...and the Oscar Goes To: Academy Award Predictions, Predilections and Omissions

As a vast preponderance of white people prepare to walk the red carpet at the 88th Academy Awards in just a few hours, I am rolling out my unneeded and undoubtedly incorrect Oscar picks.

I do find it rather dubious that not a single person of color has been nominated in any of the acting categories for two years running, and am empathetic to anyone boycotting the ceremony or broadcast due to the racial inequality.

But I plan on watching as I always do, and look forward to seeing how pointed host Chris Rock gets in his remarks.

And though I don't really look to the Oscars as the most astute arbiter of cinematic excellence, several good movies and performances were nominated--and very few seem to be shoo-ins.

So there is some fun in predicting, er, guessing who might win, and then seeing what will happen. 

I've seen most of the films nominated in major categories, but not in some others, so don't exactly take this to Las Vegas (as if you have time to do so).

Find printable ballot PDF here

And with the caveat that I've seen some stellar movies--including a few of the nominees--since I posted it, my year-end list of the Best New Movies I Saw in 2015 is probably a fuller gauge of the films I liked last year.

Anyway, here goes.

Best Picture
Will win: The Revenant
Should win: Room
Deserved a nomination: Carol, Love & Mercy, The End of the Tour, 99 Homes

Best Director
Will win: Alejandro G. Inarritu - The Revenant
Should win: Adam McKay - The Big Short
Deserved a nomination: Bill Pohlad - Love & Mercy, Todd Haynes - Carol, Ryan Coogler - Creed

Best Actor
Will win: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
Should win: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
Deserved a nomination: Will Smith - Concussion, Jason Segal - The End of the Tour, Michael B. Jordan - Creed

Best Actress
Will and should win: Brie Larson - Room 
Deserved a nomination: Lily Tomlin - Grandma; Daisy Ridley - Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Charlize Theron - Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Supporting Actor
Will win: Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Should win: Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Deserved a nomination: Benecio Del Toro - Sicario, Michael Shannon - 99 Homes, Joel Edgerton - The Gift, Chiwetel Ejiofor - The Martian

Best Supporting Actress
Will and should win: Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Deserved a nomination: Elizabeth Banks - Love & Mercy, Rebecca Hall - The Gift

Best Original Screenplay
Will and should win: Spotlight 
Deserved a nomination: 99 Homes

Best Adapted Screenplay
Will and should win: The Big Short
Deserved a nomination: Love & Mercy, The End of the Tour

Best Documentary Feature
Will win: Amy (Only nominee I saw)

Best Foreign Language Film
Will win: Son of Saul (Only nominee I saw)
Deserved a nomination: Phoenix, Wild Tales

Best Animated Feature
Will win: Inside Out (Only nominee I saw)

Best Cinematography
Will and should win: The Revenant
Deserved a nomination: Ex Machina
 
Best Costume Design
Will win: The Revenant
Should win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Film Editing
Will win: The Revenant
Should win: The Big Short
Deserved a nomination: Love & Mercy
 
Best Original Score
Will and should win: The Hateful Eight

Best Original Song
Will win: "Writing's on the Wall" from Spectre
Deserved a nomination: "One Kind of Love" from Love & Mercy

Best Production Design
Will win: The Revenant
Should win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Deserved a nomination: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Will and should win: The Revenant
Deserved a nomination: The Danish Girl

Best Visual Effects
Will and should win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Sound Editing
Will and should win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Deserved a nomination: Love & Mercy
 
Best Sound Mixing
Will and should win: Mad Max: Fury Road