Book Review: "Audition" by Katie Kitamura

So, here’s the thing: I’m a lazy reader. While I read to be entertained, to be moved, to see things from a different perspective, even to learn something new, I don’t want to have to work too hard. Books that are vague, when everything is left to interpretation, rarely resonate with me. I tend to enjoy books that are told in a more traditional fashion.

That being said, if you’re a fan of unorthodox storytelling, of finishing a book with your mind exploding with the possibilities a book raised, you might love this. There’s certainly no doubt that Katie Kitamura is a talented writer.

“What was a family if not a shared delusion, a mutual construction?”

Audition is a novel in two parts. The book opens in a New York City restaurant. Our narrator, a well-known actress, is eating with a much younger man. She is self-conscious because she perceives (or imagines) that people think she paid the man to dine with her. But the truth is, this young man, Xavier, mistakenly believed that he was the actress’ son that she gave up for adoption years ago. (He isn’t. I think.)

The narrator is struggling with a transformative scene in a play she is rehearsing. She cannot seem to grasp it and it causes a tremendous amount of anxiety. And then, suddenly, she gets it. But then in the second part of the novel, everything changes, and you don’t know which part is supposed to be true.

As you can tell, I’m even struggling to describe this book. The lines blur between performance and reality, what is and what could have been. And then, in the last 50 pages, everything is flipped on its head. I haven’t a clue what this really was about, and I hate feeling clueless when I read.

Book Review: "Dungeons and Drama" by Kristy Boyce

This was such a fun, sweet read! I’m always a sucker for fake dating rom-coms, but when you throw in a high school musical and some gaming, how can I resist?⁣

⁣ Maybe Riley should’ve thought twice about taking her mother’s car and driving her and her best friend a few hours away to see a production of Waitress. She didn’t get a ticket or get into an accident—she just didn’t have her license yet.⁣

⁣ Now she’s grounded for a while, and her parents can’t trust her to stay home alone at all. So as punishment, she has to work at Sword and Board Games, her dad’s game store. She’s not into gaming, and she believes the store was one of the reasons her parents got divorced. Needless to say, this will be torture.⁣

⁣ Her coworker (and classmate) Nathan takes an instant dislike to Riley, and she’s no fan of his either. But when her ex and his new girlfriend show up at the store, she has to pretend she doesn’t care, so she says she has a new boyfriend: Nathan. While at first, Nathan refuses to pretend they’re dating, Riley convinces him that their “relationship” will make the gamer girl he’s crushing on jealous.⁣

⁣ At the same time, Riley’s high school announces they’re canceling the annual musical for budgetary reasons. But Riley sees the musical as an opportunity to develop her skills as student director. How can she convince the school board not to cancel?⁣

⁣ I really flew through this book. The characters were so appealing and enjoyable and the fake dating trope is a favorite of mine. You can bet I’ll be picking up the next book in the series!⁣

Book Review: "The Anonymous Hookup and The Unforgettable Hookup" by Jax Calder

Over the last month or two I’ve become a huge fan of Jax Calder. She writes rom-coms and romances with such humor and heart, not to mention steam, terrific characters, and great banter.

I recently read Calder’s Hookup Duology, which included The Anonymous Hookup and The Unforgettable Hookup. Both books were funny, romantic, super steamy, and just so endearing, and once again, all I want to do is read more of her books.

It’s been nearly six months since Lane and his boyfriend Preston broke up. While it appears that Preston has had no problem moving on, Lane isn’t ready to look for another relationship yet. And that’s why his best friend Jules has challenged him to find an anonymous hookup. Maybe having no strings attached sex with a stranger will do the trick.

They go to a bar and Lane clumsily makes a move on an exceptionally handsome man. Their intense chemistry is evident from their first greeting, and it’s not long before they’re headed to a hotel room. And after some utterly mind-blowing sex when no names were revealed, they’re ready to move on. But it seems like anytime Lane turns around, there’s Sam, and it’s starting to feel like more than a one-night stand.

The second book tells the same story, only it’s from Sam’s perspective. It’s so fascinating to see the story you just read, yet told through another character’s eyes. It deepens the story, as it doesn’t feel as one-sided. I read one book after the other but it didn’t feel like it was a complete duplicate.

