Sorry to bother you on your big day, Oscar, but I’d like to change my ballot.
Not that I’m actually changing my predictions as posted on Feb. 1 in the Sun-Times; once I’ve made my picks in all 23 categories, I’m bound by Movie Law to stick with those selections. Still, I retain the right to hedge my bets, and while I once believed “The Brutalist” was a near-lock to take home best picture gold, the co-favorites as we approach the finish line are “Anora” and “Conclave.”
There’s still a chance “The Brutalist” will win and it will be a monumental upset if any of the other seven nominees wins, but this is the closest race in years. Which makes it all the more fun, right? (My last-minute prediction: “Anora.”)
This might be one of those years when best picture and best director don’t go hand in hand; if “The Brutalist” does win best picture, I could see “Anora” director Sean Baker winning for his direction. (He has a real shot at winning best original screenplay as well.) As for the acting categories, I’m sticking with my picks of Demi Moore, Timothée Chalamet, Zoë Saldaña and Kieran Culkin (the latter two are overwhelming favorites), but I won’t be shocked if Adrien Brody wins best actor, and Mikey Madison pulls off the upset for Best Actress.
Things will be a little different at the Oscars this year, from the absence of performances of the five nominated songs to the one-hour earlier start time (6 p.m. CST) to the fact that in addition to airing on ABC, the awards will be streaming live on Hulu for the first time.
We also know there will be some kind of tribute to the victims and survivors and rescue workers and firefighters of the horrific fires that swept through communities including the Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Malibu and Topanga. (Host Conan O’Brien was evacuated from his house. He didn’t lose his home, but remains displaced and has said he doesn’t anticipating returning for some time.)
Sadly, the In Memoriam segment will almost certainly be updated to include Michelle Trachtenberg, who was best known for her TV roles but also appeared in films including “Harriet the Spy,” “Eurotrip,” “Ice Princess,” “17 Again” and “Cop Out,” and of course two-time Academy Award winner and screen legend Gene Hackman, whose death at 95 remains shrouded in mystery and speculation. What’s beyond debate is that Mr. Hackman was one of the greats of his generation.