Results of My Predictions of the 2021 Oscar Nominations

As it turns out, I ended up getting 76.5% (91/119) and 85 % on the big nominations (29/34 ) correct.

Now that the nominations have been revealed, it's time to take an honest look and see how we did:

The Categories That’ll Get Announced on Monday Morning:

Best Picture: (7/9)

The Father

Judas and the Black Messiah

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Mank

Minari

Nomadland

One Night in Miami

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Thoughts:  It was a distinctive possibility that The Father would sneak in.  But as it turns out, it wasn't Sound of Metal that would take the hit.  But the August Wilson adaption ultimately fell short.  I guess One Night in Miami didn't drive enough passion to make the cut, either.

Best Actor: (5/5)

Riz Ahmed---Sound of Metal

Chadwick Boseman---Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Anthony Hopkins---The Father

Gary Oldman---Mank

Steven Yeun---Minari

Thoughts:  Turns out we were on the money with this category.  I mean, Oldman was the one I had questions about, but as it turns out, voters weren't interesting in snubbing the actor who played the titular character in Mank.  Boseman is still the heavy favorite to win Best Actor.  In other news, water is still wet.

Best Actress: (5/5)

Viola Davis---Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Andra Day---The United States vs Billie Holiday

Vanessa Kirby---Pieces of a Woman

Carey Mulligan---Promising Young Woman

Frances McDormand---Nomadland

Thoughts:  I read that category perfectly.  I think it's Mulligan's to lose, by the way.

Best Supporting Actor: (4/5)

Sacha Baron Cohen---The Trial of the Chicago 7

Daniel Kaluuya---Judas and the Black Messiah

Leslie Odom Jr.---One Night in Miami

Paul Raci---Sound of Metal

LaKeith Stanfield---Judas and the Black Messiah

David Strathairn---Nomadland

Thoughts:  And welcome to the straight outta nowhere surprise of the acting categories.  I don't think anyone thought Stanfield would end up in the race, but as it turns out, his performance as Bill O'Neal turned enough heads.  I thought this was Kaluuya's race to lose and that may still be the case.  But adding a second actor from Judas does open up the possibility of a surprise winner.

Best Supporting Actress: (4/5)

Maria Bakalova---Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Glenn Close---Hillbilly Elegy

Olivia Colman---The Father

Jodie Foster---The Mauritanian

Amanda Seyfried---Mank

Youn Yuh-jung---Minari

Thoughts:  I guess they were less enamored by Foster's speech at the Golden Globes than I thought.  And Mank hadn't faded as fast as I expected.  Other than Seyfried and Colman (who already won for The Favourite and I don't expect her to win again so soon), this race is fairly wide open.  Bakalova would possibly be the first comedic actress to prevail since Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny) in 1993.  Yuh-jung would be

Best Director: (4/5)

Lee Isaac Chung---Minari

Emerald Fennell---Promising Young Woman

David Fincher---Mank

Aaron Sorkin---The Trial of the Chicago 7

Thomas Vinterberg---Another Round

Chloe Zhao---Nomadland

Thoughts:  I guess I can brag for a moment that I did show enough guts to pick Vinterberg, best known as one of the founders of minimalist film movement Dogme 95 along with Lars von Trier.  Sure, I picked the wrong name to be ousted (it turns out Sorkin didn't get enough love from the directors) which means that the Best Picture race is likely down to 4 films.  On the plus side, two women did make the cut so hurrah for the diversity initiative by the Academy!

The Rest of the Nominees:

Best Adapted Screenplay: (4/5)

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

The Father

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Nomadland

One Night in Miami

The White Tiger

Thoughts:  It turns out that there WAS enough room for both Borat and The White Tiger.  It just came at the expense of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom which will have to settle for Boseman's win and maybe a technical category or two.

Best Original Screenplay: (4/5)

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank

Minari

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Thoughts:  As it turns out, Judas's push at the end was enough to knock out Mank.  I think the race comes down to Sorkin (for Trial of the Chicago 7) and Fennell (for Promising Young Woman).

