Oscar Week: HollywoodChicago.com 2022 Oscar Predictions

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Average: 5 (1 vote)

WILD CARD

The guest shall go first …

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM (Michael Glover Smith)
NOMINEES: Japan, “Drive My Car” … Denmark, “Flee” … Italy, “The Hand of God” … Bhutan, “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” … Norway/France/Denmark/Sweden, “The Worst Person in the World”

Will Win: “The Worst Person in the World”
Should Win: “Drive My Car”

“WorstPer"
The Worst Person in the World
Photo credit: Neon

I still haven’t caught up with “The Worst Person in the World” but a critic whom I respect referred to it as “aggressively middlebrow,” which is all the evidence I need that it will be the surprise winner over odds-makers’ favorite “Drive My Car.” (MGS)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE (Spike Walters)
NOMINEES: “Encanto”… “Flee” … “Luca” … “The Mitchells vs. The Machine” … “Raya and the Last Dragon”

Will Win: “Encanto”
Should Win: “Encanto”

EnAA7
Encanto
Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios

It’s hard to argue with the global sensation that is “Encanto.” After a slow start, it’s a film that had the whole world singing. You’ll find no grumbling from me, even if “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is destined to be the new “Let It Be”-style ear worm that parents will have to endure. However, I would have liked to see some space made in the category for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s other toe-tapping animated musical, “Vivo.” (SW)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG (Jon Lennon Espino)
NOMINEES: "King Richard” Be Alive … “Encanto" Dos Oruguitas … “Belfast" Down to Joy … "No Time to Die” No Time to Die … "Four Good Days” Somehow You Do

Will Win: “Encanto” with “Dos Oruguitas"
Should Win: “Encanto"

EnAA8
‘Dos Oruguitas’ is a Song in ‘Encanto’
Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios

There is no doubt that this is a category just for “Encanto,” and its tune “Dos Oruguitas” is the perfect song to metamorphose Lin-Manuel Miranda into an EGOT-er. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” should have been nominated, but at least it’s getting performed because this song highlights the visual and rhythmic allure that made “Encanto” a viral sensation. A film that I loved, but got no love this Awards Season is the brutal and beautiful black-led “The Harder They Fall,” whose soundtrack is fire, with my favorite song being “Guns Go Bang” by Kid Cudi and Jay-Z. (JLE)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM (Patrick McDonald)

NOMINEES: “Audible” … “Lead Me Home” … “The Queen of Basketball” … “Three Songs for Benazir”… “When We Were Bullies”

Will Win: “The Queen of Basketball”
Should Win: “When We Were Bullies”

QBAA9
’The Queen of Basketball,’ Directed by Ben Proudfoot
Photo credit: Breakwater Studios

This is the first year I’ve indulged in this particular Short Film category (always Live Action and Animation, never Documentary) and while “The Queen of Basketball” is practically a Nike shoe-in … sport celebrities Steph Curry and Shaq O’Neal (Executive Producer) are both behind it … “When We Were Bullies” was a simple-yet-complex and poignant look at a bullying incident on the playground back in the 1960s that may or may not have affected the victim for life – that conundrum is the clear strength of this short directed by Jay Rosenblatt. The graphic elements of “Bullies,” mostly using old school pictures, was also a surprising artistic element.

Regardless of whatever happens in any of these categories … Happy Oscar! (PM)

ODDS FOR THE REST

To complete the rest of the categories, here are the latest odds for each …


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Licorice Pizza 1/1 

Belfast 12/1 

Don’t Look Up 4/1 

King Richard 25/1 

The Worst Person in the World 25/1 



BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
CODA 4/7 

The Power of the Dog 3/2

The Lost Daughter 172 

Drive My Car 14/1 

Dune 20/1

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Dune 1/10 

The Power of the Dog 4/1 

The Tragedy of Macbeth 12/1

West Side Story 25/1 

Nightmare Alley 33/1 



BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Summer of Soul 1/4 

Flee 12/5 

Attica 12/1

Ascension 20/1

Writing with Fire 25/1 



BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

The Long Goodbye 10/3

Ala Kachuu: Take and Run 4/1

The Dress 4/1

Please Hold 9/2
On My Mind 9/2

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Robin Robin 16/5

The Windshield Wiper 4/1

Bestia 4/1

Boxballet 9/2

Affairs of the Art 9/2

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Dune 1/5

The Power of the Dog 3/1

Encanto 12/1

Don’t Look Up 16/1 

Parallel Mothers 25/1

BEST FILM EDITING
Dune 5/6

King Richard 9/5 

The Power of the Dog 7/2

Tick . Tick .. Boom 10/1 

Don’t Look Up 18/1

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dune 2/3

Spider-Man: No Way Home 5/2

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 9/2

Free Guy 11/2
No Time to Die 25/1

BEST SOUND
Dune 1/12

West Side Story 11/2

No Time to Die 12/1 

The Power of The Dog 16/1

Belfast 22/1  

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Cruella 1/6 

Dune 3/1 

West Side Story 12/1 

Nightmare Alley 25/1 

Cyrano 33/1

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Dune 2/7

Nightmare Alley 8/5

West Side Story 11/5

The Power of the Dog 20/1 

The Tragedy of Macbeth 22/1

BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIR STYLING
The Eyes of Tammy Faye 4/13

Cruella 5/1

Dune 11/2

Coming 2 America
15/1 
House of Gucci 18/1

The 94th Academy Awards will take place on March 27th, 2022, at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater, and will be broadcast on ABC-TV beginning at 7pm ET/6pm CT. Thanks always to Jimmy Shapiro for the odds that were determined by click here. Please, no wagering.

HollywoodChicago.com senior staff writer Patrick McDonald

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2022 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

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