My Picks for the 2021 Oscars

In the words of Moira Rose, “What is your favorite season?” “Awards.” Some people may see the Oscars as unnecessary and trivial, especially after the year we’ve had. However, I feel the opposite. I think the Oscars are a wonderful night full pageantry that allows us to escape from everything. And it’s not just the ceremony itself that enables you to escape, it’s the movies, actors, crew, and many other artists who are being recognized that got us through one of the roughest times in humanity.

As a lover of movies and awards season it is a privilege to bring you my picks for the 2021 Oscars. Now, I must preface this by saying these are my own opinions of who I think should receive the awards. For many of these categories it is difficult to pick “the best” because each artist is bringing so much to their work. My purpose here is to give you my own opinions and encourage you to see these films for yourself. I should also mention I will only be focusing on eight categories. The categories that always create the biggest headlines. You can find the nominees for each category on the Oscars website or by simply googling them. Without further ado, here are my Oscar picks!

Best Adapted Screenplay: I must admit, this is the only category I will mention that I did not watch all the nominees. I missed one movie. Not on purpose, just an oversight. But with that being said, I must say that I thought “One Night in Miami…” was beautifully done. The script was adapted from the play by the same name and written by Kemp Powers who also wrote the screenplay. This movie could have so easily been just a filmed version of the play, but Powers did a great job of taking the audience out of feeling like they were watching a play. Not that plays are bad, I am a theatre kid after all, but sometimes they don’t translate well to film. I thought Powers did a fantastic job of not keeping us in the same location too long, something that often has to be done on stage purely for technical reasons. The writing seemed realistic even though it is a recounting of a real event that no one else witnessed except the four main men. We don’t know what was actually discussed on this night, but Powers makes you believe that this is just as possible as any other supposed conversation.

Best Original Screenplay: There are so many good options, but my pick has to be “Promising Young Woman”. Emerald Fennell did an absolutely exceptional job writing her first feature film. It is such a unique story but at the same time one we’ve seen before. As Carey Mulligan, the star of the film, pointed out in an interview, this film is about a woman seeking revenge, and we’ve seen men play these parts countless times, but somehow now that it’s a woman playing the part all the reviewers see her as crazy. Which only brings home more the reason Emerald Fennell felt the urge to write this movie. It could have so easily been a ridiculous film. Completely unrealistic and insane, however even in the craziest moments Fennell manages to write a character and plot line that feels like it could happen at any moment. She straddles the line perfectly of making her characters both likeable and also completely despicable. I for one absolutely cannot wait to see more from Fennell.