Lane and Sam were such terrific characters and I loved rooting for them. And you can bet I’ll be picking up more of Calder’s books as well!!

Book Review: "Rehearsed to Death" by Frank Anthony Polito

I’ve been meaning to get back to this fun cozy mystery series for a while, and I’m glad I finally did! The marketing blurb called this book “Hart to Hart via HGTV,” and of course, it made me think about how I used to love that show! (You youngsters reading this review, the 80s were fun years of TV.)

Peter (PJ) and JP return, but their home renovation show, Domestic Partners, is on hiatus. Instead, they’re focused on the theater. Peter’s first play, Blue Tuesday, is going to be produced, and JP will be the star.

There are hopes that the play might even make it to Broadway, so a big-deal director is brought in to up the ante. And Xander Sherwood Deva is the biggest of big deals—especially in his own mind. It’s not long before this overly affected, egotistical, spiteful, scarf-wearing tyrant drives everyone to anger. Given all of the enemies he’s made in his career, it’s not entirely surprising when he’s found dead, but who sent Xander for his final curtain call?

JP and Peter are determined that Blue Tuesday will go on as planned, regardless of Xander’s murder. But before the curtain can rise, they’ll need to slip into their detective roles and figure out who killed their director.

Will they unmask the killer before it’s too late? Will the show go on? Will anyone else wind up in danger? And will the play be a success? So much is riding on the couple, including the realization of their own dreams.

I think this series really is a delight. The characters make me laugh and the whole plot had a fun, farcical tone to it. I loved seeing them solving crimes together. I’ll definitely pick up the third book in the series a bit quicker!

Book Review: "The Divide" by Morgan Richter

When she was 18, Sheila moved from Iowa to Los Angeles, changed her name to Jenny St. John, and landed the lead role in an independent movie called The Divide. She had a very brief relationship with Serge, the film’s director, and her performance was quite good. But the film never saw the light of day for some time, and while Serge’s career soared, Jenny’s went nowhere.

Over the next 20 years, Jenny drifted from opportunity to opportunity but never really succeeded. She wound up working as an “intuitive counselor” (aka psychic), trying to convince her customers that she could see their future. It hasn’t been too lucrative; in fact, she’s been illegally squatting in her “clinic” for a number of years.

Jenny learns that Serge was murdered and his ex-wife Gena, an actress turned artist, is missing. Apparently Jenny and Gena look almost identical; in fact, Gena has been telling people for years that she starred in The Divide, essentially appropriating Jenny’s life. And the strangest thing is, people that knew Jenny back then actually believed that she and Gena were the same person.

Boots, an Oscar-winning actress turned skin care guru, hires Jenny to figure out what happened to Gena and who killed Serge. She doesn’t need a detective; she just wants Jenny to use her psychic skills to formulate a guess as to whom the guilty party is.

The more Jenny mingles with Gena and Serge’s friends and significant others (past and present), the more confused she gets about Gena’s pretending to be her. And the closer she gets to figuring out the truth, the more danger she finds herself in.

This was an interesting and entertaining read. I guessed correctly as to the identity of the killer (I guess it made sense), but there are parts of the story that I wasn’t completely sure were either memories, imaginings, or hallucinations. Still, I liked the complexity of Jenny’s character and was hooked on the story.

Book Review: "The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen" by Robert Hofler

This new book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the classic love story.

Do you like to know the stories behind famous movies, the things that might have changed everything if they had come to fruition? I’m always fascinated by film history, so when Kensington Books offered me an advance copy of this book, which looks at the hard road to get The Way We Were onto the screen, I jumped at the chance.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, The Way We Were is a quintessential love story, about two completely different people in the 1930s—Katie, a Jewish activist who supports communism, and Hubbell, the handsome, privileged WASP—who fall in love and struggle with the world around them. The movie is on the American Film Institute’s list of top 10 movie romances.

While Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford seem tailor-made for their roles, the truth is, Redford didn’t want to make this movie. At first, he bristled against playing what he described as a “Ken doll” to Streisand, and he demanded that his role be expanded, so a bunch of screenwriters had to rework the script.

This was a really interesting story, a battle of egos, machinations, and compromises. What I found most fascinating is that Arthur Laurents, the original screenwriter, actually based the story on his own romance with his partner. Laurents was essentially the Streisand character while his partner, Tom Hatcher, was Redford.

