Laura's list of movies that SHOULD have won (and been nominated for) Oscars

In an effort to recognize the ACTUAL best movies of the year (instead of the ones voted on by a bunch of Hollywood insider BFFs), here are my (entirely reasonable) opinions about which movies SHOULD have won Oscars:

BEST PICTURE
Winner: Tie! Because it’s my list and I can pick whomever I want:
12 Years a Slave
Gravity
Short Term 12

Nominees:
-Short-term 12 (best movie you didn’t see this year. Better than most you DID see)
-Captain Phillips
-Dallas Buyers Club
-Gravity
-Nebraska (haven’t seen it, but I’ll believe all the reviews
-12 Years a Slave
-Blue is the Warmest Color (it’s absurd that this Palme d’Or winner wasn’t nominated); Hunger Games -Catching Fire
-Prisoners

Note: It’s infuriating that movies like Short Term 12 and Blue is the Warmest Color don’t get nominated, and cliché overlong movies like Wolf of Wall Street (which was fine, but poorly edited) do. I removed Wolf from my list, and also American Hustle, which was a good/fun movie, but not groundbreaking in my opinion. Oh and I removed Her, which I found interesting and beautiful but also tedious and I wanted it to end as soon as possible. Also, I realize that Catching Fire was a ridiculous addition to the list, but I loved every. second. of it. And it's my list.


BEST ACTOR
Winner:
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Nominees: -Christian Bale, American Hustle
-Bruce Dern, Nebraska
-Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
-Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
-Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station (haven’t seen it, but I’m going on reviews of how fabulous he is)
-Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis

Note: Nobody approached Matthew M. in my opinion. I took Leo off this list too. He was good, but didn’t he just play a different version of the same role in Gatsby? Also, I can’t believe Oscar Isaac didn’t get a nod for Llewyn Davis.


BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Tie:
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Brie Larson, Short Term 12

Sandy Bullock, Gravity

Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color

Nominees: Brie Larson, Short Term 12
-Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
-Sandra Bullock, Gravity
-Judi Dench, Philomena
-Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
-Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Enough Said
-Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color

Note: Meryl, Brie and Adele were heartbreakingly good in their roles. And although Sandy’s performance didn’t have the gravitas of Meryl’s, Adele’s, or Brie’s, she had to literally dance on a 12-point harness through the entire movie Gravity, which deserves major recognition. Cate Blanchett was amazing but overdirected, just like almost every actor in almost every movie by Woody Allen. I removed Amy Adams, who was fine but not groundbreaking. I’ve seen her play similar characters before. Also, in addition to Brie and Adele, I added Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and to this list.  Best I've seen her.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Tie:
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club, and Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips

Nominees: 
-Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
-Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
-Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
-John Gallagher, Short Term 12

Note: I took off the other nominees because I didn’t find them to be in a class with these three. I almost didn’t even let Abdi tie with Leto, but Abdi scared the crap out of me in Captain Phillips, so I’m giving him the golden statue.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner:
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave (obviously)

Nominees:
-Amy Adams, Her
-Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
-Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
-Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
-June Squibb, Nebraska
-Lea Seydoux, Blue is the Warmest Color

Note: Let’s face it. Nobody but Lupita could’ve won.  Also, I've added the luminous Lea Seydoux and and Amy Adams to this list.  I actually liked Amy better in Her than in American Hustle.


HONORABLE MENTION CATEGORY:Winners: Everybody wins!
-Mud
-Kings of Summer
-The East
-American Hustle
Note: These are movies I didn’t nominate for Best Movie even though I loved them. I give them all happy faces. :)