Oscar Predictions 2014

And so it goes!  Will update post afterwards to reflect how close my predictions were.

PICTURE: Birdman
DIRECTOR: Alejandro G. Inarritu, Birdman
ACTOR: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
ACTRESS: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
SUP. ACTOR: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
SUP. ACTRESS: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
ORIG. SCREENPLAY: The Grand Budapest Hotel  Birdman
ADAP. SCREENPLAY: The Imitation Game
ANIMATED FILM: How to Train Your Dragon 2  Big Hero 6
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Ida
PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Grand Budapest Hotel
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Birdman
COSTUME DESIGN: The Grand Budapest Hotel
EDITING: Boyhood  Whiplash
SCORE: The Theory of Everything  The Grand Budapest Hotel
SONG: "Glory", Selma
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: The Grand Budapest Hotel
SOUND MIXING: Whiplash
SOUND EDITING: American Sniper
VISUAL EFFECTS: Interstellar
DOCUMENTARY: Citizenfour
DOC- SHORT SUBJECT: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
SHORT FILM- ANIMATED: Feast
SHORT FILM- LIVE ACTION: The Phone Call

The Grand Budapest Hotel: 4 wins
Birdman: 3 wins  4 wins
Boyhood: 2 wins 1 win
The Theory of Everything: 2 wins 1 win
Whiplash: 2 wins 3 wins

We'll see what happens.  Hollywood loves Birdman, if the guilds are any indication.  But the critics (BFCA, HFPA) and the British (BAFTA) united for Boyhood.  I really want to be wrong about my Best Picture predictions, but it's hard to ignore the industry guilds (PGA, DGA, SAG).  Yeah, pretty much what we expected.  Birdman even managed to take original screenplay from other contenders The Grand Budapest Hotel, Boyhood.

Last year, I got 21 out of 24 correct.  I don't think I'll do that good this year.  Well, 20 out of 24 isn't bad at all!  I won at the Oscar party I attended last night at the Alamo Drafthouse.  Four free movie passes, plus a $50 gift card and a Annie handbag?  Huh.  Whiplash did quite well.  I'm happy The Grand Budapest Hotel was so widely embraced in the tech categories.  It's too bad Boyhood got shut out though.

Look for my more detailed reactions later this week.