Definitely a great read for film buffs and fans of this movie.

Book Review: "A Better Heart" by Chuck Augello

This is an immensely thought-provoking and poignant piece of fiction.

A washed-up actor and a capuchin monkey walk onto a movie set. Sounds like the set-up for an interesting joke, no?

But this really happens to Kevin, on the set of the first indie film he's directing. His father, actor Edward Stacey (so yes, the main character's name is Kevin Stacey), Guinness World Record Holder for most appearances in a motion picture, arrives in a yellow raincoat, toting a gun, a stack of cash, and an (apparently) stolen capuchin monkey. Kevin hasn’t seen his father in four years.

It turns out that the monkey, Henry, was a test subject in a research lab, and he was freed by animal rights activists. Now this monkey, along with others that were freed, is wanted by the FBI.

Kevin and Henry quickly develop a bond, and as he learns more about the horrible treatment of research lab animals, he agrees to travel cross-country with his father in an effort to save Henry. The trip is not without hijinks, reopening old wounds, and family drama, but Kevin is determined to do the right thing.

The book takes place over multiple periods of time, and is heartwarming, funny at times, and it makes you think about the ways lab animals are treated. (It’s a little graphic when they talk about it, but nothing is actually happening to the animals in the book.) It’s a sweet story, a little goofy at times, but just an enjoyable read.

Thanks so much to Suzy Approved Book Tours, Chuck Augello, and Black Rose Writing for inviting me on the tour and providing a complimentary advance copy of A Better Heart in exchange for an unbiased review!!

The Oscars Nominations: What Might Happen

Tomorrow morning, the Oscar nominations will be announced. Like everything else, this has been a strange year for movies, so the Oscar eligibility period was extended and the ceremony itself was delayed until late April. (It's usually all over by now.) And with everything eventually being available on streaming services, the number of movies eligible has increased as well.

I'm a huge Oscar fan, and every other year I would've seen nearly everything that's under consideration for awards. This year, however, I've seen only a few movies so far, although I intend to pick up the slack and see everything that gets nominated before the ceremonies occur.

One of my stupid pet tricks is my ability to name the nominees and winners for Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and Director from when the awards started in 1927 until present day. (Go ahead. Test me.) As I've done the last several years, I've tried to predict what I think the Academy will do with regard to nominations. Some years I'm right on target and some years I get surprised (both positively and negatively). These predictions aren't what I would like to happen necessarily, it's just how I predict the Academy will behave.

This is a weird year, however. I expect to be either very right in most categories or very, very wrong. (I'm not sure which I hope for more.) So here's what I think, and I'll be back tomorrow to share what actually transpired!

Best Picture
The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Analysis: Once again this year, the Academy has been mum on how many films will get nominated for Best Picture. (Starting next year, they'll go to a solid 10 nominees.) I picked 9 movies, but who knows? It's possible the Academy could go the comedy route with Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, go with The Mauritanian or One Night in Miami, or drop one or a few of these.

Best Actor
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Gary Oldman, Mank
Steven Yeun, Minari

Analysis: One thing is for absolute certain, and that is that Chadwick Boseman will win a posthumous Oscar for his utterly incredible performance in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Ahmed and Hopkins are definite locks for nominations (some say this award would have been Hopkins' had Boseman not lost his courageous battle with colon cancer); Oldman probably will get in, although enthusiasm for Mank seems to have cooled a bit, and for me, Yeun is the wild card. I think he'll get in, although I wouldn't be surprised if either he or Oldman is passed over for Tahar Rahim in The Mauritanian. Delroy Lindo, who gave a strong performance in Da 5 Bloods, was the early favorite, but he didn't get Golden Globe or SAG nominations, so I don't know if that bodes well for him.

Best Actress
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Andra Day, The United States Vs. Billie Holliday
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
Rosamund Pike, I Care a Lot

Analysis: I hemmed and hawed a bit here, and decided to go with Pike, who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy, over Vanessa Kirby for Pieces of a Woman. Pike has been nominated before, but dark comedies don't always resonate well with the Academy, while Kirby has never been nominated but gives an emotional performance. Of course, I could be surprised even more and the sentimental favorite, 86-year-old Sophia Loren, could sneak in for A Life Ahead, 50 years after she won an Oscar for Two Women. I wish there was a slot for Michelle Pfeiffer for French Exit, but that seems less and less a possibility.

