Oscar Party

Buffalo Exchange HQ Oscar Party header image

By Joe Carrel, Buffalo Exchange HQ

The Academy Awards resemble those iconic masks of drama – both comedy and tragedy. Sporadic bursts of entertainment make up the comedy, while the tragedy is its daunting length. So, how do we right this Titanic-sized ship? Make a game out of it, of course! Picking the Oscar winners (even if you missed a chunk of the films) is always a fun way to enhance the evening – whether you’re at a party with friends or at home curled up on the couch. So read on as I break down the categories in this ultimate Oscar night cheat sheet.

BEST ACTOR: Bryan Cranston, Trumbo / Matt Damon, The Martian / Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant / Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs / Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Overlooked: Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation), Jacob Tremblay (Room), Al Pacino (Danny Collins), Ian McKellan (Mr. Holmes)

And the winner is: Leo DiCaprio

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Carol / Brie Larson, Room / Jennifer Lawrence, Joy / Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years / Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Overlooked: Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road), Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria), Teyonah Parris (Chi-Raq), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation)

And the Winner is: Brie Larson

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Big Short / Brooklyn / Carol / The Martian / Room

Overlooked: Steve Jobs, Inherent Vice

And the Winner is: The Big Short

Could Upset: Room

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Anomalisa / Boy and the World / Inside Out / Shaun the Sheep Movie / When Marnie Was There

Overlooked: The Little Prince, The Peanuts Movie

And the Winner is: Inside Out

BEST ANIMATED SHORT: Bear Story / Prologue / Sanjay’s Super Team / We Can’t Live without Cosmos / World of Tomorrow

Overlooked: An Object at Rest

And the Winner is: Sanjay’s Super Team

Could Upset: Bear Story, World of Tomorrow

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Carol / The Hateful Eight / Mad Max: Fury Road / The Revenant / Sicario

Overlooked: Ex Machina, Tangerine

And the Winner is: The Revenant

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Carol / Cinderella / The Danish Girl / Mad Max: Fury Road / The Revenant

Overlooked: Trumbo

And the Winner is: Cinderella

Could Upset: Carol, Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Amy / Cartel Land / The Look of Silence / What Happened, Miss Simone? / Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

Overlooked: The Jinx, Meru, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck

And the Winner is: Amy

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Body Team 12 / Chau, Beyond the Lines / Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah / A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness / Last Day of Freedom

Overlooked: My Enemy My Brother

And the Winner is: Body Team 12

BEST FILM EDITING: The Big Short / Mad Max: Fury Road / The Revenant / Spotlight / Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Overlooked: Sicario

And the Winner is: Mad Max: Fury Road

Could Upset: The Big Short

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Embrace of the Serpent / Mustang / Son of Saul / Theeb / A War

Overlooked: The Assassin, Phoenix

And the Winner is: Son of Saul

Could Upset: Mustang

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: Ave.Maria / Day One / Everything Will Be Okay / Shok / Stutterer

Overlooked: Kung Fury

And the Winner is: Ave.Maria

Could Upset: Shok

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING: Mad Max: Fury Road / The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared / The Revenant

Overlooked: Carol, Black Mass

And the Winner is: Mad Max: Fury Road

Could Upset: The Revenant

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Bridge of Spies / Carol / The Hateful Eight / Sicario / Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Overlooked: Meru, It Follows

And the Winner is: The Hateful Eight

Could Upset: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Bridge of Spies / Ex Machina / Inside Out / Spotlight / Straight Outta Compton

Overlooked: What We Do in the Shadows, The Hateful Eight

And the Winner is: Spotlight

Could Upset: Inside Out

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: “Earned It,” Fifty Shades of Grey / “Manta Ray,” Racing Extinction / “Simple Song #3,” Youth / “Til It Happens To You,” The Hunting Ground / “Writing’s On The Wall,” Spectre

Overlooked: “See You Again” (Furious Seven)

And the Winner is: “Til It Happens To You,” The Hunting Ground

Could Upset: “Writing’s On The Wall,” Spectre

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Bridge of Spies / The Danish Girl / Mad Max: Fury Road / The Martian / The Revenant

Overlooked: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

And the Winner is: Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST SOUND EDITING: Mad Max: Fury Road / The Martian / The Revenant / Sicario / Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Overlooked: Bridge of Spies

And the Winner is: Mad Max: Fury Road

Could Upset: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

BEST SOUND MIXING: Bridge of Spies / Mad Max: Fury Road / The Martian / The Revenant / Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Overlooked: Straight Outta Compton, Bridge of Spies

And the Winner is: Mad Max: Fury Road

Could Upset: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christian Bale, The Big Short / Tom Hardy, The Revenant / Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight / Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies / Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Overlooked: Michael Keaton (Spotlight), Sam Elliott (Grandma), Jason Statham (Spy)

And the Winner is: Sly Stallone

Could Upset: Mark Rylance

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight / Rooney Mara, Carol / Rachel McAdams, Spotlight / Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl / Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Overlooked: Felicity Jones (True Story), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Jane Fonda (Youth), Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak)

And the Winner is: Alicia Vikander

Could Upset: Rooney Mara

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Ex Machina / Mad Max: Fury Road / The Martian / The Revenant / Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Overlooked: Ant-Man

And the Winner is: Mad Max: Fury Road

Could Upset: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I saved these two categories for last because 1) they’re traditionally the final Oscars of the evening, and 2) they are the most hotly contested categories this year…

BEST DIRECTOR: Adam McKay, The Big Short / George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road / Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, The Revenant / Lenny Abrahamson, Room / Tom McCarthy, Spotlight