Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Picture

The competition: American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena, 12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street

Previous winners: Argo, The Artist, The King’s Speech, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, No Country for Old Men
My winner: Blue is the Warmest Color
The facts: “American Hustle” and “Gravity” are the most nominated films this year, with ten each. “American Hustle” has the distinction of having acting nods in all four categories. “12 Years a Slave” has nine nominations, and “Captain Phillips,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” and “Nebraska” each have six. “Her” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” each have five, and “Philomena” has four.

Who should win: “Her” is by far the best, but I’d be very happy with “Captain Philips,” “Gravity,” or “12 Years a Slave.” It would never happen, but “Nebraska” would be okay too.
Who will win: Last year, this category was up for grabs since Ben Affleck wasn’t even nominated. This year, Alfonso Cuaron has very consistently picked up Best Director trophies throughout awards season, while his film “Gravity” only managed to grab a Best Picture win at the PGA Awards – when it tied with the film that usually beats it in that race, “12 Years a Slave.” I don’t think that “Gravity” can get all the way to a win, but I am concerned about “American Hustle” being the benefactor of a vote split. I’d love to see “Captain Phillips” or “Her” swoop in for a win, but I think I’ll hedge my bets on the statistical frontrunner, 12 Years a Slave.