Counterpoint: Becky's Best Picture Predictions

Becky's wrong different opinion on a Filmquisition post.

So it's been a while since I've done one of these.  This is something that I actually hope to do a bit more in the future: offering a slightly different perspective on things than I can afford.  Becky actually sent me her predictions a few days ago and, after opening up the e-mail just now, I am actually surprised how similar our trains of thought were on this one.

Her list is as follows:

Boyhood
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Imitation Game
Nightcrawler
Selma
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Theory of Everything
Foxcatcher
Interstellar / Gone Girl / American Sniper

There are really only two points of contention between our lists (as long as you overlook that she actually lists 11 films).  Those two are The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Theory of Everything.

I have previously shared some of my thoughts on the illustrious Wes Anderson.  His films are different for the sole purpose of being different, quirky for the sake of being quirky, and off-beat because it'd be way too easy to stay on-beat.  He is, in short, the cinematic equivalent of a hipster.  His films are alright at best, but are generally just mediocre.

There's no denying that he has developed a passionate fanbase over the years, including within the Academy, twice being nominated for a Screenplay Oscar, once for Animated Feature.  His appeal to the organization as a whole, however, seems to be considerably lessened, never once being nominated for Best Picture.  I don't see The Grand Budapest Hotel winning over the unconverted, either.

The problem with The Theory of Everything is the same problem with Selma, The Imitation Game and Foxcatcher: they're all going after the same base of support.  All four are historic biopics of extraordinary individuals with central performances that aim to draw support from the acting branch of The Academy.  The Theory of Everything, however, simply does not have the same degree of support that its competition has: receiving more mixed reviews for both the overall film and its central performance.  I just don't see this film breaking through in quite the same way that others like it might.

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