Oscar Nominees: Best Actor in a Supporting Role

My predictions: 2/5, picking only Rylance and Stallone
My ballot: Come back in February!
The nominees: Christian Bale (The Big Short), Tom Hardy (The Revenant), Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Sylvester Stallone (Creed)

To me, this is the most disappointing category (it was also the one announced first, which made it even worse). “Room” managed a Best Director bid in addition to Best Picture, yet the fantastic Jacob Tremblay couldn’t show up here, even if he should have been a lead. Michael Shannon, who was so excellent in “99 Homes,” got cut despite landing all the precursors. Even Idris Elba, who got a lot of the same run-up nominations, didn’t make the cut, showing that streaming films aren’t necessarily considered. Instead, we get Bale, who didn’t deserve a nomination for a good performance that wasn’t even the standout of his film. Ditto Ruffalo, who made it in despite missing many precursors but probably should have been replaced by costar Michael Keaton. Tom Hardy was typically good in “The Revenant,” but his nomination here represents over-hype for that late-breaking movie more than anything. Rylance has been a lock since the beginning, and Stallone is charging ahead after his Golden Globe win but still ended up being the only representative for his well-regarded film. This may have been my worst category, though it does match up with the Globe and SAG list only 2/5, so it’s not exactly expected even though some may have predicted it.

My current bet to win: It feels like Stallone since I don’t know who would knock him out.