The 2014 Oscar season has been the center of buzz and controversy ever since the nominations were announced nearly a month ago. There has been some backlash concerning the mispronunciations of directors to snubbing certain movies that feature characters with different demographics (black, gay, or “lego people”). However, the 2014 film year has contained numerous in-depth categories which will make it interesting to see who the academy gives the awards to.

Best Picture

“American Sniper”

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”

“Boyhood”

“The Grand Budapest Hotel”

“The Imitation Game”

“Selma”

“The Theory of Everything”

“Whiplash”

This year was full of great Best Picture nominees and potential classics. With heavy favorites, such as Boyhood, American Sniper, and Birdman, and well developed surprise nominations, like Whiplash.

Surprise Nomination/Snub: Selma (Surprise)

Selma, a movie that talked about Martin Luther King Jr.’s march in Selma, Alabama, is a surprise nomination for Best Picture. Although based on an interesting historical event, the production and acting was sub-par at best, which surprises this movie goer on why it got its nomination.

Best Chance to Win: Boyhood

Boyhood depicts the life of a young boy from ages 6 to 18 while going through school problems, social problems, and family life. Shot over 12 years with the same cast as they grew old together, Boyhood has the best chance to obtain Best Picture due to its interesting and real-life storyline.

Dark Horse: Whiplash

By far, Whiplash is the dark horse of this Best Picture race. It captures the mental, social, and emotional problems in this young jazz drummer struggle to be known. Throughout the movie, the main character played by Miles Teller suffers through harsh “leadership” from the band’s conductor. The picture demonstrates the determination featured in the character’s eyes as well as solid cinematography and moving scenes.

Actor

Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher”

Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper”

Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game”

Michael Keaton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”

Edward Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything”

Surprise Nomination/Snub: Miles Teller (Snub)

This year’s snub for Best Actor has to be Miles Teller, who played a young jazz drummer named Andrew in Whiplash. His performance was stellar. He truly captured the role with a great mindset.

Best Chance to Win:

Edward Redmayne, from The Theory of Everything, is definitely the favorite due to his portrayal of genius Stephen Hawking who suffers from ALS. After meeting with Hawking in real life, Redmayne truly put his best performance forward with his portrayal of the disease stricken science genius.

Dark Horse: Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper in American Sniper in my eyes is considered a dark horse in this tight race for best actor. His performance as former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle as he suffered loss and change all around him in the War on Terror.

Supporting Actor

Robert Duvall in “The Judge”

Ethan Hawke in “Boyhood”

Edward Norton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”

Mark Ruffalo in “Foxcatcher”

J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash”

Surprise Nomination/Snub: Robert Duvall (Surprise) – The Judge

To me I thought it was quite odd The Judge, a sub-par dramedy, received an Oscar nomination. Now, I am not trashing the acting ability of Robert Duvall, but it is quite surprising that he made this list for best supporting actor for a film that seems like it was just thrown together.

Best Chance to Win: J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

The State Farm Insurance guy and the recently Golden Globe Winner seems to have the best chance of taking home Best Supporting Actor once again, only this time it is from the Academy. He shows his powerful and sadistic leadership while conducting this college level jazz studio band. Simmons exuberates his impressive acting skill and deserves the Oscar.

Dark Horse – Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher

Foxcatcher is a movie that received a ton of nominations, but does not look like they are a favorite in any of them and most likely will go home empty handed. However, Mark Ruffalo stands the best chance with his portrayal of Dave Schultz, brother of fellow Olympic wrestler Mark. His big brother mentality in this film gives the him a decent chance for an upset in this category.

Actress

Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night”

Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything”

Julianne Moore in “Still Alice”

Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl”

Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”

Surprise Nomination/Snub: Marion Cotillard (Surprise) – Two Days, One Night

Marion Cotillard, a prized actress, got a surprising nomination for her role in Two Days, One Night. She has won numerous awards and is considered a respectable actress, but it is pretty surprising that she got this nomination for a somewhat unknown film.

Best Chance to Win: Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl

Rosamund Pike plays an intelligent, clever, emotionless, sadistic, and weird missing wife in this film. She truly captures the character with her tricks and uppity attitude when it comes down to “survival.” Pike is in the front running for this award.

Dark Horse: Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything

Although Felicity Jones is not really a dark horse in this competition, she is going up against tough competition against Rosamund Pike. However, her portrayal as Stephen Hawking’s wife is played to almost perfection.