Best Supporting Actor
Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Chadwick Boseman, Da 5 Bloods
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami
Paul Raci, Sound of Metal

Analysis: So I'll address the elephant in the room first. I believe Boseman will be the first person to receive two posthumous acting nominations tomorrow, but I'll only be happy with one of them. I don't believe this performance would be recognized had he not died—it's really not much of a role, IMHO. I believe his slot should go to either Glynn Turman or Colman Domingo, Boseman's costars in Ma Rainey. Also, Kaluuya, who appears to be the frontrunner in this category, is the co-lead of the movie and doesn't belong here, but that's typical of the Oscars. In terms of other surprises, it's possible if Minari has an incredible showing that adorable Alan Kim could get a nod, or Jared Leto with his prosthetic overbite could sneak in for The Little Things.

Best Supporting Actress
Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman, The Father
Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian
Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

Analysis: So this category is utterly unpredictable. I believe a spot belongs to Amanda Seyfried for Mank (she was great), but again, I think she'll be a victim of the movie's cooling hype. There is some momentum for Ellen Burstyn to get a nomination for a short performance in Pieces of a Woman, 20 years after her last nomination (which she should have won for, cough cough), but like Sophia Loren, she didn't receive Golden Globe or SAG nominations. Bakalova is actually the female lead, but anyone who had to act opposite Giuliani deserves something, no?

Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
David Fincher, Mank
Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Chloe Zhao, Nomadland

Analysis: If the Academy knows what's good for it, history better be made tomorrow, with the nomination of at least two women for Best Director. Regina King could sneak in as well for One Night in Miami, but whether she knocks out Sorkin or Fennell remains to be seen. Florian Zeller could sneak in, too, if the Academy likes The Father.

How right or wrong will I be? Tune in tomorrow!

Oscar Nominations: How Did I Do?

So last night I posted my predictions for the Oscar nominations in the major categories.

After listening to the announcement of the nominations this morning, I found that I did well relative to my predictions in most categories and bombed in one. But more importantly, other than one major snub, I'm not really that unhappy with this year's nominations. Are there people or movies I wish were nominated? Sure, but this isn't that bad on the whole, despite the lack of diversity, which I never expect anyhow.

So, let's look at how I did.

Best Picture
1917
Ford v. Ferrari
The Irishman
Joker
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Parasite

Analysis: I went 9/9 here. I would've loved to see Knives Out or The Farewell take the 10th slot, but this is a strong batch of nominees. (I wasn't a fan of one of them, and the second didn't wow me, but still.)

Best Actor
Antonion Banderas, Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Analysis: I overthought this one a lot, because I went 2/5. But I am thrilled that Banderas got his first nomination for his amazing performance, and I think this is one of Leo's best as well, better than the one he won his Oscar for! I'm also excited for Jonathan Pryce, who was dead-on as Pope Francis. I would've loved to see Eddie Murphy or Christian Bale, but I don't know which actor I would take out.

Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renee Zellweger, Judy

Analysis: I went 5/5 here. I would've put Awkwafina in, but I didn't think it would happen, sadly. I'm happy Ronan got in here, and it's exciting that Cynthia Erivo received nominations for Best Actress and Best Original Song. (If you've never heard this woman sing, go on YouTube. She is mesmerizing.) Amazingly, Theron got her first nomination since 2005 and Zellweger got her first since winning Best Supporting Actress in 2003.

Best Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Analysis: I went 4/5 here. I was hoping Song Kang-Ho might make it in here for Parasite, but I'm not surprised by Anthony Hopkins' inclusion on this list. Here's some interesting trivia: this is Tom Hanks' first nomination since 2000 (his first for Best Supporting Actor), Hopkins' first since 1997, and Pacino's first since his double nomination in 1992.

Best Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Analysis: I went 4/5 here, too. So if I'm mad about anything, it's that J. Lo was snubbed. I didn't buy into the conventional wisdom of some film bloggers who said she'd get passed over and I feel she deserved to be on this list. I also would have loved to see Zhao Shuzhen here, too, but I am thrilled Florence Pugh was nominated. Kathy Bates does get her first nomination since 2002.

