Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Film Editing

The competition: American Hustle (Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, and Crispin Struthers), Captain Phillips (Christopher Rouse), Dallas Buyers Club (John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa), Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger), 12 Years a Slave (Joe Walker)

Previous winners: Argo, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, The Bourne Ultimatum
My winner: Captain Phillips
The facts: Cassidy and Struthers were nominated last year for “Silver Linings Playbook,” and Cassidy was also a nominee in 2007 for “Into the Wild.” Rouse was nominated in 2006 for “United 93” and won the following year for “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Cuaron, also a nominee for Best Director, was a contender in this race for his previous film, “Children of Men.” This is considered a vital category for the Best Picture Oscar. Four times in the last fifteen years this award has gone to a film nominated for Best Picture other than the winner. All of these films are nominated for Best Picture, but “Captain Phillips” and “Dallas Buyers Club” are not nominated for Best Director.

Who should win: “Captain Phillips”
Who will win: The juggernaut choice is “Gravity,” but I think that the ACE Eddie winner, Captain Phillips, can prevail (though I wouldn’t be displeased with either).