Predictions for the 87th Oscar nominations!

Well, tomorrow is the big 87th Academy Awards nominations announcement!  For the the first time, all 24 categories will be announced live at 5:30 a.m. PT.  This year, there are still several categories where there seems to be a lot of wiggle room and have the potential for a surprise or two.  A few seem to have a 5th slot that could swing different ways.  Here are my predictions with some brief thoughts or alternates, excluding the shorts.  

Best Picture
01. American Sniper
02. Birdman
03. Boyhood
04. Gone Girl
05. The Grand Budapest Hotel
06. The Imitation Game
07. Selma
08. The Theory of Everything
09. Whiplash

If there are 10 nominees add: Nightcrawler
-I'm going with 9 like we have seen the past few years with the new voting system.  I don't imagine a big enough percentage of #1 votes needed for Nightcrawler to get in, but I would love to be wrong.  There is also a possibility it takes the place of Gone Girl.

Best Directing
01. Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
02. Richard Linklater, Boyhood
03. Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
04. Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game
05. Ava DuVernay, Selma

-I'm thinking that Ava DuVernay takes Clint Eastwood's DGA spot.  This is going to be a tight one though, and Damien Chazelle poses a real threat as well.

Best Actor in a Leading Role
01. Michael Keaton, Birdman
02. Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
03. Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
04. David Oyelowo, Selma
05. Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

-Steve Carell could easily take the place of Oyelowo or Gyllenhaal after his SAG and Globe love.  Will the Academy consider him supporting like BAFTA did?

Best Actress in a Leading Role
01. Jennifer Aniston, Cake
02. Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
03. Julianne Moore, Still Alice
04. Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
05. Reese Witherspoon, Wild

-Aniston is in the vulnerable position.  If her name isn't called tomorrow, I think Amy Adams will be taking her place for Big Eyes.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
01. Edward Norton, Birdman
02. Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
03. Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
04. Robert Duvall, The Judge
05. J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

-This is the likely five.  If Josh Brolin (Inherent Vice) or Tom Wilkinson (Selma) show up here, it would probably be at the expense of veteran Duvall.  Carell could also show up here in supporting in agreement with BAFTA's placement.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
01. Emma Stone, Birdman
02. Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
03. Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
04. Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
05. Rene Russo, Nightcrawler

-Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year) looks to pounce on the 5th slot.  I'm predicting Rene Russo love in the Academy though and her first nomination.

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
01. Birdman
02. Boyhood
03. Foxcatcher
04. The Grand Budapest Hotel
05. Nightcrawler

-Mr. Turner and Selma could take that Foxcatcher or Nigthcrawler's spot.

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
01. Gone Girl
02. The Imitation Game
03. The Theory of Everything
05. Whiplash
05. Wild

-American Sniper could end up here in place of Whiplash or Wild.

Best Animated Feature
01. Big Hero 6
02. How to Train Your Dragon 2
03. The LEGO Movie
04. Song of the Sea
05. The Tale of Princess Kaguya

-Leaving out The Boxtrolls could be an extremely poor decision, but the Academy appreciates foreign animation and previously nominated Tomm Moore's The Secret of Kells.

Best Foreign Language Film
01. Ida
02. Force Majeure
03. Leviathan
04. Timbuktu
05. Wild Tales

-Tangerines from Estonia is another possibility here.  You never know with the Foreign Language branch.

Best Documentary Feature
01. The Case Against 8
02. CITIZENFOUR
03. Last Days in Vietnam
04. Life Itself
05. The Overnighters

-I think Virgunga or Finding Vivan Maier are definite possibilities if this isn't the five.

Best Music (Original Score)
01. Gone Girl
02. The Grand Budapest Hotel
03. The Imitation Game
04. Interstellar
05. The Theory of Everything

-Could Desplat get a THIRD score in with a nomination for Unbroken or could Thomas Newman get in for The Judge?  Both very possible.

Best Music (Original Song)
01. "Lost Stars", Begin Again
02. "I'm Not Gonna Miss You", Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
03. "Yellow Flicker Beat", The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I
04. "Everything Is Awesome", The LEGO Movie
05. "Glory", Selma

-It's always hard to guess what the music branch is going to do here. "Ryan's Song" from Boyhood or "Big Eyes" from Big Eyes could be here.

Best Film Editing
01. Birdman
02. Boyhood
03. The Imitation Game
04. Nightcrawler
05. Whiplash

-Alternates: American Sniper or The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Cinematography
01. Birdman
02. The Grand Budapest Hotel
03. Mr. Turner
04. Nightcrawler
05. Unbroken 

-The branch may also take to the work in Ida or Interstellar

Best Production Design 
01. Big Eyes
02. The Grand Budapest Hotel
03. The Imitation Game
04. Into the Woods
05. Mr. Turner 

-Alternate: Interstellar

Best Costume Design
01. The Grand Budapest Hotel
02. The Imitation Game
03. Into the Woods
04. Maleficent
05. Mr. Turner

-Alternates: Inherent Vice or Selma

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
01. Guardians of the Galaxy
02. The Grand Budapest Hotel
03. The Theory of Everything

-Alternate: Foxcatcher for making Steve Carell's face haunt my dreams.

Best Sound Mixing
01. American Sniper
02. Birdman
03. The Imitation Game
04. Into the Woods
05. Unbroken

-Alternates: Interstellar, Transformers: Age of Extinction

Best Sound Editing
01. American Sniper
02. Birdman
03. Guardians of the Galaxy
04. Interstellar
05. Unbroken

-Alternate: Fury

Best Visual Effects
01. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
02. Godzilla
03. Guardians of the Galaxy
04. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
05. Interstellar

-X-Men: Days of Future Past or Maleficent could replace one of these