2012 Oscar Predictions
By Shane Rivers
Looking ahead for 2012 Oscar predictions makes me feel a little bit like Johnny Carson’s legendary Carnac the Magnificent. 2012 is currently three years away, so there’s no telling what sort of developments will take place in Hollywood (and America) in the meantime. But that’s never stopped me before, so prepare yourself for some totally off-the-wall 2012 Oscar predictions courtesy of OnlyGoodMovies.com.
Best Supporting Actor for 2012
Just for fun, here are a few interesting facts about the Best Supporting Actor category:
- Walter Brennan has the most Best Supporting Actor wins with three.
- George Burns won the award at 80, the oldest actor to do so.
- Timothy Hutton was the youngest actor to win at the age of 20.
- The youngest nominee was Justin Henry at the age of 8.
- Jason Robards was the only actor to win the award two years in a row (1976 and 1977).
The Best Supporting Actor category is always unpredictable, and it provides an excellent opportunity for actors to get noticed by Hollywood and the general public. In recent years, guys such as Michael Shannon, Jackie Earle Haley, Djimon Hounsou and Casey Affleck have all used their nominations to boost their careers. Here are a few more to keep your eyes on as 2012 rolls around.
- James Franco – Best known as Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man series, Franco has already carved out a nice career for himself. He’s been nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of James Dean, and he also received a Golden Globe nomination for his comedic turn in Pineapple Express. At only 30 years of age, it’s only a matter of time before Franco is nominated for his work.
- Robert Knepper – Many television viewers will remember him as the vile-yet-sympathetic “T-Bag” on the show Prison Break. He has also appeared in movies ranging from Transporter 3 to Young Guns II. A talented actor, Knepper has been getting increased movie roles since his stint on Prison Break. I expect him to keep this momentum going and eventually parlay his success into an Oscar nomination.
- Josh Holloway – Another television actor with a bright future ahead of him, Holloway plays Sawyer on the hit ABC series Lost. While that keeps him pretty busy at the moment, expect him to appear in a number of film roles once the series finally ends in 2010. With a little luck, he’ll be nominated for his first Oscar by 2012.
Best Actor for 2012
Instead of talking about perennial contenders like Ralph Fiennes and Sean Penn, why don’t we look at some actors who don’t have a chance in hell of being nominated? Maybe they’ll prove me wrong, but each one of these fellows seems to have a talent for showing up in awful films. I don’t even expect to see them in the audience come Oscar night.
- Steven Seagal – Before his belly started to expand, Seagal was a legitimate action hero. Now he dwells on straight-to-DVD movies, where he still makes a rather nice sum of money. He once said in an interview, “I am hoping that I can be known as a great writer and actor some day, rather than a sex symbol.” Insert your own joke here.
- Rob Schneider – The man who brought us The Hot Chick and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo will get an Oscar nomination at approximately the same time that Satan does.
- Matthew Lillard – I actually like Matthew Lillard, but I’m still haunted by his performance from In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. As long as he keeps taking roles as Shaggy or foppish princes, he’s never going to get that Oscar nomination which so many actors crave.
Best Supporting Actress for 2012
The Best Supporting Actress category often holds the biggest surprises when it comes to Academy Award nominees. Women who’ve never been heard of before by most moviegoers will suddenly make the transition from obscurity to stardom. In other cases, major female celebrities will be nominated in this category for a small but important role. Any list of 2012 Oscar predictions wouldn’t be complete without including a few possible contenders for this award.
- Laura Linney – The lovely star of The Savages, Mystic River, Love Actually, Kinsey, and Breach has won three Emmy Awards, a SAG Award and a Golden Globe Award. She’s also been nominated for three Oscars, although she’s yet to win the coveted award.
- Angelina Jolie – She’s already won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Girl, Interrupted, but Jolie’s career is far from over. She continues to star in blockbusters, but she also mixes in more dramatic works. In 2009, she was nominated for a Best Actress award for her leading role in The Changeling. The subject of numerous tabloid reports, expect Jolie to be just as relevant in 2012 as she is in 2009.
- Penelope Cruz – The lovely actress won her first Oscar in 2009 for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, making her the first Spanish actress to accomplish such a feat. She also had critically acclaimed performances in Volver, Elegy, and Don’t Move. Cruz’s career is red hot at the moment, so the quality roles continue to roll in. There’s no doubt that one of these will lead to an Oscar nomination in 2012.
Best Actress for 2012
While it’s hard to predict who’ll be nominated for Best Actress in 2012, it’s much easier to predict who won’t be nominated. Check out this list of so-called actresses and cringe at their combined mediocrity.
- Tara Reid – Personal problems aside, Tara Reid may be the worst actress working outside of porno. Roles in films such as Senior Skip Day, Vipers, and Alone in the Dark have been nothing short of awful. While I’m glad that she’s getting her personal life under control, she poses no danger of ever being nominated for an Oscar.
- Joey Lauren Adams – The star of Chasing Amy has a high-pitched voice which causes death or paralysis in many household pets. It’s difficult to vote for someone to get an Oscar when you’re out in the backyard burying your cat.
- Hilary Duff – While she may have sold a ton of records to tweens around the globe, Hilary Duff has a long way to go before she’s nominated for an Oscar. Maybe I’ll include her in my 2013 Oscar predictions.
Best Director for 2012
Part of my 2012 Oscar predictions are for the coveted Best Director award. I’m predicting this year in particular will be a tight race, with each of the following directors in contention.
- Paul Greengrass – British director who likes to use hand-held cameras in the filmmaking process. He’s directed such movies as The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93, and Green Zone. He is also expected to direct the fourth Bourne movie, although I doubt that will garner him an Oscar nomination.
- Julian Schnabel – He’s received one Oscar nomination, but he’s also won a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was a huge critical success in 2007, and he recently completed Lou Reed’s Berlin. When he’s not directing, he serves as the interior decorator of the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City.
- Ron Howard – A perennial Oscar favorite, Howard picked up a golden statuette for directing A Beautiful Mind. He has also helmed Frost/Nixon, The Da Vinci Code, Cinderella Man, and Angels and Demons. He’s also the older brother of acting powerhouse Clint Howard.
Best Animated Film
While most animated films for 2012 have yet to be announced, there are a couple of strong contenders on the horizon for the Best Animated Film award. They are:
- Newt – This Pixar animated film concerns the last remaining male and female of an amphibian race. When scientists place them together to breed, the creatures (named Brooke and Newt) realize that they can’t stand one another. But in order to save their species, the dueling couple must find a way to get along.
- King of the Elves – Disney has announced this animated film for a 2012 release. Based on a story by Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report), the plot revolves around a young boy on the Mississippi Delta who is recruited by elves to battle an evil troll king.