February 22, 2017 The Skanner Page 7
Arts & Entertainment
Oscar Predictions 2017: Your Guide to the Academy Awards
By Kam Williams
For The Skanner News
a record-breaking dozen
times.
W
The Envelope Please
ill “La La Land” make history
by eclipsing the record of 11
Academy Awards? Damien
Chazelle’s magical homage to
the Hollywood musical definitely has a
decent shot. After all, it’s a lock to win
in 5 categories: Best Picture, Director,
Score, Original Song, and Sound Mix-
ing. And it’s the heavy favorite in an-
other 5: Lead Actress, Cinematography,
Costume Design, Production Design
and Film Editing.
That leaves Sound Editing, Original
“
Who Will Win, Who De-
serves to Win, Who Was
Snubbed
Best Picture
Will Win: “La La Land”
Deserves to Win: “La La
Land”
Overlooked: “Deadpool”
Best Director
Will Win: Damien Cha-
zelle (“La La Land”)
Denzel Washington might upset Af-
fleck, if the Academy decides to over-
compensate for its complete snubbing
of minority actors the last two years
Screenplay and Lead Actor. La La’s best
shot at tying the record will be by beat-
ing the World War II epic, Hacksaw
Ridge in Sound Editing.
If successful there, it has two paths
to 12. Unfortunately, Ryan Gosling is
unlikely to win for Lead Actor because
he’s up against some very stiff competi-
tion in Casey Affleck and Denzel Wash-
ington. That leaves Original Screen-
play where “Manchester by the Sea”
has the advantage by virtue of its being
a super-realistic drama as opposed to
an escapist musical fantasy.
Nevertheless, I’m optimistic that the
Academy voters will pull the lever
for the very-deserving “La La Land”
Deserves to Win: Damien Chazelle
Overlooked: Denzel Washington
(“Fences”) and Theodore Melfi (“Hid-
den Figures”)
Comment : Wunderkind Damien Cha-
zelle, at 32, becomes the youngest Best
Director winner in history.
Best Actor
Will Win: Casey Affleck (“Manches-
ter by the Sea”)
Deserves to Win: Casey Affleck
Overlooked: Ryan Reynolds (Dead-
pool)
Comment: Denzel Washington might
upset Affleck, if the Academy decides
to overcompensate for its complete
‘Moonlight’
snubbing of minority actors the last
two years. And Ryan Gosling has a
puncher’s chance of prevailing if “La
La Land”’s sweep turns out to be a re-
cord-breaking tsunami.
Best Actress
Will Win: Emma Stone (La La Land)
Deserves to Win: Emma Stone
Overlooked: Amy Adams (Arrival)
and Annette Bening (“20th Century
Women”)
Comment: Stone is a shoo-in for
three reasons. First, Viola Davis opted
to compete in the Supporting Actress
category. Second, it was an off-year
for perennial-nominee Meryl Streep
whose performance in Florence Foster
Jenkins was undeserving. Third, Amy
Adams wasn’t even nominated. Fourth,
Emma’s the only Lead Actress nominee
whose movie was also nominated for
Best Picture.
Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Mahershala Ali (“Moon-
light”)
Deserves to Win: Mahershala Ali
Overlooked: Andre Holland (Moon-
light) and John (La La Land)
Comment: 2016 was a breakout year
for Mahershala Ali who was only on
screen in Moonlight for about 20 min-
See OSCARS on page 8