Who Will (and Should) Win at the 88th Academy Awards

Resident film critic Jimmy Flynn dishes out his 2016 Oscar predictions 

Jimmy FlynnTHE SANTA CLARAFebruary 26, 2016Best PictureFILE - This photo provided by courtesy of Open Road Films shows, Rachel McAdams, from left, as Sacha Pfeiffer, Mark Ruffalo as Michael Rezendes and Brian d’Arcy James as Matt Carroll, in a scene from the film, "Spotlight." Oscar contenders "Spotlight" and "The Big Short" won the top awards for screenwriting from the Writers Guild of America at a ceremony Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, that was held in Los Angeles and New York. (Kerry Hayes/Open Road Films via AP, File)Who Will Win: “Spotlight”Who Should Win: “The Big Short”“The Revenant” is also a possibility here, but it’s looking like “Spotlight” is going to steal the show. No matter how it shakes out, “The Big Short” is the one film that is going to endure past Sunday’s ceremony. McKay’s glimpse into the catalyst of the 2007 economic crash was the most relevant and engaging film of the year, and anyone who aspires to rake in a boatload of cash needs to see it.Best DirectorPhoto: APWho Will Win: Alejandro G. Inarritu, “The Revenant”Who Should Win: George Miller, “Mad Max: Fury Road”Inarritu won last year for “Birdman” and is definitely the front-runner. If he prevails, he would be the third director to win the award in two consecutive years. But I’m pulling for George Miller, whose latest entry in the “Mad Max” franchise was the most visually stunning and thematically daring film not only of the year, but in recent memory. “Fury Road” is a masterpiece, and it will be an outrageous injustice if Miller loses out.Best ActorPhoto: Twentieth Century Fox via AP.Who Will/Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”It’s time, already. He probably should have already won for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” and definitely should have won for “Django Unchained.” For his role in “The Revenant,” he slept in animal carcasses, ate raw bison liver and endured the threat of hypothermia. He does more with his eyes than most actors do with their entire bodies. I’d bet the farm on Leo.Best ActressIn "Carol" Cate Blanchett plays Carol Aird, an older woman going through a divorce who develops an intimate relationship with aspiring photographer Therese Belivet, played by Rooney Mara. Photo: AP. Who Will Win: Cate Blanchett, “Carol”Who Should Win: Brie Larson, “Room”The Academy loves Cate Blanchett, with this being her seventh nomination. But the Academy also loves young actresses with loads of potential, which is good news for newcomer and 26-year-old Brie Larson, whose tour-de-force performance in “Room” has already earned her Best Actress accolades from the BAFTA and Golden Globes. I hope the best for Larson, but she’s a long shot.Best Supporting ActorPhoto: AP.Who Will Win: Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies”Who Should Win: Tom Hardy, “The Revenant”Rylance and Sylvester Stallone are heavily favored, but my money’s on Tom Hardy. His disturbed performance as John Fitzgerald matched up to Leo’s act in “The Revenant” and was accomplished in a fraction of the screen time. Even if Hardy loses out this year, it won’t be long before he takes home a golden statue.Best Supporting ActressThis image released by Focus Features shows Alicia Vikander in a scene from "The Danish Girl." Vikander was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in the film. The 88th Academy Awards will be held on Photo: Focus Features via AP. Who Will Win: Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl”Who Should Win: Jennifer Jason Leigh, “The Hateful Eight”Vikander had a great year, turning in solid performances in both “The Danish Girl” and the overlooked “Ex Machina.” Jennifer Jason Leigh is the biggest longshot of all the nominees, but her hilariously frightening performance as the racist, murderous and manipulative Daisy Domergue was the best of the year. An Oscar would complete her comeback to acting. Best Original ScreenplayPhoto: AP.Who Will Win: Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, “Spotlight”Who Should Win: Quentin Tarantino, “The Hateful Eight”Tarantino’s not even nominated in this category, which is just bamboozling. “The Hateful Eight” was a sprawling, explosive literary masterpiece brought to life with a handful of terrific performances. It was the most inventive and quotable script of the year, and it’s a shame that the award will go to “Spotlight.”Best Adapted ScreenplayFILE - This photo released by Paramount Pictures shows, Rafe Spall, from left, Jeremy Strong, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Jeffry Griffin in the film, "The Big Short." Oscar contenders "Spotlight" and "The Big Short" won the top awards for screenwriting from the Writers Guild of America at a ceremony Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, that was held in In “The Big Short,” Adam McKay directs Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt and Christian Bale through an exceptional deconstruction of the disastrous economic collapse of 2007 that cost Americans $7 trillion. Photo by Jaap Buitendijk/Paramount Pictures via AP.Who Will/Should Win: Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, “The Big Short”McKay might not win Best Picture or Best Director, but he’s a shoo-in for this award. Ever since his time at SNL and partnership with Will Ferrell, he’s been a terrific writer, setting him up to produce a perfect marriage of comedy and tragedy in his and Charles Rudolph’s adaptation of Michael Lewis’ book about the catastrophic housing and credit bubble. The script was fast, funny and just the right amount of frenetic. It entertained and enlightened, and it’s going to earn McKay his first Oscar.Contact Jimmy Flynn at jflynn@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.

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