Here are AWARDS ACE Editor-in-Chief & Critics Choice member Erick Weber’s picks
to win Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards:
BEST PICTURE
Will win: THE IRISHMAN
If not then: PARASITE ♦
In third: 1917
Odd films out: FORD V FERRARI, JOJO RABBIT, JOKER, LITTLE WOMEN, MARRIAGE STORY,
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, UNCUT GEMS
EW take: Expect an extremely tight race at the top between THE IRISHMAN and PARASITE, flip a coin for the winner.
BEST DIRECTOR
Will win: Bong Joon-ho PARASITE ♦
If not then: Sam Mendes 1917
In third: Quentin Tarantino ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Odd directors out: Noah Baumbach MARRIAGE STORY, Greta Gerwig LITTLE WOMEN,
Josh & Benny Safdie UNCUT GEMS
EW take: This category really feels like Bong’s to lose though if PARASITE wins BP, things could swing Mendes’ or Tarantino’s way.
BEST ACTOR
Will win: Joaquin Phoenix JOKER ♦
If not then: Adam Driver MARRIAGE STORY
In third: Leonardo DiCaprio ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Odd actors out: Antonio Banderas PAIN AND GLORY, Robert DeNiro THE IRISHMAN, Eddie Murphy DOLEMITE IS MY NAME,
Adam Sandler UNCUT GEMS
EW take: While we expect this to be close with Driver, we’re taking Joaquin to land his second huge award in seven days.
BEST ACTRESS
Will win: Renee Zellweger JUDY
If not then: Charlize Theron BOMBSHELL ♦
In third: Scarlett Johansson MARRIAGE STORY
Odd actresses out: Awkwafina THE FAREWELL, Cynthia Erivo HARRIET, Lupita Nyong’o US,
Saoirse Ronan LITTLE WOMEN
EW take: No guarantees for Renee here as this might be where Charlize finally comes through with a win.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Will win: Brad Pitt ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD ♦
If not then: Joe Pesci THE IRISHMAN
In third: Tom Hanks A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Odd actors out: Willem Dafoe THE LIGHTHOUSE, Anthony Hopkins THE TWO POPES,
Al Pacino THE IRISHMAN
EW take: Pitt has always been the LOCK in this category, easiest pick on the board.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Will win: Laura Dern MARRIAGE STORY
If not then: Jennifer Lopez HUSTLERS ♦
In third: Scarlett Johansson JOJO RABBIT
Odd actresses out: Florence Pugh LITTLE WOMEN, Margot Robbie BOMBSHELL,
Zhao Shuzhen THE FAREWELL
EW take: Dern versus J-Lo again here but Laura is quickly becoming the favorite especially after her
big win at the Globes.
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Will win: PARASITE ♦
If not then: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
In third: THE IRISHMAN
Odd films out: BOMBSHELL, KNIVES OUT, LITTLE WOMEN,
MARRIAGE STORY
EW take: Going out on a (peach tree) limb and picking PARASITE here, sensing massive support for the film
from fellow Critics Choice members.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Will win: PARASITE ♦
If not then: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
In third: MARRIAGE STORY
Odd films out: KNIVES OUT, THE FAREWELL
EW take: Just like at the Globes, it’s Bong versus Quentin but their roles are reversed this Sunday with
Bong taking the win.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Will win: THE IRISHMAN
If not then: JOKER
In third: LITTLE WOMEN
Odd films out: A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE TWO POPES ♦
EW take: Unlike the Globes, we get split screenplay categories here and THE IRISHMAN comes out on top.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Will win: 1917 ♦
If not then: JOKER
In third: THE IRISHMAN
Odd films out: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, THE LIGHTHOUSE
EW take: Roger Deakins is generally viewed as a god so picking against him would be blasphemous.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Will win: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
If not then: PARASITE ♦
In third: THE IRISHMAN
Odd films out: 1917, JOKER, LITTLE WOMEN, DOWNTON ABBEY
EW take: Another PARASITE versus ONCE battle here but you can’t fully dismiss any of these contenders,
wildcard category of the night.
