Previews and Predictions for the 2017 Oscars

Award season is well underway and screen junkies are eagerly awaiting this year’s edition of the Oscars. The 89th Academy Awards will take place on February 26, 2017 and will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. People are already expecting a more competitive, more diverse, and more politicized event than 2016, and we can only watch and see if those forecasts are true.

For the sake of everyone’s time, this article will only touch on seven of the 24 categories. Here are their nominees and the Crier’s predictions for their respective winners.

Best Picture

“Arrival”

“Fences”

“Hacksaw Ridge”

“Hell or High Water”

“Hidden Figures”

“La La Land”

“Lion”

“Manchester by the Sea”

“Moonlight”

La La Land was by far the most decorated film entering the award show, receiving 14 total nominations. The stunning musical about everyday life for an aspiring actress and a musician in Los Angeles will more than likely take this one home, but it is worth noting that the Screen Actors Guild gave “Hidden Figures” the top nod, so you never really know.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Casey Affleck in “Manchester by the Sea”

Andrew Garfield in “Hacksaw Ridge”

Ryan Gosling in “La La Land”

Viggo Mortensen in “Captain F
antastic”

Denzel Washington in “Fences”

This award, according to most commentators, has been narrowed to Denzel Washington and Casey Affleck. Although Washington won a SAG Award in this category, my prediction is that Affleck will win for his performance as Lee Chandler in the heart-wrenching and dramatic “Manchester by the Sea.”

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Isabelle Huppert in “Elle”

Ruth Negga in “Loving”

Natalie Portman in “Jackie”

Emma Stone in “La La Land”

Meryl Streep in “Florence Foster Jenkins”

One of the most certain winners this Oscar season is Emma Stone for her role as Mia Dolan in La La Land. She is looking to make it her fourth award for this character after completing the trifecta of the Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards, and SAG Awards. Ruth Negga and Natalie Portman raised eyebrows for their performances, but Stone made “La La Land” a masterwork, and this award is absolutely her’s to lose.

Best Directing

Denis Villeneuve – “Arrival”

Mel Gibson – “Hacksaw Ridge”

Damien Chazelle – “La La Land”

Kenneth Lonergan – “Manchester by the Sea”

Barry Jenkins – “Moonlight”

Writer and director Barry Jenkins infused his own deeply personal experiences to create the little known but highly acclaimed “Moonlight,” which holds the title of top movie of 2016 on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. The film won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama and was regarded by critics as one of the most hard-hitting, suspenseful and well-directed movies of the year, as it chronicled the life of an outcasted African American boy in Miami.

Best Visual Effects

“Deepwater Horizon”

“Doctor Strange”

“The Jungle Book”

“Kubo and the Two Strings”

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

Though “Doctor Strange” had some insane, “Inception”-level scenery and “Kubo and the Two Strings” provided some impressive illustrative techniques, the award for visual effects is likely to go to “The Jungle Book.” An innovative and beautiful Disney remake of the Rudyard Kipling novel, the visual effects supervisor was Robert Legato, known for such works as “Titanic,” “Hugo,” and a Star Trek television series.

Best Animated Feature Film

“Kubo and the Two Strings”

“Moana”

“My Life as a Zucchini”

“The Red Turtle”

“Zootopia”

The animation monopoly that is Disney holds the top two spots on this category according to oddsmakers with “Zootopia” and “Moana.” I believe “Zootopia” will ultimately come out on top for its concept and popularity, but “Kubo and the Two Strings,” another critically-acclaimed animated film, could very well take the cake if the voters decide to lay off on the Disney hype machine.

Best Original Song

“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from “La La Land”

“Can’t Stop The Feeling” from “Trolls”

“City Of Stars” from “La La Land”

“The Empty Chair” from “Jim: The James Foley Story”

“How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana”

There is a reason why “La La Land” snagged two nominations in this category, and thus there is not much doubt as to the winner. “City of Stars” is an emotional, rhythmic tune that perfectly encompasses the mood of the entire movie and is well worth the hype. Despite the catchiness and cheerfulness of “How Far I’ll Go” and the sheer airtime of “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” the piano duet will most certainly prevail.