Oscar Nominees: Best Picture

My predictions: 7/9, picking “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Saving Mr. Banks” over “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Philomena”
My ballot: Come back in February!
The nominees: American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena, 12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street

This Best Picture list is substantially less interesting than last year, but it still does have a few good choices in it. “Gravity” and “12 Years a Slave” are obviously great, and I’m so excited about “Captain Phillips” and “Her” making it in despite not doing as well in some other categories. “Nebraska” is a good choice too. I don’t mind “Philomena” being here even though it was not one of the best movies of the year, and I suppose I’ll have to be happy to “Dallas Buyers Club” didn’t do better than it did. “The Wolf of Wall Street” made a good comeback, and the category is rounded out by a film everyone but me loved, “American Hustle.” My two predictions that didn’t pan out, “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Saving Mr. Banks,” netted three technical nominations together, which is pretty unfortunate, while “The Butler” got shut out. In a year like this, where were “Fruitvale Station,” “Mud,” “Blue is the Warmest Color,” and so many others? Oh well. SAG is next, and then we’ll revisit all these with winner predictions. I’m already in Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival, so I’ll be searching for those excellent films that won’t get nominated next year!

My current bet to win: It could be “American Hustle,” but I think 12 Years a Slave is still ahead.