Caffeinated Politics

I love films like I love books. When I was a teenager in rural Wisconsin, movies were a therapy of sorts. I watched them on television and knew when I was an adult, I would see them on the big screen. Hollywood was magical.

I was aware that movies had a remarkable impact on my ability to understand empathy because what I saw allowed me to inhabit lives far removed from my home in Hancock. As an adult in the dark theatre, I was immersed in someone else’s joys, fears, heartbreaks, and triumphs.

That’s the quiet magic of cinema: it dissolves the distance between “us” and “them.” A well‑told story can make us care about a character we’ve never met, a culture we’ve never experienced, or a struggle we’ve never lived. In that way, films become emotional bridges, stretching our understanding of the world and deepening our capacity to connect with others. More than ever before, we need those films in our lives

That’s why the Academy Awards thrill me. After all these decades, I am still a bit in awe. More than just the glamour or the gold statues. It’s the collective celebration of the stories that moved us, challenged us, or stayed with us long after the credits rolled.

Oscar night feels like a shared ritual with my fellow film buffs, a moment when millions of people gather to honor the art that shaped their year emotionally. We tune in because we want to relive the feelings those films gave us, to root for the stories that touched us, and to witness the people behind them receive a kind of communal gratitude.

Every year, my friend, Christine Myers, places her Oscar predictions into a Word document. Right or wrong isn’t the point. It is about the love of film and Oscar Night! This year, on this new(ish) site for Caffeinated Politics, I post her predictions and trust this is the first of an ongoing tradition on Oscar weekend.

Picture – One Battle After Another (This is the category I struggled most with this year. Historically, the film with the most nominations usually wins Best Picture, however Sinners hasn’t been winning much during awards’ season. They have some late momentum, thanks to the Tourette’s controversy at the BAFTAs happening right before the Oscar voting window opened. As the betting site Gold Derby put it: “’One Battle’ has the stats, but ‘Sinners’ has the vibes.” I’m not confident Sinners will pull off the upset, but I’d be happy if they did.)

Actor – Michael B. Jordan (Won the newly renamed Actor Award, plus his early competition – Timothée Chalamet – has screwed up lots during awards’ season.)

Actress – Jessie Buckley (She’s winning absolutely everything this awards’ season.)

Supporting Actor – Sean Penn (Won the BAFTA and the Actor. I’d love an upset, though.)

Supporting Actress – Amy Madigan (Won the Actor award and is overdue for an Oscar.)

Director – Paul Thomas Anderson (He’s the odds-on favorite and he won the DGA.)

Adapted Screenplay – One Battle After Another

Original Screenplay – Sinners

International Feature Film – Sentimental Value (The only nominee up for Best Picture.)

Cinematography – One Battle After Another

Original Score – Sinners (It’s more integral to the film than its competitors.)

Original Song – Golden (K-Pop Demon Hunters will probably also win Animated Feature.)

Production Design – Frankenstein

Costume Design – Frankenstein

Makeup and Hairstyling – Frankenstein

And as a bonus prediction…

Documentary Feature – The Perfect Neighbor (One of only two nominees I’ve seen! The other being Jurassic World: Rebirth, that’s up for Visual Effects… and won’t win that.)

Please no wagering or betting……