Many from the APU community have strong feelings about who will win big at the Oscars on March 4th
On Jan. 23 the nominations were announced for the 90th annual Academy Awards; otherwise known as the Oscars. Ranging from Best Picture, Best Lead Actor and Actress, to Best Production Design and Best Foreign Film, the Oscars cover almost every aspect of the film industry. With so many strong contenders producing so many nominations this year (The Shape of Water leads with eight) it’s been difficult to truly pinpoint who is going to win on film’s biggest night. With these nominations came endless speculation about who would take home the prestigious awards on March 4. Because of this endless speculation, the students of Azusa Pacific University were asked about their thoughts on which films and actors they think are most deserving of the awards.
Josiah Schoen, a senior screenwriting major, believes that the winner for Best Picture has already been decided.
“I know historically the winner of the previous awards shows, like the Golden Globes and the SAGs, so ‘Three Billboards’ is going to win Best Picture for sure,” Schoen said. “It’s a possibility that there will be an upset, but that’s the leading choice at the moment. Honestly, I can’t even see anything else winning.”
Best Picture Nominations:
- “Call Me by Your Name”
- “Lady Bird”
- “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
- “Darkest Hour”
- “Dunkirk”
- “Phantom Thread”
- “The Shape of Water”
- “The Post”
- “Get Out”
Hannah Sulak, a junior majoring in acting for the stage and screen is gunning for Margot Robbie to win for her performance of Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya.”
“I personally think that Margot Robbie is the best of the field here,” Sulak said. “Her interpretation of Tonya Harding makes her completely unrecognizable…it’s such a controversial story and role and she really shines through in it.”
Lead Actress Nominations:
- Sally Hawkins – “The Shape of Water”
- Frances McDormand – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
- Margot Robbie – “I, Tonya”
- Saoirse Ronan – “Lady Bird”
- Meryl Streep – “The Post”
Jake Perrow, a junior business management major, believes that Christopher Nolan is most deserving of Best Director for his accurate depiction in Dunkirk.
“I think the directing of ‘Dunkirk’ was just done really well,” Perrow said. “The staggering of the different stories within it was really creative and it told the story really well. It also was really historically accurate and I’m always really impressed with movies that are able to do a really good job with that.”
Director Nominations:
- Christopher Nolan – “Dunkirk”
- Jordan Peele – “Get Out”
- Greta Gerwig – “Lady Bird”
- Paul Thomas Anderson – “Phantom Thread”
- Guillermo Del Toro – “The Shape of Water”
Everyone seems to be rooting for “This Is Me” to win Best Original Song, including sophomore public relations major Brittney Nourian.
“It’s just such a beautiful number and I think it really empowers people to step out and show the world who they are,” Nourian said “…the performers come and and say ‘this is me’ and they might not be the most traditionally beautiful people, but their character and the way they present themselves is beautiful.”
Original Song Nominations:
- “Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige
- “Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Steven
- “Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
- “Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common
- “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
Lead Actor Nominations:
- Daniel Day-Lewis – “Phantom Thread”
- Daniel Kaluuya – “Get Out”
- Gary Oldman – “Darkest Hour”
- Denzel Washington – “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”
- Timothée Chalamet – “Call Me by Your Name”
With so many deserving nominees this year, it’s hard to decide who will be awarded an Oscar at the end of the night. The only thing you can do is wait and hope that your favorites are announced.
So, who do you think will win?