Best Director
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Todd Phillips, Joker
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Analysis: I went 4/5 here as well. I am surprised Todd Phillips was included despite his, umm, less-than-stellar reputation in Hollywood, but I guess voters' love of Joker and admiration for his artistry outweighed his faults. I wish Greta Gerwig made the list, or even Pedro Almodovar, but the directors' branch is a funny one. Sam Mendes gets his first nomination since winning this award in 1999.

And there you have it! I feel better than I normally do on the day of the nominations announcement, so there's that. Will all of the expected choices win? Tune in on February 9!

Oscar Nominations: What I Think Might Happen...

It's that time again...tomorrow (Monday) at around 8:37 a.m. ET, the nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced. Those of you who know me know in addition to being a voracious reader, I'm a huge movie fan and the slightest bit Oscar-obsessed.

I definitely try to see everything that gets nominated in all of the major categories (some years even tracking a movie down to an obscure theater more than an hour from here) and for the longest time, one of my stupid party tricks is the ability to name the nominees and winners for Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and Director from when the awards started in 1927 until present day. (Go ahead. Test me.)

As I've done the last several years, I've tried to predict what I think the Academy will do with regard to nominations. Some years I'm right on target and some years I get surprised (both positively and negatively). These predictions aren't what I would like to happen necessarily, it's just how I predict the Academy will behave.

This year, while there may be front-runners to win the four acting categories (Joaquin Phoenix, Renee Zellweger, Brad Pitt, and Laura Dern), the rest of the nominees could go in any number of directions. With a compressed schedule for nominations, it's anyone's guess (including mine) what will happen, so here's my best try. I'll report back Monday evening on how off-target I was.

Best Picture
1917
Ford v. Ferrari
The Irishman
Joker
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Parasite

Analysis: As they've been doing for a number of years now, the Academy nominates a random number of pictures between 5 and 10 based on a vote threshold, so you can never predict how many will be nominated. I chose nine although I'm hoping Knives Out and/or The Farewell winds up on the list, hopefully not at the expense of Little Women. Ford v. Ferrari might also be vulnerable.

Best Actor
Christian Bale, Ford v. Ferrari
Robert DeNiro, The Irishman
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Taron Egerton, Rocketman
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Analysis: If I had my way, this category would include Antonio Banderas for his fantastic turn in Pain and Glory and Leonardo DiCaprio, for one of his best performances, in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood. But from what I've been reading, people think DiCaprio has the weakest hold on a nod, and they think The Irishman will have a solid showing tomorrow, letting DeNiro slide in despite not having been nominated for either a Golden Globe or a SAG. I also think perennial Academy favorite Bale will sneak in. There are a number of other actors—Eddie Murphy in Dolemite is My Name, Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems, and Jonathan Pryce in The Two Popes—which could also surprise.

Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renee Zellweger, Judy

Analysis: Again, there are a few other actresses whose names being called tomorrow wouldn't surprise me. I'd be thrilled if Awkwafina gets nominated for The Farewell (as long as it's not the expense of Saoirse Ronan), and there's also a possibility that Lupita Nyong'o could get nominated for Us (despite the dismal record of horror films at the Oscars) and/or Alfre Woodard could score her first nomination since 1983(!) for Clemency.

Best Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Song Kang-ho, Parasite
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Analysis: I'm going with the surprise nomination of Song here despite his not being nominated for a SAG or Golden Globe, because I think Parasite will do really well tomorrow morning in the nominations. (Plus he was freaking fantastic.) Anthony Hopkins' performance as Pope Benedict in The Two Popes could get in, or a true supporting performance like Tracy Letts for his terrific turn in Ford v. Ferrari or Alan Alda for Marriage Story could surprise, too. (The interesting thing will be whether Tom Hanks gets nominated for the first time in 20 years—he's been expected to several times before and been left out.)

Best Supporting Actress
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Analysis: This is a tough category, really. I'm hoping that Zhao Shuzhen gets a surprise nomination for The Farewell. (I've totally given up hope that Annette Bening will get in here for playing Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the little-seen The Report, despite my total allegiance to her getting an Oscar someday.) Some think Robbie could get nominated for Once Upon a Time... instead (I don't think that would be deserving). There's also an outside possibility that despite doing little more than glaring, Anna Paquin could sneak in if The Irishman has a strong showing.

