2015 Oscar Predictions (UPDATE: Winners are highlighted in blue)

I have now seen all of the Best Picture nominees and am ready to publish my predictions for the 2015 Oscars. This year's Oscars are a bit more challenging than last year's to predict as I personally don't see many clear cut winners. But that's not going to stop me from making my predictions! So as in years past, I will predict who I think will win as well as who I want to/think should win.

UPDATE: Winners are highlighted in blue. I was 5 for 8 with my predictions.

Best Motion Picture of the Year 

American Sniper (my review)

Birdman 

Boyhood 

The Imitation Game (my review)

The Grand Budapest Hotel 

Selma 

The Theory of Everything (my review)

Whiplash 

PREDICTION: Boyhood 

MY CHOICE: American Sniper 

Boyhood seems to be the favorite (and it is an excellent movie), so I will go with that for my prediction. My favorite movie of the bunch though is American Sniper (with The Theory of Everything a close 2nd). 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 

Steve Carell - Foxcatcher 

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game 

Bradley Cooper - American Sniper 

Michael Keaton - Birdman 

Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything 

PREDICTION: Eddie Redmayne 

MY CHOICE: Eddie Redmayne 

Redmayne becomes Stephen Hawking in an amazing performance. 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 

Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night 

Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything 

Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl 

Julianne Moore - Still Alice 

Reese Witherspoon - Wild 

PREDICTION: Julianne Moore 

MY CHOICE: Rosamund Pike 

Pike does a fantastic job playing a psychopath. I haven't seen Moore's performance, but she seems to be the favorite. 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 

Robert Duvall - The Judge 

Ethan Hawke - Boyhood 

Edward Norton - Birdman 

Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher 

J.K. Simmons - Whiplash 

PREDICTION: J.K. Simmons 

MY CHOICE: J.K. Simmons 

J.K. Simmons is awesome in this movie and I cannot imagine him NOT winning. 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role 

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood 

Laura Dern - Wild 

Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game 

Emma Stone - Birdman 

Meryl Streep - Into the Woods 

PREDICTION: Patricia Arquette 

MY CHOICE: Patricia Arquette 

Patricia Arquette turns in a wonderful performance as the Mom in Boyhood. 

Best Achievement in Directing 

Richard Linklater - Boyhood 

Alejandro González Iñárritu - Birdman 

Bennett Miller - Foxcatcher 

Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel 

Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game 

PREDICTION: Richard Linklater 

MY CHOICE: Richard Linklater 

Because of his unique & innovative vision for the movie Boyhood, I believe Richard Linklater will win this one. UPDATE: I was going to change this to Iñárritu, but wound up not doing so...

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen 

Boyhood - Richard Linklater 

Birdman - Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo 

Foxcatcher - E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman 

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness 

Nightcrawler - Dan Gilroy 

PREDICTION: The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness 

MY CHOICE: Birdman 

Because of the movie's unique, quirky story, I think Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness will win for The Grand Budapest Hotel. I personally think that the writers of Birdman should win though. 

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published 

American Sniper - Jason Hall 

Inherent Vice - Paul Thomas Anderson 

The Imitation Game - Graham Moore 

The Theory of Everything - Anthony McCarten 

Whiplash - Damien Chazelle 

PREDICTION: The Imitation Game - Graham Moore 

MY CHOICE: The Imitation Game - Graham Moore 

The Imitation Game tells such a great story and is thus very well written.