Best Directing: Best original screenplay is a perfect segue into best directing because my pick for best directing is none other than…Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman”. Her directing wasn’t just about getting the best shots (although she does), she also used the shots to give us more insight into the characters or to make us feel a certain way about a character. You can tell while watching it that the direction was clear and well thought out. There’s deeper meanings to the direction. It also had some of the most interesting shots I’ve seen in all the films this year. Shots ranging from classic film making to-you’re now going to go on this rollercoaster with us so keep up. There was never a moment where I was bored.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: With most of my picks so far, it’s hard to tell if they’ll win. I love them, but will they actually get the award? However, I have no doubt about my supporting actor choice because he has been winning award after award all season, and that is none other than Daniel Kaluuya. His role as the chairman for the Illinois Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton, in “Judas and the Black Messiah” is astounding. It is sad to say that I don’t think many people knew Fred Hampton’s story before this film. But thanks to Kaluuya’s performance I think people will be interested to learn more about the man and his activism. Kaluuya was able to perfectly capture both Hampton’s public persona and private self. Kaluuya mentions that Hampton had a different way of speaking when he was delivering speeches. Kaluuya went so far as to take Opera voice lessons to enhance his speaking and deliver the same life changing speeches Hampton did. Kaluuya has a way of making you completely forget it’s him playing a part in every role he does, which to me is the mark of a great actor. Not once while watching this film was I aware I was watching Kaluuya. It felt like I was watching the real Fred Hampton.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: My pick for this category has to be Yuh-Jung Youn for “Minari”. She covers the entire acting spectrum in one performance. She plays a grandmother, but a grandmother who’s cool enough and intrigued by American culture so much that she almost feels more like a cool aunt, much to the dismay of her grandson. She brings a lightness to the movie as her Korean family struggles to start a farm in Arkansas. She’s the comedic relief for most of the movie and then there’s a switch. Her role suddenly turns dramatic and heartbreaking. Yuh-Jung Youn portrays both emotions so effortlessly that it’s obvious she deserves recognition for this performance. I loved every minute of watching her on screen. She both makes you want to just sit and watch tv with her character and also wrap her in a big hug. I think it’s safe to say she’s definitely a front runner for this category.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: My pick is the incomparable Anthony Hopkins for his role as a father with dementia in “The Father”. I have to be honest; I don’t know that I’ve ever watched a full Anthony Hopkins movie. I am not a fan of scary movies so his role as Hannibal Lector made me less than interested to see him in other roles although I knew he was extremely talented. I am so glad I didn’t skip this movie because I have never seen an actor change their emotion and line delivery as fast as Hopkins did in this film. One moment he’s an absolute charmer and the next he can kill your spirit with a single line. But it’s not just that you either love his character or are scared of him, you also have the deepest empathy for him. The entire movie you feel just as confused as he does, you are truly in his shoes. So, when the character does become indignant, it’s not that it immediately makes you dislike him. Instead, you completely understand why he reacts the way he does. I thought Hopkins gave a beautiful performance of a fully complex human who is going through something unimaginable while at the same time not alienating the audience.

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Now, this may be a controversial pick because she hasn’t necessarily been a front runner so far this awards season, but my pick is Carey Mulligan for “Promising Young Woman”. The character of Cassie could easily be such a ridiculous character if not portrayed correctly. Luckily, Mulligan plays Cassie perfectly. Although Cassie may do some pretty out-there things to herself and other people, with Mulligan’s performance it never seems unrealistic. For fans of the show “Killing Eve” Cassie is very Villanelle like. Seemingly sweet and “normal” until you get too close and see the dark side. Emerald Fennell also wrote for “Killing Eve” so it’s no surprise a bit of Villanelle slipped in. Mulligan makes Cassie completely likeable even when she is doing very questionable things, you’re still rooting for her and maybe even kind of want to grab a coffee with her. She seems both crazy and completely sane, something that I think is very hard to portray as realistic and not off-putting, but Mulligan managed it with complete ease. It’s the kind of performance that I don’t feel often gets showcased at awards but is well deserving.

Best Picture: Finally, we come to the biggest and hardest category of them all. I can truthfully say that I enjoyed every movie in this category. There is no movie that I feel doesn’t belong. That being said, I think my pick has to be “The Father”. I have never watched a movie like this before. The way that the movie makes you just as confused as Anthony Hopkins character experiencing dementia is extraordinary. Characters keep changing, the set keeps changing, it’s not until the end that you feel like maybe you understand it all, but you’re still not certain. That’s not to say it’s not still an enjoyable movie! It is confusing, and you are trying to piece it together the whole time, but it only makes you more intrigued, it never takes away from the movie. This film I think is something we’ve never seen before. A movie about someone with a critical illness that puts the audience right in the shoes of that character. I thought the film was compelling from start to finish in every aspect. I would also like to say that if this film doesn’t win best editing, they were robbed! I don’t how you could edit a movie as intricate as this, but the editors did a phenomenal job. Give “The Father” a watch. I promise you won’t regret it.

I hope this has inspired you to watch more of the Oscar nominated films. I think this was a great year for film even though it was definitely the oddest. I am keeping my fingers crossed that all my picks get that gold statue! You can watch the Oscars this Sunday (April 25th) on ABC! As always, happy watching!