Best Director
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit

Analysis: I'd like to see Pedro Almodovar score his second Best Director nomination for Pain & Glory, or Greta Gerwig get in for Little Women (I really enjoyed the storytelling choices she made with this film) instead of Waititi, but I think this list will match the Directors' Guild nominees. Todd Phillips could get in for Joker, or Noah Baumbach could surprise with a nod for Marriage Story, too.

Hopefully it's a more exciting than frustrating announcement this year!

2017 Oscar Nominations: What I think...

Tomorrow isn't just another Tuesday: the Oscar nominations will be announced in the morning.

I've been reasonably (ha) obsessed with the Oscars since the 1980s, and so we make an effort to see every movie and performance nominated for the major awards before the Oscar telecast. (If what happens tomorrow is what I think, we won't have much more to see, thanks to a very movie-heavy holiday season.)

(I also have this stupid human trick that I can recite all of the nominees for the major categories—Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and Director—from every year since the Oscars began in 1927. Seriously.)

But I digress.

For a while now, I've been making my predictions for which movies and performances I think will get nominated, then after the nominations are announced I come back and analyze how well I did. (Note: this isn't necessary who I think deserves to get nominated; often there's a pretty gap between what I want and what actually happens, because the Oscars are as much about paying back old slights, trying to take advantage of popularity, and other crazy politics as they are about who gave the best performances. But I digress.)

So, here's what I think will happen tomorrow around 8:38 a.m. ET. I know there's bound to be a surprise and/or disappointment (for me) or two, so...

Best Picture
The Big Sick
Call Me By Your Name
Dunkirk
Get Out
I, Tonya
Lady Bird
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Analysis: Since 2009, the Oscars have played coy with the number of films that get nominated for Best Picture. Using a preferential ballot, they'll allow as few as five and as many as ten nominees based on a threshold. I've predicted nine, but wouldn't be surprised if as few as six get nominated. Mudbound is another movie being talked about as a potential nominee, but since it was released by Netflix, that may be its disadvantage. Phantom Thread is another outside possibility.


Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
James Franco, The Disaster Artist
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Gary Oldman, The Darkest Hour

Analysis: I feel secure about Chalamet, Kaluuya, and Oldman, and reasonably secure about Day-Lewis. The fifth spot would have belonged unequivocally to James Franco until the multiple allegations of sexual impropriety surfaced a few weeks back. However, since the story broke one day before voting ended, I think he'll probably still sneak in amidst the five. If not, I'd expect to see either Denzel Washington for Roman J. Israel, Esq. or, if the film resonates with Oscar voters, Tom Hanks for The Post. (Amazingly, Hanks hasn't been nominated in 18 years.)


Best Actress
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Meryl Streep, The Post

Analysis: I feel secure about three of these nominees—Hawkins, McDormand, and Ronan—and feel Robbie is a fairly sure bet. Once again, it's that fifth slot that bewilders me. I would have thought Streep would be nearly certain to nab her 21st nomination, but The Post hasn't caught fire with many film critics or awards groups. While I still think she'll make the cut, other possibilities are Judi Dench, playing Queen Victoria yet again in Victoria and Abdul, Jessica Chastain in Molly's Game, or Michelle Williams for All the Money in the World. And if I had my way, you'd see perenially overlooked Annette Bening on the list for Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool. Break, heart, yet again...


Best Supporting Actor
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Michael Stuhlbarg, Call Me By Your Name

Analysis: So I'm going against the grain here and predicting what I want to happen. I have a feeling that Stuhlbarg, despite having the scene of the movie in Call Me By Your Name and also appearing in The Post and The Shape of Water will get overlooked, and Armie Hammer might as well. This will upset me a great deal. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see either of them and/or Richard Jenkins passed over for Christopher Plummer, who redid all of Kevin Spacey's scenes in All the Money in the World, Woody Harrelson for his smaller, somewhat-more-sympathetic part in Three Billboards, and 2015 winner Mark Rylance, who could ride the waves if Dunkirk gets lots of nominations tomorrow. And never count out Michael Shannon for The Shape of Water.


