Hilltopper film critic Rachel Oh made her selections for the Oscars prior to the Academy Awards
on February 9th. See how her picks aligned with the Academy’s!
Movies are art. They are windows to other worlds that teach audiences to broaden their
perspectives and open their underlying curiosities. More than that, it is a chance for expert
directors, editors, actors, and thousands of others to create a masterpiece of a story and to
communicate and evoke emotions in viewers. For this reason, there are annual awards shows
to celebrate the staggering successes of individuals in filmmaking, from actors to composers to
hairstylists. The Oscars is not the only awards show, there are other lesser known award shows
such as the Golden Globes, the Critic’s Choice Awards, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and
many others in this season, but the Academy Awards is the most prestigious awards show. One
may ask how these certain films get chosen for recognition out of the thousands of movies
made in one year. The process has evolved to be about film festival winners. Prize films are
taken from five major film festivals: Cannes Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Venice Film
Festival, Toronto Film Festival, and Telluride Film Festival. For example, this year, two films that
won top prizes from film festivals are Parasite, which won the Palme D’or in the prestigious
Cannes Film Festival, and Joker, which won Best Film at the oldest film festival, the Venice Film
Festival. From the previous award shows and many other sources, people can start to make
predictions on who will take home an Oscar on February 9th. Here are my predictions:
Best Picture
Ford vs. Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
Why: 1917 has swept awards shows in this season. It has won the Best Film award for the
BAFTAs, the Golden Globe for best motion picture, Producers Guild of America Award for Best
Theatrical Motion Picture, and much more. It seems to be the top choice for many critics this
season. This is controversial, however, because no actors for 1917 were nominated for their
performances, unlike previous Best Picture winners. Other front runners are Once Upon A Time
in Hollywood and Parasite as they were acclaimed for their plot twists and attention to detail and
symbolism.
Actual Winner: Parasite

Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, A Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Why: Renee Zellweger is a sure win. She has won every single award she has been nominated
for this season: the Golden Globe, the Critics’ Choice, BAFTA Award, the British Independent
Film Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. Some say this is a repeat of the 2004 awards
circuit, where she was recognized for her performance as Roxie in Chicago.
Actual Winner: Renée Zellweger, Judy
Best Actor
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver, A Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Why: Joaquin Phoenix is another sure win. He has won every single award he has been
nominated for this season: the Golden Globe, the Critics’ Choice, BAFTA Award, and Screen
Actors Guild Award. Although people doubted that anyone would follow Heath Ledger's Joker
performance in The Dark Knight, Phoenix has proven to be the perfect choice to continue his
legacy.
Actual Winner: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Best Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Laura Dern, A Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Why: Laura Dern has received acclaim all throughout this awards season for her role in A
Marriage Story. She has won every single award he has been nominated for this season: the
Golden Globe, the Critics’ Choice, BAFTA Award, National Society of Film Critics Award for
Best Supporting Actress, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress, and
Screen Actors Guild Award.
Actual Winner: Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Best Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Why: Brad Pitt is loved by Hollywood, but on top of that, his excellent performance in Once
Upon A Time in Hollywood has made him decorated with top prizes this season. He has won
every single award he has been nominated for this season: the Golden Globe, the Critics’
Choice, BAFTA Award, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor,
AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Screen Actors Guild Award.
Actual Winner: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Best Director
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Todd Phillips, Joker
Sam Mendes, 1917
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Why: This category is stacked from the start which seasoned veterans and huge names from all
over the film industry. Overall, Sam Mendez has been the most recognized of all the directors
for his visually stunning film, but it has been a narrow race.
Actual Winner: Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Best International Feature Film
Corpus Christi
Honeyland
Les Misérables
Pain and Glory
Parasite
Why: If one thing is for certain, it is that Parasite will win this category. From winning the highest
honor, the Palme d'Or, at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Additionally it was honored for
by the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance of a Cast, the British
Independent Film Award for Best International Independent Film, the Golden Globe for Best
Foreign Language Film, the BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film, the Critics’ Choice for Best
Foreign Language Film, the AACTA award for Best Asian Film, the New York Critics Circle
Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the Blue Dragon Award for Best Film, the AACTA
International Award for Best Film, and much more.

Actual Winner: Parasite
Best Cinematography
The Irishman
Joker
The Lighthouse
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Why: Like other films that have won this category in the past, 1917 gives the appearance of
being made of a single shot, which is incredibly impressive. This amplifies the storyline to a new
level and helps the audience feel connected to the characters, generating a new level of
intimacy in the plot line.
Actual Winner: 1917