With stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jennifer Lawrence competing for some of the night's most coveted awards, the 88th Academy Awards will be an awards show you won't want to miss. The awards, hosted by Chris Rock, will air live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.
The predictions for some of the night’s biggest awards are as follows:
Best Picture: “Room"
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson, “Room” follows the story of a mother and son who have been held in captivity for seven years. The mother, or “Ma,” is played by Brie Larson and her son is played by Jacob Tremblay. Larson is nominated for best actress for her performance. The film is both tragic and uplifting, with each actor’s performance better than the last. Many have speculated that this award will go to “The Revenant,” as it won the Golden Globe for best drama earlier this month, but Abrahamson’s “Room” is a worthy competitor.
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant”
Call it an educated guess or simply wishful thinking but after five Academy Award nominations and zero wins, 2016 has to be Leo’s year. Love him or hate him, DiCaprio was truly unbelievable in his role as Hugh Glass in “The Revenant.” After being mauled by a bear and left for dead in the woods of Montana, Glass makes it his mission to hunt down those who betrayed him. DiCaprio utters few words following his attack at the start of the film, which makes his performance so impressive. Without speaking, DiCaprio is able to captivate his audience and get a strong emotional response.
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Saoirse Ronan, “Brooklyn”
Directed by John Crowley, “Brooklyn” follows Ellis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) on her journey from Ireland to the United States during the 1950s. Ronan’s character struggles with the concepts of death, homesickness and love throughout the film. The Oscar for best actress is well-deserved for Ronan's moving and effortless performance. Ronan adopts the struggles of her character as if they were her own, making her performance seem more raw and relatable. Ronan has the ability to entrance the audience and make them forget that they are watching a fictional artwork. Ronan, though young, is well-deserving of this recognition from the academy.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale, “The Big Short”
Hollywood heavyweight Christian Bale was flawless in his supporting role as Michael Burry in “The Big Short.” The film, which follows four friends who use their finance skills to capitalize on the market crash of 2005, features Bale as the blunt and sarcastic Burry. Despite not being the main character, the film seems to belong to Bale as a result of his impeccable performance. Bale last won this award for his role in “The Fighter” in 2011. If you haven’t seen “The Big Short” yet, you should definitely set some time aside to do so.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Kate Winslet “Steve Jobs”
In the film “Steve Jobs,” actress Kate Winslet proves once again her acting prowess in the role of Joanna Hoffman, one of the original marketing executives at Apple. “Steve Jobs,” as a collective work, would not have been as captivating without Kate Winslet's portrayal of the tough, rational and unforgiving Hoffman. With one Oscar and three Golden Globes under her belt, Winslet is widely expected to claim yet another recognition for her believable character representations.
For the complete list of nominees, check out the Academy Awards website, oscar.go.com