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The ones to watch: Auburn film class predicts the 2019 Oscars

A view of an Oscar statue outside the 84th Annual Academy Awards show at the Hollywood and Highland Center in Los Angeles on February 26, 2012.(Lionel Hahn/Abaca Press/TNS)
A view of an Oscar statue outside the 84th Annual Academy Awards show at the Hollywood and Highland Center in Los Angeles on February 26, 2012.(Lionel Hahn/Abaca Press/TNS)

In the film genre class taught by Andrea Kelley, there is much in-class discussion on today’s multimedia pieces; specifically movies. With the annual Academy Awards airing on Feb. 24, the class and Kelley have their predictions for who the Oscars will go to. 

“We talk a lot about popular films and how the industry, via awards shows like Oscars and the Golden Globes, makes sense of them through genre,” said Kelley, assistant professor in the department of communications and journalism. “For instance, we discussed the inconsistencies of the Globes placing ‘Green Book’ in the best musical and comedy category and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in the drama category.” 

Using her background knowledge of films and award shows, Kelley made her predictions for the award show. 

“My guess is that Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Roma’ will sweep the awards,” Kelley said. “It is a beautiful film that feels deeply personal while offering insights into the politically-charged, cultural landscape of 1970s Mexico.” 

Some of her students also predict that “Roma” will take many of these cinematic awards, specifically Best Picture. 

Zach Callaghan, senior in media studies and one of Kelley’s students, joined classmate Jake Talley, junior in psychology, in choosing “Roma” to win this category. 

“I personally believe it is an amazing film. The cinematography is beautiful, and the directing is flawless,” Callaghan said. “I also believe it will edge out the other films because history has shown us that the Academy tends to lean towards independent films in this category.” 

Talley said all evidence points toward “Roma” winning. 

“Numbers don’t lie, and ‘Roma’ has already swept with multiple high profile award wins, giving it strong legs on its road to     

Oscars glory,” Talley said. “Boasting a diverse and profoundly affecting story, ‘Roma’ easily lives up to its expectations as a gorgeous, sweeping epic that the Academy normally loves to endure with a win.” 

Livi Edmonson, sophomore in media studies, is a weekly film review writer for a newspaper in Georgia. 

“I started writing film reviews for the Union Recorder Newspaper in Milledgeville, Georgia when I was 17,” Edmonson said. “It turned into a weekly film column where I write reviews for the paper every Friday, and during Awards Season I have my pre- dictions published the weekend of the shows.” 

Edmonson agrees that “Roma” will take Best Picture. 

“I think ‘Roma’ will win because what seems to have resonated with critics is that it is a foreign film that was completely in Spanish and black and white, yet it still appealed to American audiences,” Edmonson said. 

The veteran film reviewer stuck with this prediction as the winner, but she said she would pick another movie to take the title of Best Picture. 

“I think that the film ‘Green Book’ deserves to win because it is heartfelt and powerful and a film for absolutely everyone,” Edmonson said. 

“Roma” is nominated for 10 awards in the following categories: Best Picture, Best Actress (Yalitza Aparicio), Best Supporting Actress (Marina de Tavira), Best Director, Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design and Best Sound Editing. 

However, Kelley said she thinks Spike Lee might give Cuaron a run for his money in the Best Director category. 

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“Spike Lee has a good chance of winning best director for ‘BlacKkKlansmen,’” Kelley said. “It is another great film that anchors the racial pol- itics of the 1970s in our present moment.” 

Edmonson agreed Lee could win but said she sees Cuaron to be the “best bet” to win. 

“He has a huge winning streak in place right now,” Edmonson said. 

She also referenced his past win for his direction in 2014 for his film, “Gravity.” 

“By now, Cuaron is a veteran to the director category, and ‘Roma’ is easily his best work,” Edmonson said. “However, I do think that Spike Lee could very well be the upset in this category, especially since he has never won an Oscar and he definitely deserves it this year.” 

“BlacKkKlansmen” is nominated for six awards in the following categories: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Adam Driver), Best Director, Best Original Music Score (Terence Blanchard), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing (Barry Alexander Brown). 


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