Oscars 2018: Who should win?

Maya Dennis, A&E Critic
March 2, 2018

As we get closer and closer to the Oscars, winners become more clear, but this year feels different. With the award shows leading up to the Academy Awards, mostly everything has won at this point, and that makes picking a winner even harder.

To choose between nine incredible films — six which have won best film awards already — is a difficult thing. The best prediction for Best Motion Picture is “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.” The film currently has four best film awards. However, the race is close, and anyone could win.

All Nominees: “Call Me By Your Name,” “Darkest Hour,” “Dunkirk,” “Get Out,” “Lady Bird,” “Phantom Thread,” “The Post,” “The Shape of Water,” “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Actor looks to be going to Gary Oldman for his performance in “Darkest Hour.” He’s won the award six times for his role as Winston Churchill, and the Academy Awards look to be no different for him.

All Nominees: Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name”), Daniel Day-Lewis (“Phantom Thread”), Daniel Kaluuya (“Get Out”), Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”), Denzel Washington (“Roman J. Israel, Esq.”)

Frances McDormand has won four awards for her portrayal of Mildred Hayes, a mother who puts up three controversial billboards after her daughter was done wrong. With only one more awards show left, McDormand is sure to take home the Oscar for Best Actress.

All Nominees: 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”)

One of the lesser debated categories is Best Director. Throughout the awards season, “The Shape of Water” director, Guillermo del Toro, has taken the award home almost every time. So there’s no reason things should change, but we’ll soon find out.

All Nominees: Christopher Nolan (“Dunkirk”), Jordan Peele (“Get Out”), Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird”), Paul Thomas Anderson (“Phantom Thread”), Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape of Water”)

For Best Supporting Actor, Sam Rockwell is the front-runner. While he mainly plays eccentric, non-leading roles, “Three Billboards” is a switch for him. If he wins, this would be his first Academy Award and could change the game for him as an actor.

All Nominees: Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”), Woody Harrelson (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”), Richard Jenkins (“The Shape of Water”), Christopher Plummer (“All the Money in the World”), Sam Rockwell (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”)

Allison Janney plays the not-so-nice mother of Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya.” And every time she has been nominated for her role, she’s won. If she wins Best Supporting Actress, her career will become far broader than ever thought for a television actor.

All Nominees: Mary J. Blige (“Mudbound”), Allison Janney (“I, Tonya”), Lesley Manville (“Phantom Thread”), Laurie Metcalf (“Lady Bird”), Octavia Spencer (“The Shape of Water”)

The Academy Awards start at 7 p.m. Mar. 4 on ABC.