My 2023 Oscar Predictions
Again, a year where I didn't see as many movies at the theater as I used to. If I had no experience in a category, I offered no prediction for those. Here are my 2023 Academy Award predictions.
BEST PICTURE
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
TÁR
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking
Who will win: EEAAO
Who should win: EEAAO, it’s an awesome movie!
BEST DIRECTOR
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, TÁR
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Who will win: Spielberg, for the movie about his youth
Who should win: The Dans for EEAAO, with its metaverse of stories
BEST ACTOR
Austin Butler, Elvis
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living
Who will win: Brendan Fraser, playing a guy committing suicide by food
Who should win: Bill Nighy has never even been nominated before!
BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, TÁR
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Who will win: Michelle Yeoh
Who should win: Michelle Yeoh, playing so many versions of her character
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Who will win: Brendan Gleeson, which is fair
Who should win: Ke Huy Quan, who played many versions of his character, all of them with tons of heart
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Who will win: Angela Bassett, which is fair
Who should win: Stephanie Hsu, so intense, so layered with all the emotions
BEST WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell, All Quiet on the Western Front
Rian Johnson, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Kazuo Ishiguro, Living
Screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks, Top Gun: Maverick
Sarah Polley, Women Talking
Who will win: Rian Johnson (but the murder mystery part was DUMB)
Who should win: Sarah Polley, for that devastating movie based on a real story
BEST WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, TÁR
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Who will win: Steven Spielberg will get it for his family’s story
Who should win: The Dans for EEAAO, of course
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
The Sea Beast
Turning Red
Who will win: Pinocchio, which is fair
Who should win: Turning Red has a mythic modern Asian-American story
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Mary Zophres, Babylon
Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Catherine Martin, Elvis
Shirley Kurata, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Jenny Beavan, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Who will win: Wakanda Forever, which is fair
Who should win: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is ALL about the fashion, charming!
BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
"Applause" from Tell It Like a Woman, music and lyrics by Dianne Warren
"Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick, music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop
"Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, music and lyrics by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Goransson
"Naatu Naatu" from RRR, music by M.M. Keeravaani, lyrics by Chandrabose
"This Is a Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once, music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski, lyrics by Ryan Lott
Who will win: Rihanna singing the Wakanda Forever song
Who should win: The EEAAO song is cool, but the Wakanda song brings tears
There are additional awards, but I didn’t see enough of the movies to judge
BEST PICTURE
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
TÁR
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking
Who will win: EEAAO
Who should win: EEAAO, it’s an awesome movie!
BEST DIRECTOR
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, TÁR
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Who will win: Spielberg, for the movie about his youth
Who should win: The Dans for EEAAO, with its metaverse of stories
BEST ACTOR
Austin Butler, Elvis
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living
Who will win: Brendan Fraser, playing a guy committing suicide by food
Who should win: Bill Nighy has never even been nominated before!
BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, TÁR
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Who will win: Michelle Yeoh
Who should win: Michelle Yeoh, playing so many versions of her character
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Who will win: Brendan Gleeson, which is fair
Who should win: Ke Huy Quan, who played many versions of his character, all of them with tons of heart
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Who will win: Angela Bassett, which is fair
Who should win: Stephanie Hsu, so intense, so layered with all the emotions
BEST WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell, All Quiet on the Western Front
Rian Johnson, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Kazuo Ishiguro, Living
Screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks, Top Gun: Maverick
Sarah Polley, Women Talking
Who will win: Rian Johnson (but the murder mystery part was DUMB)
Who should win: Sarah Polley, for that devastating movie based on a real story
BEST WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, TÁR
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Who will win: Steven Spielberg will get it for his family’s story
Who should win: The Dans for EEAAO, of course
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
The Sea Beast
Turning Red
Who will win: Pinocchio, which is fair
Who should win: Turning Red has a mythic modern Asian-American story
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Mary Zophres, Babylon
Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Catherine Martin, Elvis
Shirley Kurata, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Jenny Beavan, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Who will win: Wakanda Forever, which is fair
Who should win: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is ALL about the fashion, charming!
BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
"Applause" from Tell It Like a Woman, music and lyrics by Dianne Warren
"Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick, music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop
"Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, music and lyrics by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Goransson
"Naatu Naatu" from RRR, music by M.M. Keeravaani, lyrics by Chandrabose
"This Is a Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once, music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski, lyrics by Ryan Lott
Who will win: Rihanna singing the Wakanda Forever song
Who should win: The EEAAO song is cool, but the Wakanda song brings tears
There are additional awards, but I didn’t see enough of the movies to judge