My Personal Academy Awards for 2013

The 86th Annual Academy Awards to honor the best of cinema in 2013 will be held on Sunday. No matter whom the winners end up being; film buffs across the world are bound to be aggravated with at least some of the winners. With the inevitable disappointment of the Academy Awards right around the corner, I figured it would be fun to live out every film geek’s fantasy and hand out my own personal film awards for 2013. So pour yourself a glass of Cabernet, throw together an elegant cheese platter, and (hopefully) enjoy this fictional awards ceremony.

Best Picture: Nominees: “American Hustle”, “Blue Jasmine”, “Fruitvale Station” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”, “Iron Man 3”, “Pain & Gain”, “Short Term 12”, “The Spectacular Now”, “This is the End”

And The Winner Is...: “Frutivale Station”

 In a year full of deep and brilliant films, “Fruitvale Station”was far and away the most complete film of 2013. It brings the story of Oscar Grant to the masses with jaw-dropping authenticity and excellent acting while also serving as a thought-provoking reflection on the racial issues that plague our society in the modern day.

Best Actor: Nominees: Christian Bale, “American Hustle”, Hugh Jackman, “Prisoners”, Michael B. Jordan, “Fruitvale Station”, Joaquin Phoenix, “Her”, Miles Teller, “The Spectacular Now”

And the Winner Is...: Michael B. Jordan, “Fruitvale Station” 

Michael B. Jordan’s work in “Fruitvale Station” is the type of performance that turns a young actor into a bonafide star. Jordan becomes Oscar Grant and explores him with an incredible depth that exposes every single side of his character. From Grant’s introduction as a newly released convict trying to not fall back into his old ways to support his daughter to the final moments before he is gunned down; Jordan is simply mesmerizing to watch as he brings Grant back to life on screen. There was not a single performance in 2013 that came close to being as emotionally affecting and profound as Jordan’s work in “Fruitvale Station”.

Best Actress: Nominees: Amy Adams, “American Hustle”, Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”, Brie Larson “Short Term 12”, Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”, Shailene Woodley, “The Spectacular Now”

And the Winner Is...: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”

This is a virtual tie between Blanchett and Amy Adams’s spellbinding performance in “American Hustle”, but Blanchett’s work as the mentally unstable title character in “Blue Jasmine” gets the slight edge. Blanchett nails the desperation, insanity and manipulative antics of a woman that can’t acclimate back to the real world after being pampered in high society for so long.

Best Supporting Actor: Nominees: Daniel Bruhl, “Rush”, Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle”, James Franco, “Spring Breakers”, Dwayne Johnson, “Pain & Gain”, Jeremy Renner, “American Hustle”

And the Winner is...: Jeremy Renner, American Hustle

It’s shocking to me that the other four top-billed actors in “American Hustle” were given a plethora of award nominations while Renner was snubbed by every major award ceremony. Renner’s Carmine Polito is the most sympathetic and lone good-hearted person in a set of characters that thrive off taking advantage of other people. Renner hasn’t been this dialed into a role since “The Town” and he manages to steal the show in a film that was chock full of show-stopping performances.

Best Supporting Actress: Nominees: Kaitlyn Dever, “Short Term 12”, Melonie Diaz, “Fruitvale Station”, Scarlett Johannson, “Her”, Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”, Octavia Spencer, “Frutivale Station” 
And the Winner Is...: Octavia Spencer, “Fruitvale Station”

Octavia Spencer managed to top her excellent Academy Award-winning performance in “The Help” as Oscar Grant’s mother in “Fruitvale Station”. The final 10 minutes after Grant passes are some of the most heartbreaking scenes ever put on film and Spencer’s commanding performance as his grief-stricken and utterly shocked mother is at the forefront of it.

Best Director: Nominees: Joel and Ethan Coen, “Inside Llewyn Davis”, Ron Howard, “Rush”, David O. Russell, “American Hustle”, Guillermo Del Toro, “Pacific Rim”

And the Winner Is...: Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station 

In his directorial debut, Ryan Coogler proved that he has a better grasp on filmmaking than most directors that have been making movies for decades. Coogler makes “Fruitvale Station” so convincing that it seems like the events of the film are unfolding in real time. At only age 27, Coogler has a very bright career and hopefully numerous real awards ahead of him.