Best Supporting Actress
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Holly Hunter, The Big Sick
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Analysis: Janney and Metcalf are the two sure things here. I think 2011 winner Spencer will get her third nomination, and I believe Hunter will ride the popularity of her little movie that could. Blige was nominated for both Golden Globe and SAG Award, but she may be hurt by the fact that the film is released by Netflix. Hong Chau has gotten great reviews (and Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations) for Downsizing, but she's the only thing mentioned positively related to her film. Other possibilities are Lesley Manville for Phantom Thread, Tiffany Haddish for Girls Trip, getting the Melissa McCarthy-type nod, or possibly Kristin Scott Thomas for her turn as Clemmie Churchill in The Darkest Hour.


Best Director
Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Jordan Peele, Get Out

Analysis: The five nominees I selected are also the five nominees for the Directors' Guild Award. Rarely do those nominees match the Oscar nominees completely, so I think there will be at least one person snubbed, and it may very well be Nolan, who has been passed over a few times in his career. (I hope it's not Gerwig or Peele that gets snubbed.) Who could replace Nolan or other snub-ees? I'd honestly love to see Luca Guadagnino get nominated for Call Me By Your Name, and it would be incredible to see Dee Rees get nominated for Mudbound alongside Gerwig, for two female Best Director nominees for the first time in history. Other surprises could include Paul Thomas Anderson for Phantom Thread or even two-time winner Steven Spielberg for The Post, although I doubt it.


And there you have it! Check back tomorrow to see which noms excited me, which enraged me, and which shocked me.

2015 Oscar Nominations: What actually happened

This morning, the nominations for the 88th annual Academy Awards were announced. The Revenant led all films with 12 nominations.

Yesterday I posted my predictions for what films and performances I thought might get nominated. And now, it's time to compare my thoughts to reality and see where they differ.

Best Picture
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

Analysis: You never know how many films will be nominated for Best Picture. The Academy chose eight again this year, although I had predicted nine. I chose all but Room, which was a tremendously pleasant surprise, instead thinking that Carol and Straight Outta Compton would be nominated. So I'm going to say I went 7/8 in this category.


Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Analysis: I went 5/5 here. Very happy with this category, although, as I said last night, I would have been happier had Michael B. Jordan gotten nominated for Creed. But I knew that wouldn't happen.


Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Analysis: I went 4/5 here, but through no fault of my own. As I mentioned last night, there was a great deal of debate about the so-called "category fraud" occurring, in which actors who gave leading performances were being campaigned for supporting categories. I thought the Academy would nominate Alicia Vikander, who was the female lead in The Danish Girl, in this category, but they did not. The good news, at least, is that never-nominated Charlotte Rampling finally received a nomination. So, lemons—lemonade.


Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Analysis: I went 5/5 here, too, although I would have been happier if Ethan Tremblay and Paul Dano made this list for their amazing performances in Room and Love & Mercy. I'm happiest about Stallone's nomination—amazingly he was nominated for playing the same character twice, 39 years apart. Pretty cool.


Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Analysis: Even though I got four of five actresses correct, I technically went 3/5 here, since, as I mentioned above, Alicia Vikander was nominated for The Danish Girl in this category instead of Ex Machina. And while I was hoping Joan Allen might sneak in here for Room, I wasn't disappointed that Rachel McAdams received her first nomination.


Best Director
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Analysis: I went 4/5 here. I really thought Ridley Scott would get nominated for The Martian, and, in fact, thought he might win the Oscar on his fourth nomination, but instead the Academy surprised with a (deserved) nomination for Abrahamson. Amazingly, only Iñárritu, who won last year and was nominated in 2006 for Babel, has ever received a Best Director nod before.


Who will win? Well, I think DiCaprio and Larson are relative locks for Best Actor/Actress, but who knows about everything else? February 28 is the big reveal...

Oscars 2014: Who will win and who SHOULD win??

Tomorrow night is one of my favorite nights of the year—the Oscars.

If you know me reasonably well, or have been following my blog, you're aware of my obsession with all things Oscar. Of course, with any awards program, the winners are always subjective, and there's rarely universal agreement about who deserves to win. And with about a million different awards being handed out prior to the Oscars, there are rarely many surprises when the winners are finally announced on Oscar night.

But I won't let that stop me from sharing my predictions for who will win the major awards on Sunday night, and who I think should win. We've seen all of the films nominated for Best Picture, and all of the performances nominated for acting awards except one, so I feel pretty knowledgeable when sharing my opinions. (Not that I've let it stop me before.)

