The 94th Academy Awards are set to take place on March 27. The nominations, which were announced in early February, have ignited frequent and intense discourse on social media platforms such as Letterboxd, Twitter, and Instagram. This year is considered the Oscars’ return to normalcy after having been postponed last year due to Covid-19.

The awards fall into twenty four categories that cover representation for roles in film such as directors, actors, costume designers, and more. The term “the big 5” refers to the main categories that viewers look forward to and are considered the most prestigious of the awards: Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Original/Adapted Screenplay. 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has sent cinephiles into an uproar this year due to the announcement that 8 of the awards will not be presented on the live telecast. Filmmakers and film admirers alike are in agreement that this decision creates the impression that some roles in film are more important or more worthy of being broadcast than others. I personally believe that all awards should be presented on the telecast regardless of the effect on the program duration because there is an equal amount of work and effort that is put into creating a film and all contributors should be recognized on a grand scale for their achievements.

In terms of predictions for “the big 5”, I firmly believe that Dune will walk away with the Oscar for Best Picture. It was one of the best received and most anticipated films to air in the category. I would love to see Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Coleman win the categories of Best Actor and Actress for their phenomenal work in their respective films, but realistically it seems that Andrew Garfield and Kristin Stewart have the better odds to win. Best Screenplay is likely (and deservingly) to go to The Power of The Dog by Jane Campion. Best Director will hopefully give Steven Spielberg his third Academy Award win.

The films that have aired this past year were thoroughly enjoyable, some of my favorites being West Side Story, Dune, and The Power of the Dog. I think the nominations were fair for the most part, although Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up should not have been nominated for anything and Denis Villeneuve was snubbed of a Best Director nomination for Dune. House of Gucci was not a well-received film, though Jared Leto’s hilarious and theatrical performance of Aldo Gucci was deserving of a nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role which seems to be a universal opinion among viewers of the film. The Oscars are sure to inspire further discussion among film lovers this year.

Click here to vote on who you think will win the “big 5” Oscars this year!