Oscar Watching: Waiting…

The top races – for picture and director – didn’t change much over the last few days, but Her thankfully made some waves with the Writers Guild of America (WGA). The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) weighs in with its picks on Feb. 16, and that’s really the last big precursor of the season. Just waiting on those…
Updates on each category below and over the next few pages.
Best Picture
Remember, voting for the winners begins on Feb. 14, so campaigns still have time to win over voters. (Also, Harvey Weinstein is really trotting out Philomena herself, isn’t he?) Still, 12 Years as Slave is the film that, if we account only for subject matter, is undeniably important, so I expect Steve McQueen’s drama to take this award.
1. 12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen)
2. Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón)
3. American Hustle (David O. Russell)
4. Nebraska (Alexander Payne)
5. Dallas Buyers Club (Jean-Marc Vallée)
6. Philomena (Stephen Frears)
7. The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)
8. Her (Spike Jonze)
9. Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass)
Best Director
Alfonso Cuarón’s win from the Directors Guild of America (DGA) was obvious, so I imagine he wins here even if the motion-picture academy backs another film in the picture race.