The 2022 Oscar race has never looked more uncertain!
The 94th annual Academy Awards are set to be hosted on Sunday, March 27, 2022. Although this Oscar race has been mired by controversy, the show must go on.
Take a look at our predictions for the Oscar race and don’t forget to check back after the awards to see how our predictions matched up with the winners.
‘CODA’ Could Snag The Top Prize In The Oscar Race
“CODA” scooped up the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild for best ensemble performance and it’s not hard to see why. The Deaf community is just that, a community, and “CODA” allows the natural authenticity of its actors to shine through.
Even for hearing individuals who are totally unaware of Deaf culture, the film’s themes of struggling with your identity while still trying to uphold your duties to your family are relateable.
CODA, an acronym for Child of Deaf Adult(s), is used to describe a hearing child born to Deaf parents. Often times, they are torn between a sense of responsibility of acting an interpreter for their family and going off and pursuing their own dreams. “CODA” captures this balance perfectly.
Will Smith May Win The Oscar For Best Actor
The Best Actor race may very well come down to Will Smith for “King Richard” and Benedict Cumberbatch for “The Power of the Dog.”
Although both actors display tender vulnerability in each of their roles, veteran actor Will Smith may be able to pull ahead here, especially since he managed to scoop up a BAFTA earlier this month.
The Best Actress Oscar Race Is A Toss-Up
The Best Actress winner may the toughest to call. Although first-timer Kristen Stewart portrayed Princess Diana in “Spencer,” the awards season has not been kind to the ambitious film.
With Lady Gaga absent from the race (and let’s face it, “House of Gucci” failed to become the contender many expected it to be), the award will most likely go to Jessica Chastain, who scooped up the Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice Award equivalent for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”
That being said, we’re not ready to count Nicole Kidman for “Being the Ricardos” out just yet.
Troy Kotsur Is 99.9% Likely To Win An Oscar
It is 2022 and it is about time that a Deaf man won an Oscar. If Troy Kotsur picks up a win for Best Supporting Actor for “CODA,” he will become the first male Deaf actor and second Deaf person to win an Oscar. Costar Marlee Matlin won for “Children of a Lesser God” in 1987, so it’s about time Deaf actors got to shine in the spotlight.
Although many hearing audiences look at a Deaf person’s hands when they sign, 90% of communication is conveyed through body language, facial expressions, and non-manual markers (think: raise your eyebrows to ask a yes or no question and knot your eyebrows to ask a wh- question).
With so much emotion built into the language itself, hopefully the success of “CODA” will prompt many in the industry to take a second look at all the talent Deaf actors have to offer.
Did Ariana DeBose Win Yet?
Just as the Deaf community has been underrepresented in the Oscar race, the LGBTQIA+ community needs positive representation right now more than ever.
Not only is Ariana DeBose open about her sexuality, but she and “The Prom” costar Jo Ellen Pellman founded the Unruly Hearts Initiative, to help connect LGBTQ+ youth to supportive hotlines and informative organizations.
Although DeBose’s win would be a triumph for positive representation, she has more than earned an Oscar for her role in “West Side Story.” Between singing, dancing, and acting, DeBose proves that she is indeed a triple threat while somehow making it all seem effortless on screen.
Will Jane Campion Win For ‘The Power of the Dog’?
Although Sam Elliot was pretty critical of Jane Campion‘s skills as a director, she is most likely going to be able to pull ahead of Steven Spielberg in the Oscar race.
Campion has been scooping up awards for “The Power of the Dog” so far, and the Western film holds the highest chance of upsetting “CODA” in the Best Picture race.
The only thing we do know for sure is that “Drive My Car” is just as likely to win best International film as “Encanto” is likely to win best animated movie (which seems pretty likely).
So those are our predictions. Do you agree? Disagree? Head on over to our social media pages and let us know your thoughts!