Supporting Actress

Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood”

Laura Dern in “Wild”

Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”

Emma Stone in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”

Meryl Streep in “Into the Woods”

Surprise Nomination/Snub: Sienna Miller (Snub) – American Sniper

This year’s supporting actress snub is Sienna Miller who played Taya Kyle, the wife of Chris Kyle in American Sniper. She delivers an excellent performance with just the perfect amount of emotion of love, hate, and being scared.

Best Chance to Win: Patricia Arquette – Boyhood

Another golden globe winner this year, Patricia Arquette is a true favorite for best supporting actress for her role as the mother in Boyhood. Her portrayal possesses the motherly figure perfectly as well as staying true to character for 12 years.

Dark Horse: Emma Stone – Birdman

Even though her male counterparts are receiving the critical acclaim, Emma Stone may be the one who gets the Oscar over her male counterparts. Playing a former drug addict turn assistant to her father, Stone puts her emotional touch on top of this masterpiece, Birdman.

Animated Feature

“Big Hero 6” Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli

“The Boxtrolls” Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable and Travis Knight

“How to Train Your Dragon 2” Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold

“Song of the Sea” Tomm Moore and Paul Young

“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” Isao Takahata and Yoshiaki Nishimura

Best Chance to WIn: How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold

How to Train Your Dragon 2, a sequel to the previous Oscar nominated animated film, is looking like the frontrunner in this year’s Best Animated Feature due to its spectacular animation editing and solid storyline, even for a sequel.

Adapted Screenplay

“American Sniper” Written by Jason Hall

“The Imitation Game” Written by Graham Moore

“Inherent Vice” Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

“The Theory of Everything” Screenplay by Anthony McCarten

“Whiplash” Written by Damien Chazelle

Best Chance to Win: American Sniper – Adapted by Jason Hall (Book by Chris Kyle)

Due to the autobiography and its film adaptation box office success, the American Sniper adapted screenplay is a favorite for this Oscar category. With a lot of information in Chris Kyle’s autobiography, screenwriter Jason Hall does a phenomenal job when condensing it into a modern classic.

Original Screenplay

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo

“Boyhood” Written by Richard Linklater

“Foxcatcher” Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness

“Nightcrawler” Written by Dan Gilroy

Best Chance to Win: Boyhood – Written by Richard Linklater

Due to this movie’s creativity and real-life plot, Richard Linklater will look like he will take home the Original Screenplay prize due to his originality while writing the screenplay for best picture favorite, Boyhood.

Cinematography

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Emmanuel Lubezki

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Robert Yeoman

“Ida” Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski

“Mr. Turner” Dick Pope

“Unbroken” Roger Deakins

Best Chance to Win: Birdman – Emmanuel Lubezki

The cinematography featured in Birdman was superb. The movie is set up to feel like a continuous story with an illusion that there is no stoppage or that the whole movie is just one big scene. It is an interesting take to film a movie. In addition to the ingenuity of the idea, it was executed to perfection.

Costume Design

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Milena Canonero

“Inherent Vice” Mark Bridges

“Into the Woods” Colleen Atwood

“Maleficent” Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive

“Mr. Turner” Jacqueline Durran

Best Chance to Win: Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood

A successful broadway play turns to the big screen and the costume design stayed consistent. Into the Woods costumes consisted of mystical woodland “creatures” that really captured the plot.

Director

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu

“Boyhood” Richard Linklater

“Foxcatcher” Bennett Miller

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson

“The Imitation Game” Morten Tyldum

Best Chance to Win: Boyhood – Richard Linklater

Again, Boyhood looks like they will win another Oscar. With Linklater’s ability to keep the cast intact for twelve years and still make a best picture favorite, Boyhood seems to be taking home the majority of Oscars this film year.

Documentary Feature

“CitizenFour” Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky

“Finding Vivian Maier” John Maloof and Charlie Siskel

“Last Days in Vietnam” Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester

“The Salt of the Earth” Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and David Rosier

“Virunga” Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Best Chance to Win: Last Days in Vietnam – Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester

This documentary captures the truth to this heinous and brutal war during the 1950s to the 1970s. A unique take on the harsh war, Last Days in Vietnam looks like they will be the documentary who will take home the Oscar for best Documentary Feature.

Documentary Short Subject

“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry

“Joanna” Aneta Kopacz

“Our Curse” Tomasz Sliwinski and Maciej Slesicki

“The Reaper (La Parka)” Gabriel Serra Arguello

“White Earth” J. Christian Jensen

Best Chance to Win: “White Earth” – J. Christian Jensen

This short film has an interesting plot as well as good production. White Earth centers around Three children and an immigrant mother live through a cruel winter in the northern-plains oil fields. The film has a spectacular survival story and is in the front in this race for best short documentary film.

