It’s going to be slightly completely different this yr.
When the 97th Academy Awards are broadcast reside on ABC and Hulu, and beamed to greater than 200 nations on Sunday, March 2 (beginning an hour sooner than standard, at 6 p.m. Central Time), the present will go on as deliberate, with Oscars handed out in 23 classes.
Standing ovations will probably be accorded, glamorous stars will probably be flustered and flattered and say they’re SHOCKED by their victory, despite the fact that they had been one in all simply 5 folks on the planet who was destined to win that night time. Conan O’Brien will inform jokes. Some will land. Some may not. For first-time Oscar recipients, their biographies will without end be modified to incorporate “Academy Award winner” because the headline.
Nonetheless, we all know the general tone could have a extra somber vibe, because the Los Angeles space continues to reel from the tragic fires which have claimed at the very least 85 lives and broken or destroyed some 20,000 constructions. I wouldn’t be stunned if the Oscars take a web page from the playbook at “Saturday Night time Reside,” whose first episode after 9/11 opened with Mayor Rudy Giuliani delivering a speech on a stage stuffed with firefighters and cops and first responders, adopted by Paul Simon’s stunning and shifting efficiency of “The Boxer.” Lorne Michaels then joined Giuliani onstage and mentioned, “Can we be humorous?” to which the mayor replied, “Why begin now?”
These had been very completely different occasions, clearly, however it might nonetheless be becoming if there was some type of reside tribute to the firefighters and different heroes, and possibly simply the suitable singer singing simply the suitable tune. We’ll see.
As for the awards, it’s time for our annual predictions in all 23 classes — and it’s your alternative to as soon as once more Beat the Critic (it ain’t exhausting), with one winner and their visitors attending an advance screening of a significant Hollywood launch with yours really, and the drinks and snacks are on me. (I had a good time this yr hanging out with the winners previous to a screening of “A Full Unknown.”)
Greatest image
Predicted Winner: “The Brutalist”
As is the case yearly, at the very least half of the ten nominees for finest image have nearly no shot at successful the massive prize, because the cliché about the way it’s an honor simply to be nominated is the truth. This yr, it might be a monumental upset if “Wicked,” “The Substance,” “Nickel Boys” or “Dune: Part Two” emerged victorious. It’s an in depth race among the many high contenders, however I feel the daring and placing work of “The Brutalist” will edge out the polarizing “Emilia Pérez” and the entertaining and well-staged however ridiculously melodramatic “Conclave.” My private favourite on this group is “I’m Still Here,” which can be nominated for finest worldwide characteristic and can face off in opposition to “Emilia Pérez” and three different advantageous movies: “Circulate,” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” and “The Lady with the Needle.” There’s a small probability “I’m Nonetheless Right here” might win in each classes, a la “Parasite,” but it surely’s extra prone to be shut out. The excellent news is, the nomination for the movie and for Fernanda Torres’ magnificent efficiency means extra folks will probably be curious to see it.
Greatest actress
Predicted Winner: Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Hollywood loves an excellent comeback story, and despite the fact that Demi Moore by no means really disappeared from the scene, we’re three many years previous the period wherein she was one of many highest-paid stars within the enterprise due to touchstones similar to “Ghost,” “A Few Good Males” and “Indecent Proposal,” Moore poured her coronary heart and soul into a job in “The Substance” that served as a commentary on ageism and sexism within the motion pictures — and IRL as they are saying. There’s an opportunity Mikey Madison will get the decision for “Anora,” however Madison is simply 25, and the Academy voters would possibly really feel she’ll produce other probabilities, whereas this could possibly be the final and finest probability for Demi to get acknowledged.
Greatest actor
Predicted Winner: Timothée Chalamet, “A Full Unknown”
I’m going with the gentle upset right here and selecting Chalamet’s work in “A Complete Unknown” over two nice and veteran actors, Adrien Brody for “The Brutalist” and Ralph Fiennes for “Conclave.” (It was nice to see Colman Domingo and Sebastian Stan get nominated, however they’re lengthy pictures.) For one factor, Brody has received Oscar earlier than, for “The Pianist.” Additionally, Chalamet is so darn likable and proficient that it’s virtually annoying, apart from he’s so darn likable and proficient. Lastly, Hollywood LOVES biopics about entertainers, and the actors who play these entertainers. Simply ask Barbra Streisand, Sissy Spacek, Cate Blanchett, Jamie Foxx, Rami Malek, Renée Zellweger, Reese Witherspoon and Marion Cotillard, amongst others.
Greatest supporting actress
Predicted Winner: Zoë Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”
My favourite efficiency on this stellar group is Monica Barbaro, who channeled Joan Baez with out making it a facile imitation in “A Full Unknown,” however Barbaro is an extended shot, as are Isabella Rossellini and Felicity Jones. There’s an opportunity the globally standard and drastically proficient Ariana Grande wins for “Depraved,” which might even be a means of honoring the movie, however I’m going with Zoë Saldaña, who has starred in a number of the most profitable franchises of all time, has been a dependable presence in various smaller motion pictures as nicely — and gave probably the most resonant efficiency in a movie that garnered a whopping 13 nominations.
Greatest supporting actor
Predicted Winner: Kieran Culkin, “A Actual Ache”
As standard, this class is stacked, from Yura Borisov’s scene-stealing and magnetic work in “Anora” to Jeremy Sturdy’s sometimes nice efficiency in “The Apprentice” to Man Pearce taking part in probably the most detestable figures in any film in 2024 in “The Brutalist.” I feel it comes all the way down to a two-man race between Kieran Culkin, who’s using a wave of profession highs with “Succession” and now with a tailored function in Jesse Eisenberg’s two-hander, and Edward Norton, who offered a folksy ethical conscience as Pete Seeger in “A Full Unknown” (and did a advantageous job of capturing Seeger’s bluegrass banjo fashion as nicely). That is Norton’s fourth nomination and he’s by no means received, despite the fact that he’s extensively thought of probably the most versatile actors of his technology, so this could possibly be his time — however Culkin has simply an excessive amount of momentum to be stopped at this level.
