AwardsDaily’s Handy Guide for Confused Oscar Voters – Don’t Leave Categories Blank

The end has come at last. The ballots are due on Tuesday though most voters have likely turned in their ballots. There is no turning around now. As we all know, many voters simply abstain from certain categories. Why? Because they can. Some of them abstain because they simply don’t care enough to do the research. Some abstain because they don’t bother with “lesser” categories. Some just put their favorite movie across the board. Herewith, give or take, the AwardsDaily primer of what is considered “Best” in each category but what would be an interesting choice.

Best Picture
Voters will likely pick: Birdman
AD’s pick: The higher achievement, the more difficult, the more impressive: Boyhood
Please note: You can pick movies like Selma, Whiplash, American Sniper and the rest. Just know that those votes will probably be tossed and your vote will count only for one of the two most popular choices. That’s the preferential ballot at work

Best Director
Voters will likely pick: Alejandro G. Inarritu, making it the fifth straight year a non-American born director gets chosen. It’s a good choice but–
AD’s pick: The higher achievement, the more difficult, the more impressive? Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Best Actor
Voters will likely pick: Eddie Redmayne – he’s deserving for sure.
AD’s pick: The less predictable choice is: Michael Keaton for Birdman – if you want to award that film but can’t sacrifice Boyhood? Keaton’s the way to go.

Best Actress
Voters will likely pick: the very very overdue Julianne Moore. A very good choice.
AD’s pick: Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl for reasons that should be self-evident.

Supporting Actor
Voters will pick and AD’s pick: JK Simmons for Whiplash

Supporting Actress
Voters will pick and AD’s pick: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Original Screenplay
Voters will likely pick and AD’s pick The Grand Budapest Hotel, a good choice.

Adapted Screenplay
Voters will likely pick: no one knows for sure. It’s anyone’s game.
AD’s pick: Whiplash in lieu of the best choice for this category, Gone Girl

Editing
Voters will likely pick and AD’s pick: Boyhood

Cinematography
Voters will likely pick: Birdman
AD’s pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Costume Design
Voters will likely pick and AD’s pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Production Design
Voters will likely pick and AD’s pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Makeup
Voters will likely pick and AD’s pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Original Score
Voters will likely pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel
AD’s pick: Interstellar

Visual Effects
Voters will likely pick: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a great choice
AD’s pick: Interstellar

Animated Feature
Voters will likely pick and AD’s pick: How to Train Your Dragon 2

Foreign Language
Voters will likely pick: Wild Tales
AD’s pick: Ida

Documentary Feature
Voters will likely pick: CitizenFour
AD’s pick: Virunga or Last Days in Vietnam

Live Action Short
Voters will likely pick: The Phone Call, a great choice
AD’s pick: Parvaneh

Animated Short
Voters will likely pick and AD’s pick: Feast

Documentary Short
Voters will likely pick and AD’s pick: Joanna

Song
Voters will likely pick and AD’s pick: Glory from Selma

Academy voters will not be reading this any time soon. That is the only thing we know for sure.

Your turn, readers.