How accurate will I be? Tune in tomorrow night and find out!

Best Picture
The nominees are: American Sniper; Birdman; Boyhood; The Grand Budapest Hotel; The Imitation Game; Selma; The Theory of Everything; and Whiplash.

Who Will Win: As much as I'm hoping it won't, I believe Birdman may very well win Best Picture, although it's locked in a very tight race with Boyhood.

Who Should Win: My favorite movie of the year, and the film I believe most deserving of the Oscar, is Boyhood. Not only is it an achievement in filmmaking the likes of which no one has ever seen, but it's a beautifully told, artfully written, splendidly acted movie. Here's hoping it ekes out a victory!





Best Actor
The nominees are: Steve Carell, Foxcatcher; Bradley Cooper, American Sniper; Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game; Michael Keaton, Birdman; and Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything.

Who Will Win: This, like Best Picture, is a two-man race, between Eddie Redmayne, for his physical transformation into Stephen Hawking, and Michael Keaton, for his comeback role in a part seemingly written for him. Oscar loves biographies and physical transformations, but they also love comebacks, and while Redmayne won the Screen Actors Guild Award (he and Keaton both won Golden Globes), I think Keaton's film has the momentum, so I expect to see Keaton accepting the Oscar, although a Redmayne win wouldn't surprise me.

Who Should Win: Well, the actor who actually SHOULD win the Oscar, is David Oyelowo for Selma, but since he shockingly wasn't nominated, my second-favorite performance of the year was Redmayne's.


Best Actress
The nominees are: Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night; Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything; Julianne Moore, Still Alice; Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl; and Reese Witherspoon, Wild.

Who Will Win: Julianne Moore is widely expected to finally win an Oscar, on her fifth nomination. (She should have won before this, but that's another post for another day.) She has won the Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and many feel she's due.

Who Should Win: If there's any justice in the world, Moore will finally win her Oscar. But unlike many "it's about time" wins, her performance in Still Alice is absolutely exquisite. On the whole, this is a pretty strong group of nominees.



Best Supporting Actor
The nominees are: Robert Duvall, The Judge; Ethan Hawke, Boyhood; Edward Norton, Birdman; Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher; and J.K. Simmons, Whiplash.

Who Will Win: While I suppose there's a chance Robert Duvall could pull off a surprise win given the longevity of his career, I believe Simmons will take home the Oscar for his intense performance, as well as being in so many roles, including Farmers' Insurance commercials.

Who Should Win: Simmons was absolutely mesmerizing in this fantastic film. His is one of the performances that hasn't left my mind since I saw the film. But what's amazing about this category, other than Duvall, is that there are a few nominees who have done great work and are due for their own awards—Norton (who should have won in 1998 for American History X), as well as Ruffalo and Hawke, both of whom have turned in some really terrific performances through the years.


Best Supporting Actress
The nominees are: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood; Laura Dern, Wild; Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game; Emma Stone, Birdman; and Meryl Streep, Into the Woods.

Who Will Win: I believe Patricia Arquette, who has won nearly every precursor award given out prior to the Oscars, will take home her first Oscar tomorrow night. There's a tiny part of me that wonders if Laura Dern couldn't pull off a Marcia Gay Harden-like surprise win (neither were nominated for Golden Globe or SAG Awards), but I don't think Dern's role reached the intensity of Harden's in Pollock back in 2000.

Who Should Win: Dern, Knightley, Stone, and Streep all turn in memorable performances, but Arquette gave Boyhood such heart and soul. I'm so glad she's finally found a film role so perfect for her, and her performance really ran the gamut of emotions.


Best Director
The nominees are: Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, Birdman; Richard Linklater, Boyhood; Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher; and Morton Tyldum, The Imitation Game.

Who Will Win: Much like Best Picture, I think this is a two-person race between Gonzalez Iñarritu and Linklater. Some think that Birdman and Boyhood will split the top prizes, much like last year when 12 Years a Slave won Best Picture and Alfonso Cuaron won Best Director for Gravity. I still think Gonzalez Iñarritu will eke out the win.

Who Should Win: Hands down, Richard Linklater should win this award for his work on Boyhood. To come up with an idea like, let's film the same cast once a year for 12 years, and then do it so extraordinarily, is deserving of recognition, but his body of work is equally laudable. I hope he wins this.