Film Editing

“American Sniper” Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach

“Boyhood” Sandra Adair

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Barney Pilling

“The Imitation Game” William Goldenberg

“Whiplash” Tom Cross

Best Chance to Win: American Sniper – Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach

American Sniper did a superb job when editing the film. It capitalized on perfect opportunities to flash from a previous experience in Chris Kyle’s life while in a certain moment on the battlefield which provided somewhat of a more sentimental key to the film.

Foreign Language Film

“Ida” Poland

“Leviathan” Russia

“Tangerines” Estonia

“Timbuktu” Mauritania

“Wild Tales” Argentina

Best Chance to Win: Ida – Poland

Ida will most likely take home the foreign film award this year due to its religious values (Jewish and Christianity) and personal life struggles in a 1962 European setting.

Makeup and Hairstyling

“Foxcatcher” Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier

“Guardians of the Galaxy” Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White

Best Chance to Win: Guardians of the Galaxy – Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White

This space adventure movie dominated the box office with a well developed plot and excellent makeup for the actors and actresses. When a movie is centered around space and such with odd looking creatures, it is a necessity to have a good team behind makeup which this movie did.

Original Score

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Alexandre Desplat

“The Imitation Game” Alexandre Desplat

“Interstellar” Hans Zimmer

“Mr. Turner” Gary Yershon

“The Theory of Everything” Jóhann Jóhannsson

Best Chance to Win: The Imitation Game – Alexandre Desplat

This category is truly interesting with one guy, Alexandre Desplat, having two options for winning an Oscar, a 40% to win. He is truly one of the main stars of film music scores and is surely going to take home this award home for The Imitation Game due to its proper sounds during tense and emotional moments.

Original Song

“Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie”

Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson

“Glory” from “Selma”

Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn

“Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights”

Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me”

Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond

“Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”

Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

Best Chance to Win: Glory – Selma – Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn

Glory from Selma will take home Original Song because of its subject matter and unique sound that captures the historical event.

Production Design

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock

“The Imitation Game” Production Design: Maria Djurkovic; Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald

“Interstellar” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis

“Into the Woods” Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock

“Mr. Turner” Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts

Best Chance to Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel – Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock

Although up for numerous amounts of Oscars, The Grand Budapest Hotel will look to take home only one for its production design. The production did a spectacular job will its design of the hotel and its creepy feeling that it carried over it as well.

Animated Short Film

“The Bigger Picture” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees

“The Dam Keeper” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi

“Feast” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed

“Me and My Moulton” Torill Kove

“A Single Life” Joris Oprins

Best Chance to Win: Me and My Moulton – Torill Kove

Now I thought this was incredibly odd plot and weird storyline with a 7 year old girl asking her parents for a bike. However, after watching the other nominations, this seemed to be the only one that actually stood out. So with that “Me and My Moulton” will seem to be the favorite for best animated short film.

Live Action Short Film

“Aya” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis

“Boogaloo and Graham” Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney

“Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)” Hu Wei and Julien Féret

“Parvaneh” Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger

“The Phone Call” Mat Kirkby and James Lucas

Best Chance to Win: Butter Lamp – Hu Wei and Julien Féret

I will be honest, the only reason why I picked this one is because of the name at first. Incredibly, odd and somewhat creative title, it does have the material to take home the Oscar with its disneyland setting and family oriented style.

Sound Editing

“American Sniper” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock

“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” Brent Burge and Jason Canovas

“Interstellar” Richard King

“Unbroken” Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro

Best Chance to Win: American Sniper – Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman

Again American Sniper looks like the top option for taking home another editing Oscar. The soundtrack was tense and yet at the same time encouraging and relaxing, a truly unique combination of sound in film.

Sound Mixing

“American Sniper” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga

“Interstellar” Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten

“Unbroken” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee

“Whiplash” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley

Best Chance to Win: Whiplash – Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, and Thomas Curley

When a movie is based upon a Jazz studio band, it is quite obvious that Whiplash will have the best chance of them all to achieve this oscar with a stellar soundtrack that incorporates well into the film.

Visual Effects

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist

“Guardians of the Galaxy” Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould

“Interstellar” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer

Best Chance to Win: Guardians of the Galaxy – Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould

With the incorporation of real life humans and CGI features, Guardians of the Galaxy is top dog for its visual effects for its sci-fi spectacular.