s about time.
Category: Best Supporting Actor
Winner: JK Simmons
Commentary: Go back and watch OZ if you want to rediscover his finest work.
Category: Best Actress
Winner: Julianne Moore
Commentary: This could make up for the times she’s lost!
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Meryl Streep
Commentary: Yeah, again.
Category: Best Animated Feature
Winner: Song of the Sea
Commentary: Great movie. Plus, Princess Kaguya is actually two years old.
Category: Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: American Sniper
Commentary: Imitation Game was a better movie, but this adaptation clearly captured the heart of movie goers.
Category: Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Nightcrawler
Commentary: Deserved more recognition.
Category: Best Cinematography
Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Commentary: Good entrants, but nothing worthy of greatness here.
Category: Best Director
Winner: The Imitation Game
Commentary: Fantastic work and should be applauded. It will likely be overshadowed by the sheer scope of accomplishment of Boyhood.
Nav Qateel
Nav Qateel’s Predictions
Category: Best Picture
Winner: Boyhood
Commentary: The sheer scope of this film and the dedication by all involved have made this film, for me at least, a clear winner.
Category: Best Actor
Winner: Eddie Redmayne
Commentary: Eddie Redmayne has put himself right into the character of Hawkings. This is the sort of acting one doesn’t see often enough, and only then by a younger Robert De Niro and Danial-Day Lewis.
Category: Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Edward Norton
Commentary: This is a tough one because this is almost a level playing field. This is Edward Norton’s third nomination. Had Norton not been nominated then I’d have went with JK Simmons.
Category: Best Actress
Winner: Julianne Moore
Commentary: Julianne Moore outshines the others as she makes her fifth attempt at an Oscar. If anyone deserves to win here it’s Moore.
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Patricia Arquette
Commentary: Patty Arquette was brilliant throughout Boyhood. This was another tough decision.
Category: Best Animated Feature
Winner: Big Hero 6
Commentary: Big Hero 6 was a delightful animation. Dragon 2 might beat it but it’ll still have won as far as I’m concerned.
Category: Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: American Sniper
Commentary: The thought of working with Clint Eastwood appears to have encouraged Jason Hall to up his game. Hall’s previous efforts were poor by comparison.
Category: Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Nightcrawler
Commentary: Nightcrawler was wonderfully written. It’s that simple.
Category: Best Cinematography
Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Commentary: It’s about time Wes Anderson regular, Robert D. Yeoman, had his Oscar statuette. The guy’s brilliant.
Category: Best Director
Winner: Boyhood
Commentary: Five time nominee Richard Linklater easily deserves to win. The other directors have done great work but Linklater is the master here.
Martin Hafer
Martin Hafer’s Predictions
Category: Best Picture
Winner: Boyhood
Commentary: Innovative. There’s nothing like it. The odds-on favorite, Birdman, is essentially a re-working of Fellini’s ‘8 1/2’
Category: Best Actor
Winner: Michael Keaton
Category: Best Supporting Actor
Winner: JK Simmons
Category: Best Actress
Winner: Felicity Jones
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Patricia Arquette
Category: Best Animated Feature
Winner: The Boxtrolls
Commentary: The best animated feature is THE LEGO MOVIE–but was inexplicably not nominated.
Category: Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: American Sniper
Category: Best Original Screenplay
Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Commentary: Innovative and weird.
Category: Best Cinematography
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: I would rather have my eyeballs removed than see IDA and have no idea why it was nominated for anything. Plus, it is in black & white–which is hardly innovated.
Category: Best Director
Winner: Boyhood
Rob Rector
Rob Rector’s Predictions
Category: Best Picture
Winner: Birdman
Commentary:I would be happy for a Boyhood victory, but technically speaking, this film is still lodged in my brain.
Category: Best Actor
Winner: Eddie Redmayne
Commentary: Redmayne looks to have the edge here, even though the long stretches of narrative required by Keaton was astounding.
Category: Best Supporting Actor
Winner: JK Simmons
Commentary: This one is Simmons’ to lose.
Category: Best Actress
Winner: Julianne Moore
Commentary: Was there someone else on the ballot?
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Patricia Arquette
Commentary: If there is a certain Boyhood victory, it’s right here.
Category: Best Animated Feature
Winner: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Commentary: The Lego Mo…oh, wait. Seriously, Dragon 2 did manage to up every aspect of the first and was truely lovely.
Category: Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: Whiplash
Commentary: This category feels up for grabs (except for Vice), but Whiplash seems as it has connected with a larger audience.
Category: Best Original Screenplay
Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Commentary: I personally loved the nihilistic streak of “Nightcrawler,” but Budapest was unfiltered Anderson, which is never a bad thing.
Category: Best Cinematography
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: I cannot see this going to anyone else.
Category: Best Director
Winner: Boyhood
Commentary: This is where the voters may split the difference, and if Boyhood wins Best Picture, this one goes to Iñárritu.
Randy Krinsky
Randy Krinsky’s Predictions
Category: Best Picture
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: Incredibly ambitious and original…
Category: Best Actor
Winner: Michael Keaton
Commentary: He reminds us all why we fell in love with him in the first place!
Category: Best Supporting Actor
Winner: JK Simmons
Commentary: His ability is boundless!
Category: Best Actress
Winner: Julianne Moore
Commentary: Her mesmerizing performance enhanced an already warm film…
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Patricia Arquette
Commentary: Her portrayal as an every-woman should change the way we view Hollywood feminism and aging. She’s incredible!
Category: Best Animated Feature
Winner: Big Hero 6
Commentary: What can I say, I just liked this film more…
Category: Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: The Imitation Game
Commentary: Incredible story, translated very well onto screen!
Category: Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: Inspiring and original, I love this film!
Category: Best Cinematography
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: Transitions were flawless – in a word … graceful.
Category: Best Director
Winner: Boyhood
Commentary: I have to go with Linklater, if for no other reason than his devoting so much time and effort to creating this opus to real life. A splendid piece of work!
Bethany Rose
Bethany Rose’s Predictions
Category: Best Picture
Winner: Boyhood
Commentary: It wouldn’t be my choice, but I think the Academy will reward the film due to its hook of being over a decade in the making.
Category: Best Actor
Winner: Eddie Redmayne
Commentary: This is actually the first time in a long time that I think a tie is deserved (with Keaton being the co-winner).
Category: Best Supporting Actor
Winner: JK Simmons
Category: Best Actress
Winner: Julianne Moore
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Patricia Arquette
Commentary: Her portrayal as an every-woman should change the way we view Hollywood
Category: Best Animated Feature
Winner: The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Commentary: While I think Big Hero 6 will ultimately take the win, I am hopeful that the omission of The Lego Movie suggests that this category will finally go to a Studio Ghibli film.
Category: Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: The Imitation Game
Category: Best Original Screenplay
Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Commentary: I love that a film from so early in the year last year is getting so much (deserved) recognition.
Category: Best Cinematography
Winner: Ida
Commentary: I feel like the Academy tends to love Black and White films in this category.
Category: Best Director
Winner: Birdman
Commentary: I’m sensing a repeat of last year, when Best Director went to the more technical/visual film, while Best Picture wenti to a film filled with cultural/social commentary.
