2nd Annual AcadeMitch Awards

In February 2020, Bong Joon-Ho stood atop the mountain of cinema, making his two Oscars kiss, something I think we all wish we could do in our lives. The future of film and theatrical exhibition was still uncertain, but promising given the Academy's surprising choice to award something unique, international, and new (and also a flat-out great movie!). Fast forward fourteen long months and cinema is perhaps on the brink of death. While that's cynical hyperbole, it's nevertheless very possible. As Steve McQueen's Small Axe anthology proves, the line between television and film is becoming increasingly blurred in the new era of streaming. Many 2020 films were abruptly pulled, put off, or sent straight to VOD in the chaotic year of a pandemic. In our Most Anticipated of 2020 we made at the start of the year, well over half of the movies were not released, including anticipated blockbusters. The result is that smaller films have risen to the top of critics' end-of-year lists as well as the Academy's. While the movie year was somewhat down in size, quantity, and cultural impact, the films nominated for Oscars are nevertheless worthy of our attention as so many tell stories rarely highlighted in popular American cinema.

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For each category, I'll give:

Will Win: the nominee I predict will win on Sunday night.

Should Win: the nominee I would personally vote for.

Shoulda Been: the film/performance I wish would have been nominated.

AcadeMitch Awards: the films/performances I would have nominated in order of preference/achievement.

BEST PICTURE

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Will Win: Nomadland

Should Win: Minari

Shoulda Been: Soul

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Minari

  2. Soul

  3. Nomadland

  4. I'm Thinking of Ending Things

  5. Promising Young Woman

  6. Sound of Metal

  7. Da 5 Bloods

  8. First Cow

  9. News of the World

  10. Mank

DIRECTOR

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Will Win: Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

Should Win: Lee Isaac Chung, Minari

Shoulda Been: Kelly Reichardt, First Cow

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Charlie Kaufman, I'm Thinking of Ending Things

  2. Lee Isaac Chung, Minari

  3. Chloe Zhao, Nomadland

  4. Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

  5. Kelly Reichardt, First Cow

ACTOR

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Will Win: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Should Win: Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal

Shoulda Been: Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods

  2. Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal

  3. Steven Yeun, Minari

  4. Ben Affleck, The Way Back

  5. Mads Mikkelson, Another Round

ACTRESS

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Will Win: Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Should Win: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

Shoulda Been: Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

  2. Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things

  3. Elisabeth Moss, The Invisible Man

  4. Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always

  5. Christin Milioti, Palm Springs

SUPPORTING ACTOR

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Will Win: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

Should Win: Paul Raci, Sound of Metal

Shoulda Been: Alan Kim, Minari

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Paul Raci, Sound of Metal

  2. Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

  3. Alan Kim, Minari

  4. Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami

  5. Kingsley Ben-Adir, One Night in Miami

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

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Will Win: Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

Should Win: Amanda Seyfried, Mank

Shoulda Been: Olivia Cooke, Sound of Metal

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Amanda Seyfried, Mank

  2. Olivia Cooke, Sound of Metal

  3. Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

  4. Toni Collette, I'm Thinking of Ending Things

  5. Talia Ryder, Never Rarely Sometimes Always

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

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Will Win: Nomadland

Should Win: Nomadland

Shoulda Been: I'm Thinking of Ending Things

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. I'm Thinking of Ending Things

  2. Nomadland

  3. News of the World

  4. Da 5 Bloods

  5. One Night in Miami

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

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Will Win: Promising Young Woman

Should Win: Minari

Shoulda Been: Soul

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Soul

  2. Minari

  3. Promising Young Woman

  4. Sound of Metal

  5. Palm Springs

ANIMATED FEATURE

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Will Win: Soul

Should Win: Soul

Shoulda Been: N/A

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Soul

  2. Wolfwalkers

  3. Onward

  4. Weathering with You

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

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Will Win: My Octopus Teacher

Should Win: Collective

Shoulda Been: Dick Johnson is Dead

Note: David Byrne’s American Utopia would be my #1 here, but to my knowledge, the Academy has never nominated a concert film and I’m not sure if it would be eligible for this category. If it would be, that’s not only my favorite documentary of the year but my favorite film of the year.

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Dick Johnson is Dead

  2. Boys State

  3. Collective

  4. Time

  5. Crip Camp

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

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Will Win: Another Round

Should Win: Quo Vadis, Aida?

Shoulda Been: Bacurau

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Quo Vadis, Aida?

  2. Another Round

  3. Bacurau

  4. Vitalina Varela

  5. Collective

CINEMATOGRAPHY

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Will Win: Nomadland

Should Win: Nomadland

Shoulda Been: First Cow

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Nomadland

  2. Mank

  3. First Cow

  4. News of the World

  5. I’m Thinking of Ending Things

FILM EDITING

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Will Win: The Trial of the Chicago 7

Should Win: Sound of Metal

Shoulda Been: I'm Thinking of Ending Things

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. I'm Thinking of Ending Things

  2. Sound of Metal

  3. Nomadland

  4. Promising Young Woman

  5. The Father

VISUAL EFFECTS

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Will Win: Tenet

Should Win: Tenet

Shoulda Been: The Invisible Man

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. The Invisible Man

  2. Tenet

  3. Mulan

  4. The Midnight Sky

  5. Birds of Prey

PRODUCTION DESIGN

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Will Win: Mank

Should Win: Mank

Shoulda Been: Emma

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Mank

  2. News of the World

  3. Emma

  4. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

  5. Judas and the Black Messiah

SOUND

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Will Win: Sound of Metal

Should Win: Sound of Metal

Shoulda Been: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Sound of Metal

  2. Soul

  3. Mank

  4. News of the World

  5. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

ORIGINAL SCORE

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Will Win: Soul

Should Win: Soul

Shoulda Been: N/A

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Soul

  2. Mank

  3. Minari

  4. Da 5 Bloods

  5. News of the World

ORIGINAL SONG:

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Will Win: "Speak Now" - One Night in Miami

Should Win: "Speak Now" - One Night in Miami

Shoulda Been: "Rain Song" - Minari

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. "Rain Song" - Minari

  2. "Speak Now" - One Night in Miami

  3. “Fight for You” - Judas and the Black Messiah

  4. “Hear My Voice” - The Trial of the Chicago 7

COSTUME DESIGN

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Will Win: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Should Win: Mank

Shoulda Been: News of the World

AcadeMitch Nominees:

  1. Emma

  2. Mank

  3. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

  4. News of the World

  5. Birds of Prey

MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

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Will Win: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Should Win: Emma

Shoulda Been: I'm Thinking of Ending Things

AcadeMitch Awards:

  1. Emma

  2. Mank

  3. I'm Thinking of Ending Things

  4. Hillbilly Elegy

  5. Mulan

Mitch Wiley