The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 34 GRA Edition)

 

For this awards-centric edition of The Roundup, I will go through each category and tell you who I think should win the award, who I think actually will win the award, who I think has no chance to win, who I think may have been snubbed out of a nomination (if anyone) - followed by a brief thought on the category this season.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Who Should Win: Nineteen Eighty-Four - Part Two
Who Will Win: Superman: Doomsday
No Chance: Tears of an Angel

Snub(s): Police Story: Retribution

Thought(s): This feels like a wide-open category with a decent mix of film types/genres. Tears of an Angel feels like the one longshot here though - just a hunch though.

BEST SOUNDTRACK
Who Should Win: Full Custody
Who Will Win: Material Girl
No Chance: Doom
Snub(s): N/A

Thought(s): Not a lot of contenders for this category this season anyways, so no snubs. Doom feels like a novelty soundtrack, so I think it comes down to the other three nominees.

MOST WANTED SEQUEL
Who Should Win: Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Flesh and Blood
Who Will Win: Superman: Doomsday
No Chance: The Crow: Yomi
Snub(s): Sgt. Rock

Thought(s): This is a stacked category this year. Pretty sure they all have sequels in the works if I read the future schedule correctly last time I looked. The Crow: Yomi is the least "sexy" option here, so I don't see it winning.

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
Who Should Win: Ruby Ridge
Who Will Win: Ruby Ridge
No Chance: Macbeth
Snub(s): Starlight

Thought(s): This seems like an easy win for Ruby Ridge to me, but I think it's biggest competition is surprisingly X-Men: Age of Apocalypse - part of series regularly praised for its balancing of the ensemble.

BEST STARRING COUPLE
Who Should Win: Eric Bana & Hilary Swank - Ruby Ridge
Who Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence & Sydney Sweeney - Starlight
No Chance: Mike Faist & Minami Hamabe - The Crow: Yomi
Snub(s): Shane Gillis & Melanie Lynskey - Full Custody 

Thought(s): I suspect that the starring duo of Starlight are going to cancel each other out in the Best Actress category, so I think voters may throw them a bone here as a consolation prize.

BEST VILLAIN
Who Should Win: Cameron Britton - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Flesh and Blood
Who Will Win: Daniel Craig - Superman: Doomsday
No Chance: Tadanobu Asano - The Crow: Yomi
Snub(s): Yura Borisov - Sgt. Rock

Thought(s): Craig has won this award a couple times now - once already for playing Lex Luthor - so he's a safe bet. I must say though, I love the version of Leatherface played by Britton.

BEST ADAPTATION
Who Should Win: Superman: Doomsday
Who Will Win: Macbeth
No Chance: Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Flesh and Blood
Snub(s): The Crow: Yomi

Thought(s): This is a weird category this year - two superhero blockbusters, a Shakespeare adaptation, and a bloody horror film. It could go any way.

BEST ORIGINAL STORY
Who Should Win: Ruby Ridge
Who Will Win: Ruby Ridge
No Chance: Full Custody
Snub(s): Exodus

Thought(s): Ruby Ridge is the clear favorite here - deservedly so.
 
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Who Should Win: Anna Baryshnikov - Convalescence
Who Will Win: Zoe Saldana - Exodus
No Chance: Nell Fisher - Tethered
Snub(s): Melanie Lynskey - Full Custody

Thought(s): No clue how this one will shake out. I'd put my money on Saldana winning due to star power though.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Who Should Win: Don Johnson - Ruby Ridge
Who Will Win: Chris Evans - Starlight
No Chance: James McAvoy - Macbeth
Snub(s): Ben Foster - All the Fives

Thought(s): Evans has the inside edge due to star power, but I think Don Johnson deserves this one. 

BEST ACTRESS
Who Should Win: Hilary Swank - Ruby Ridge
Who Will Win: Chloe Grace Moretz - Material Girl
No Chance: Jennifer Lawrence & Sydney Sweeney - Starlight
Snub(s): N/A

Thought(s): Best Actress is a stacked category this season - probably the strongest the category has been in LRF history. I think the four best leading female performances were all nominated, so no snubs - although there are a few others who would be easy nominations in any other season. 

BEST ACTOR
Who Should Win: Eric Bana - Ruby Ridge
Who Will Win: Eric Bana - Ruby Ridge
No Chance: Alexander Skarsgard - Coriolanus / Benedict Cumberbatch - Macbeth
Snub(s): Wyatt Russell - All the Fives / Shane Gillis - Full Custody

Thought(s): For probably the first time in LRF history, the Best Actor category is weaker than the Best Actor category. Eric Bana deserves this one, and I'd bet the voters agree.

BEST DIRECTOR
Who Should Win: Kathryn Bigelow - Ruby Ridge
Who Will Win: Todd Haynes - Starlight
No Chance: Robert Eggers - Macbeth
Snub(s): John Hillcoat - All the Fives

Thought(s): I think this will be Ruby Ridge's night, but I think Haynes has a legitimate shot at Best Director.

BEST PICTURE
Who Should Win: Ruby Ridge
Who Will Win: Ruby Ridge
No Chance: Full Custody
Snub(s): N/A

Thought(s): Ruby Ridge is the clear favorite in every way. I'd be stunned if it doesn't win.