Best Cinematography:  (5/5)

Judas and the Black Messiah

Mank

News of the World

Nomadland

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Thoughts:  Can't mess with perfection after reading that category just right.

Best Film Editing: (3/5)

The Father

Mank

Minari

Nomadland

Promising Young Woman

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Thoughts:  At the end, both spoilers took out Minari...and Mank.  Oof.

Best Production Design: (4/5)

The Father

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Mank

Mulan

News of the World

Tenet

Thoughts:  In the end, voters decided the understated efforts of The Father outshone the flashier ones of Mulan.

Best Costume Design: (4/5)

Ammonite

Emma

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Mank

Mulan

Pinocchio

Thoughts:  I suppose that Pinocchio and its costumes blew away the voting committee.  The dangers of over-relying on one source is what led me to gamble on Ammonite.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: (5/5)

Birds of Prey

Hillbilly Elegy

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Mank

Pinocchio

Thoughts:  Another category where I read the tea leaves perfectly.

Best Score:  (3/5)

Blizzard of Souls

Da 5 Bloods

Mank

The Midnight Sky

Minari

News of the World

Soul

Thoughts:  If I got a score on how I did with the score category, I think it'd be a C- for barely passing.  Blizzard was admittedly a reach and I thought Da 5 Bloods was a long shot.  Missing Minari is more understandable because The Midnight Sky was doing well before just missing out.

Best Original Song: (4/5)

Fight for You (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Hear My Voice (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Husavik (Eurovision Song Contest)

Io Si (Seen) (The Life Ahead)

Speak Now (One Night in Miami)

Turntables (All In: The Fight for Democracy)

Thoughts:  As it turns out, Husavik was in the clear this whole time.  But Turntables got scratched in favor of Hear My Voice.

Best Sound: (4/5)

Greyhound

Mank

News of the World

Nomadland

Soul

Sound of Metal

Thoughts:  As it turns out, it wasn't as wild as feared.  The use of music in Soul is what prevailed over Nomadland.

Best Visual Effects: (3/5)

Love and Monsters

Mank

The Midnight Sky

Mulan

The One and Only Ivan

Tenet

Welcome to Chechnya

Thoughts:  Should have gone the other direction with the Chechnya/Ivan coin flip.  Love and Monsters must have knocked out of the park with the voting committee.

Best Animated Film: (4/5)

The Croods: A New Age

Onward

Over the Moon

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Soul

Wolfwalkers

Thoughts:  I think I should have trusted my instincts and went with Farmageddon over Croods 2. 

Best International Film: (3/5)

Another Round

Better Days

Collective

I’m No Longer Here

The Man Who Sold His Skin

Quo Vadis, Aida?

Two of Us

Thoughts:  I'm going on a limb and say that Better Days might be one of the biggest surprises of the day.

Best Documentary: (2/5)

Collective

Crip Camp

Dick Johnson is Dead

The Mole Agent

My Octopus Teacher

Time

The Truffle Hunters

Welcome to Chechnya

Thoughts:  Easier to point out what I got right than what I got wrong.

Best Documentary Short: (4/5)

Abortion Helpline: This is Lisa

Colette

A Concerto is a Conversation

Do Not Split

Hunger Ward

A Love Song for Latasha

Thoughts:  Outside of a judgement call that didn't work in our favor, a solid job.

Best Animated Short: (3/5)

Burrow

Genius Loci

If Anything Happens, I Love You

Opera

Out

The Snail and the Whale

Yes People

Thoughts:   Judgment call on Opera vs Out went wrong.  Yes People came outta nowhere, didn't it?

Best Live Action Short: (3/5)

Da Yie

Feeling Through

The Human Voice

The Letter Room

The Present

Two Distant Strangers

White Eye

Thoughts:  Both the spoilers snuck in.  Da Yie not making it is fine.  The Human Voice not making it is a shock.

91/