Dreaming of a 'Black' Christmas: My meaningless Oscar wishlist

Michael  B. Jordan in Black Panther

The Oscar nominations are a little over a month away but the speculation and horserace drama is already picking up steam. This will likely be a more competitive year than usual. There doesn't appear to be any total locks in any of the categories, although nominations seem assured for films like A Star Is Born and Roma.

Some of the critics' circles have already named their nominees, including the influential Golden Globes.

And while the precursors have been all over the place -- for instance, the late breaking Mary Poppins Returns has suddenly emerged as a major awards player. I can't help but have my own personal favorites that I'm rooting for, in some cases, despite long odds.

Of course, all of this should come with the usual caveat that this all doesn't really matter. The Oscars become less relevant with each year, and yet, for cinephiles like me, they are kind of irresistible.

When the nominations are finally revealed, this is what I want to see the most...

Black Panther and Michael B. Jordan - After the Oscars' pathetic attempt to ghettoize Black Panther by putting in a new 'popular film' category fizzled, it's still hanging on strong -- earning major nominations and appearing on top 10 lists. At this point I'd be shocked if it wasn't nominated for Best Picture (it certainly could fill the slot that previous blockbusters like Mad Max: Fury Road or Avatar occupied), but no Marvel movie has ever gained acceptance to the big show -- so who knows. I think Ryan Coogler will likely be snubbed, which is absurd, since that movie was his vision.

But the nominee I most want to see is Michael B. Jordan for Best Supporting Actor. Until recently, he was seen as having a better than average shot at making the final five, but the competition has grown stiffer and now he feels like a longshot. I'm especially bitter about since it looks like the sole representation of African-Americans in this category may wind up being Mahershala Ali for the problematic Green Book.

BlacKkKlansman and Spike Lee - Spike Lee has never been nominated for Best Director. Just let that sink in for a minute. Sometimes the academy finally wakes out of their stupor to recognize a master who's been right there under their nose for years. It happened a couple years back with Wes Anderson and it seems poised to happen again with Lee's most critically and commercially lauded film in years. Not only are nominations for the film and his direction deserving, but it would also be a timely and politically charged choice that would reflect well on the academy.

All the stars of The Favourite - I've made no bones about the fact that I loved The Favourite, and the movie's greatest strength is its three flawless leading performances from Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. The producers are wisely splitting the ticket, campaigning for Coleman in lead with Stone and Weisz in supporting. I think it's quite possible that all three make the cut -- which would be fabulous. Even if none of them win, which is also quite possible, it would be very cool and gratifying to see that all these amazing performances were rightly recognized.

Ryan Gosling in First Man

Some love for Widows - For some reason, Widows has not only underperformed at the box office, but it's also failed to get love from the awards clique as well, which is hugely disappointing. I'm not sure what isn't connecting with the voters, but Viola Davis and Daniel Kaluuya at the very least should be the in the nomination conversation. If Viola is snubbed, it'll likely be an all-white Best Actress field, which is not a good look.

Some love for First Man - Damian Chazelle's space opera is one of these other inexplicably rejected, critically acclaimed films that seems to have been wholly rejected by audiences and the awards community. Granted, it's a quiet, slow boil of film about people who suppress their emotions -- but it still has a great pay-off and is a technical marvel, so it deserves to be a part of the Oscar conversation. Claire Foy looks like she will still make it in for Best Supporting Actress, but I don't expect Ryan Gosling's name to be called this time.

Ethan Hawke in First Reformed - Hawke's greatest performance ever seems to be hanging around, which is particularly impressive given what a small and intellectually dense movie First Reformed is, but he deserves the recognition because if you have seen the film you know what a powerful, unforgettable performance it is. All too often Best Actor gets hijacked by people playing dress up as a famous historical figure (think Gary Oldman) or someone excelling in a role that is obvious Oscar bait. Hawke in First Reformed is neither, just a brilliant character performance built from the ground up.

Toni Collette in Hereditary - With the exception of the occasional outlier like Get Out or The Silence of the Lambs, scary films usually gets no love from the academy, which is part of why the staying power of Toni Collette's go-for-broke performance in this psychologically harrowing horror movie. It's a competitive year for Best Actress, but the fifth slot does seem to be up for grabs, and although her movie came out earlier in the year, Collette has been scoring some nominations, could she be a surprise contender? I hope so!