How did I fare with my predictions?

The Korean film Parasite shocked everyone by winning several major categories – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Film.

It was always going to win Best Foreign Film – but in winning Best Picture it made history by being the first foreign language film to win the top gong.

Most of the Oscar pundits got it wrong – and so within that context I did ok with my predictions. But before I go through my audit I just want to say that I still feel that 1917 should have won Best Picture and Best Director for Sam Mendes.

That said, Parasite is an extraordinary piece of work. It’s exquisitely made, and devastating in its social commentary. And I haven’t seen a film in a long time that uses symbolism and metaphor so powerfully.

So, how did I go with my predictions? Here is my list, detailing what I got right and what I got wrong –

Best Picture
The Irishman
BB: Joker
WRONG – PARASITE

Best Director
Sam Mendes / 1917
BB: Todd Philips / Joker
WRONG – BONG JOON-Ho / PARASITE

Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix / Joker
BB: Joaquin Phoenix / Joker
RIGHT

Best Actress
Renee Zwelleger / Judy
BB: Scarlett Johansson / JoJo Rabbit
RIGHT

Best Supporting Actor
Brad Pitt / Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
BB: a three way tie between Joe Pesci / The Irishman, Anthony Hopkins / The Two Popes, and Taika Waititi / JoJo Rabbit
RIGHT

Best Supporting Actress
Laura Dern / Marriage Story
BB: Charlize Theron / Bombshell
RIGHT

Best Original Screenplay
Quentin Tarantino / Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
BB: Quentin Tarantino / Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
WRONG – BONG JOON-Ho / PARASITE

Best Adapted Screenplay
Taika Waititi / JoJo Rabbit
BB: Anthony McCarten / The Two Popes
RIGHT

Best Foreign Language Film
Parasite
BB: Parasite
RIGHT

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins / 1917
BB: Lawrence Sher / Joker
RIGHT

Best Film Editing
Ford vs Ferarri
BB: Jeff Groth / Joker
RIGHT

Best Sound Editing:
1917
BB: Ford vs Ferrari
WRONG – FORD vs FERRARI

Best Sound Mixing:
1917
BB: a tie between  Rocketman and Joker
RIGHT

Best Production Design
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
BB: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
RIGHT

Visual Effects
1917
BB: 1917
RIGHT

Original Score
Joker
BB: JokeR
RIGHT

Original Song
I’m gonna Love me Again / Rocketman
BB: I’m gonna Love me Again / Rocketman
RIGHT

Best Costume Design
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
BB: Dolemite is my Name
WRONG / LITTLE WOMEN

Best Makeup & Hair
Bombshell
BB: Dolemite is my Name
RIGHT

Best Documentary
American Factory
BB: Honeyland
RIGHT

Best Animated Feature
Toy Story 4
BB: Frozen 2
RIGHT

So out of 21 categories, I got 16 right. That’s a strike rate of 76%, which given the big upset with Parasite, isn’t too bad.

For instance, according to the Metacritic website, only 23% of expert critics predicted Parasite would win Best Picture, and 17% predicted Bong Joon-ho would win Best Director.

https://www.metacritic.com/feature/predictions-for-who-will-win-2020-oscars

And Scott Feinberg, Oscar expert from the Hollywood Reporter (considered the best Oscar pundit) only got 17 out of the 21 categories – one more than me. So I didn’t do too badly this year.

What a great year for movies though! One of the best for a long time.