The Oscar Narrative: Final Nomination Predictions - Best Actor and Actress

Best Actor
Christian Bale "American Hustle"
Bruce Dern "Nebraska"
Chiwetel Ejiofor "12 Years a Slave"
Tom Hanks "Captain Phillips"
Matthew McConaughey "Dallas Buyers Club"

Other Contenders - Leonardo DiCaprio "The Wolf of Wall Street", Forest Whitaker "Lee Daniel's The Butler", Robert Redford "All is Lost", Joaquin Phoenix "Her", Oscar Isaac "Inside Llewyn Davis", Michael B. Jordan "Fruitvale Station"

Commentary - There are four guys that are locked and loaded for a nomination. Tom Hanks, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Bruce Dern all got the trifecta of SAG, Globe, and BAFTA nominations. This is usually hard to beat and hard to bet against. Dallas Buyers Club and Matthew McConaughey were snubbed by BAFTA, but last night's Globe win proves that he and the film are doing well stateside (Leto's win as well), and I think that he could be the front runner coming out of SAG on Saturday. It is that last slot that is just a toss up for me. Robert Redford has been in my fifth all season, and he is a legend. And sure he got the Globe nod, but that really doesn't matter. He has yet to show up, and the film has yet to show up in any of the major precursors. Shut out at SAG due to Forest Whitaker, and shut out at BAFTA for Bale and DiCaprio. I just don't think it is going to happen. And after DiCaprio won last night, and Wolf has finally hit its stride. But I am going out on a limb here. I think that Wolf may be hitting its stride, but American Hustle has exploded, and if Silver Linings Playbook can get all four acting nods, I think Hustle can pull off the feat again. Not many people are thinking of Bale, but I think that he is going to get that fifth slot.

Best Actress
Amy Adams "American Hustle"
Cate Blanchett "Blue Jasmine"
Sandra Bullock "Gravity"
Judi Dench "Philomena"
Emma Thompson "Saving Mr. Banks"

Other Contenders - Meryl Streep "August: Osage County", Julie Delpy "Before Midnight", Brie Larson "Short Term 12", Julia Louis-Dreyfus "Enough Said"

Commentary - This race has been a six way race since the beginning, as many great indie performances got pushed aside for the star power. I have never, since I began this journey over five years ago, bet against Meryl Streep. I even had her in for Hope Springs long after everyone else had abandoned ship. But I think that Amy Adams, with her Globe win, has proven that she has hit her stride along with the Hustle escalation. She beat her out at BAFTA, which is really telling (as Julia Roberts got in). I just think that August: Osage County is not the film this year, and while I know I am crazy to do it, I have to go with my gut. And my gut tells me that Amy Adams is getting in.