BEST EDITING
Will win: 1917 ♦
If not then: THE IRISHMAN
In third: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Odd films out: PARASITE, FORD V FERRARI, UNCUT GEMS
EW take: Tight race between 1917 and THE IRISHMAN at the top of this category
but the former should cleanup in all tech categories.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Will win: DOLEMITE IS MY NAME ♦
If not then: THE IRISHMAN
In third: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Odd films out: LITTLE WOMEN, ROCKETMAN, DOWNTON ABBEY
EW take: Ruth E. Carter takes this category again after winning last year for BLACK PANTHER.
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Will win: JOKER ♦
If not then: BOMBSHELL
In third: JUDY
Odd films out: THE IRISHMAN, DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, ROCKETMAN
EW take: Obvious pick or not-so-obvious pick here, flip a coin between Arthur Fleck and Megyn Kelly.
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Will win: AVENGERS: ENDGAME
If not then: THE LION KING
In third: THE IRISHMAN
Odd films out: AD ASTRA ♦, 1917, FORD V FERRARI, THE AERONAUTS
EW take: Disney’s walking away with this one way or the other.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Will win: TOY STORY 4
If not then: FROZEN II
In third: MISSING LINK ♦
Odd films out: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD, I LOST MY BODY, ABOMINABLE
EW take: The Mouse House again at the top, will MISSING LINK’s Globes win factor here?
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Will win: Roman Griffin Davis JOJO RABBIT ♦
If not then: Noah Jupe HONEY BOY
In third: Julia Butters ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Odd actors/actresses out: Thomasin McKenzie JOJO RABBIT, Shahadi Wright Joseph US,
Archie Yates JOJO RABBIT
EW take: JOJO with the rare 50% chance of winning with three total nominees here so we’ll take Jojo himself for the win.
BEST ACTION MOVIE
Will win: AVENGERS: ENDGAME ♦
If not then: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3
In third: 1917
Odd films out: FORD V FERRARI, SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME
EW take: After a disastrous awards season for ENDGAME, coming through with a win here
would be something we’d personally love to see.
BEST COMEDY
Will win: DOLEMITE IS MY NAME ♦
If not then: KNIVES OUT
In third: BOOKSMART
Odd films out: JOJO RABBIT, THE FAREWELL
EW take: Another stacked category where any of these films could legitimately win,
we’ll stick with Netflix.
BEST SCI-FI OR HORROR MOVIE
Will win: US
If not then: AD ASTRA ♦
In third: AVENGERS: ENDGAME
Odd film out: MIDSOMMAR
EW take: While we’re voting AD ASTRA here, US is another of 2019’s best films that didn’t receive
nearly enough awards love so we can’t lose either way.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Will win: PARASITE ♦
If not then: PARASITE
In third: PARASITE
Odd films out: PAIN AND GLORY, PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE,
LES MISERABLES, ATLANTICS
EW take: Just like at the Globes, one of the two biggest LOCKS of the night along with Pitt in supporting.
BEST SONG
Will win: “Into The Unknown” FROZEN II
If not then: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” ROCKETMAN
In third: “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” WILD ROSE ♦
Odd songs out: “Speechless” ALADDIN, “Spirit” THE LION KING, “Stand Up” HARRIET,
“I’m Standing With You” BREAKTHROUGH
EW take: As progressive as we think a critics group should be, year after year members tend to go with
the most obvious selection in this category though we’d love to be wrong and see “Glasgow” win.
BEST SCORE
Will win: Hildur Guðnadóttir JOKER ♦
If not then: Thomas Newman 1917
In third: Randy Newman MARRIAGE STORY
Odd composers out: Alexandre Desplat LITTLE WOMEN, Michael Abels US, Robbie Robertson THE IRISHMAN
EW take: If any awards candidate has more buzz than Hildur right now, we’d love to know
who it is.
♦ Erick’s personal CCA vote