The five Oscar acting nominations I'm rooting for in 2020

The Oscars are bound to break your heart, every year they miss something terrific that's either too edgy for them or doesn't fit some pre-ordained narrative (like Renee Zellweger's comeback with Judy). I know many of my favorite movies won't make the cut and the same goes for some of the year's best performances.

But a boy can hope right?

What's difficult about the Academy Awards when it comes to acting is you only get five nominees -- and in years like this one, when there are so many excellent performances that will just miss the cut or not even come near it (like Brad Pitt's work in Ad Astra, although he'll certainly make the cut for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).

There are five nominations I am really hoping to hear when they're announced on January 22nd next year (which feels very far away).

Lupita Nyong'o, Best Actress for Us: In what was easily the most acclaimed performance of the first part of this year, her work in Jordan Peele's hit horror film has seen a resurgence -- winning several critics awards in a race that has been treated like a Zellweger coronation in some circles. It remains to be seen whether the early release date and genre bias will ultimately keep her out of the top five, but I sincerely hope not. This is my favorite performance of the year in perhaps my favorite movie of the year, so naturally I want it be recognized.

Eddie Murphy, Best Actor for Dolemite Is My Name: This sweet and hilarious performance as the earnest and endearing Rudy Ray Moore is rightly being hailed as a comeback for Murphy -- but it's more than that. There's something so liberating about seeing Murphy shed his vanity (he put on significant weight for this role) and his cool guy image to play a sincere schlub with dreams of being something more. This is one of the more feel-good movies I saw this year and the infectious joy of Murphy's performance is the biggest reason why.

Jennifer Lopez, Best Supporting Actress for Hustlers: Of the five potential nominations I'm hyping, this one feels the most likely to actually happen. I actually believe the movie Hustlers as a whole has been absurdly under-appreciated (although it was a hit at the box office). It manages to tell both a moving and exciting crime story from an entirely female perspective-gaze (something I don't think I've ever seen). And Lopez, at 50, is a revelation. Sure, she's beyond stunning -- but she's also just so present in her role as Ramona, a woman who could have led an army if she set her mind to it but instead conspires with fellow strippers to exact righteous revenge of Wall Street bros.

Adam Sandler, Best Actor for Uncut Gems: Probably more than any other actor with let's say an uneven filmography that's in contention this year (this would include Murphy and Lopez), Sandler's history of horrendous mainstream comedies may have permanently poisoned the well when it comes to his remarkable performance in this Safdie brothers crime film. He's an incredible livewire here -- unapologetically unlikable and manic -- and he's brilliant in almost every scene. This is no fluke, the man is talented, and hopefully he'll keep making more movies like this one.

Joe Pesci, Best Supporting Actor for The Irishman: Martin Scorsese's expansive and ambitious epic about the toll a life of crime can take is being justly heralded for its trio of pitch perfect performances from its legendary leading men: Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. But the performance that I thought was the most fascinating and surprising was Pesci's. He completely upends his volcanic persona to play a quiet, smooth operator -- the kind of person who doesn't raise his voice ever because he doesn't need to. It's the kind of specific character work that isn't showy and sometimes gets snubbed. I'm pulling for Pesci who rarely makes films anymore and had to be coaxed into doing this one.