Oscars predictions 2024: Who do we think will win big on Sunday?

LaPorsche: What's up, everyone? And welcome back to Advocate Today I am La Porsche. We are talking all things Oscars, and this episode is all about predictions which everyone loves. Okay? Oppenheimer Summer is dominating this year with 30 nods and Poor Things is following close behind with 11. I'm back with the fabulous and talented Rachel Smith and Tracy E. Gilchrist.

Let's have us back. Everyone loves talking predictions, but we get to do it through the lens of equality community and of course, diversity, which is really important to us here at equalpride.

Big five awards at the Oscars are Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. All right. So for Best Picture, we have faves nominated such as American Fiction, Poor Things Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, and more. All right. We are not going to make people wait. Rachel, who do you think will take best picture? What is the Hollywood talk?

Rachel Smith:You guys know I live in Las Vegas, so let me use some Vegas terms. I would double down. I would go all in. It's going to be Oppenheimer. And I'm not saying that is my personal favorite that's not going to be rooting for. But it's I mean, it will be a shock if any other Best Picture and it could happen because maybe people think Oppenheimer's got it.

So they want to vote for some other again, Barbie,Poor Things, or American Fiction. But if I had if I was a betting girl, and I am some days, I would put my money on Oppenheimer.

LaPorsche: Of course, you are in Vegas. Okay, Tracy, what are your thoughts on Best Picture?

Tracy E. Gilchrist: Again, if I were betting it's Oppenheimer. It's just swept so many of the awards. Personally, I'm a Poor Things girl. Or I would love it to be Barbie just to give that to Greta Gerwig because she didn't have the director nomination. And, it is an incredible film that made so much money, made people happy, and was incredibly diverse.

Lots of representation in that. But it's Oppenheimer.

LaPorsche: Listen, Barbie checked all of the boxes, you know. It started a lot of conversation and all of us were showing up wearing our pink to the movies. Listen, I have a lot of homeboys who bought the “I Am Kenough” shirt. I cannot tell you how many people hit me up for Halloween like, “Want to be my Barbie?” Even though I know that these [predictions] are probably right, I'm going to root for American fiction.

Let's talk Best Screenplay. Fun fact I did some research earlier and found that best screenplay is awarded to the actual writers while best Picture is awarded to the producers of the film. So just in case you didn't know that this is a pretty stacked category, ladies. Okay, so we have American Fiction, Oppenheimer, Barbie, Poor Things and The Zone of Interest.

Who is taking the cake? Tracy, you go first Best Screenplay.

Tracy E. Gilchrist: I would love to see American Fiction take Best Screenplay. It's a strong, strong story. I loved it. I hope it does. But also, I mean, they're split into two, so there's original and adapted. Yeah. I also, again, I have to go with my May December — Samy Burch for May December. I loved that film, and I thought that was a terrific screenplay.

LaPorsche: Okay. Rachel.

Rachel Smith: I would love to see, for Adapted Screenplay, see a Cord Jefferson win for American Fiction. He's a first-time filmmaker and a fun fact, he used to be one of us, you guys. He used to be a journalist. Yeah, he told me. I met him on a Q&A in Los Angeles. He was like, “I know the Harry Potter junkets, and interview [for] movies, and do premieres.

So, he was actually a journalist, which makes sense that he's a writer. And so this is his very first film. I think it is so smart, it's so clever, and I'm sure you guys appreciate. Listen, I love the Fast and Furious 17 as much as the next guy, but it's like any creative original idea, you know? I know it's Adapted Screenplay, but still, to bring that to the big screen…

LaPorsche: For Best Actress, we have Emma Stone, Lily Gladstone, Annette Bening, Carey Mulligan, Sandra Hüller. We'll stick with really quick, ladies. Which one I think is going to take the cake for best actress?

Tracy E. Gilchrist: I think it's going to be Lily Gladstone. I think she's going to make history, which is, you know, incredible as the first Indigenous actress to win that. I loved Emma Stone. I thought it was a very, very brave performance, like just unhinged, and Sandra Hüller. I thought she was terrific in Anatomy of a Fall.

And I know that you mentioned Fantasia, La Porsche.

LaPorsche: I was going to say now Fantasia is my one. Yes, sorority sister was snubbed. You know, and I think part of the reason why this is that a lot of the time Fantasia in most people's mind is like so relatable to that character because if you know her story, you know that she's been through so much.

And I think that for some people, you don't really understand the acting that went into that.

Oh, really quick, too. Best Supporting Actress, because we have some fan favorites nominated. We have America Ferrera, Danielle Brooks, Emily Blunt, Jodie Foster and Da'Vine Joy Randolph. I personally, I'm rooting for Danielle Brooks because although I feel like The Color Purple could have been better in some areas, I'm going to be honest right there. I do feel like she had a very strong performance and that was not talked about enough to me. Rachel, what did you get?

Rachel Smith

I agree. I mean, honestly, I echo what Tracy said. I think Lily Gladstone will win, should win for best actress, and it'll be a wonderful moment at the Oscars. I also thought Danielle Brooks, I don't think The Color Purple got nearly enough love. I thought seeing a powerful movie with, I mean, how often do we see a major big-budget feature film with all women of color front and center telling such an empowered story?

But I just think that it's like it's unfortunate [it did not get more attention]. But Danielle Brooks, by the way, I saw her on Broadway when she played the character, which of course, made famous by Oprah, Sophia. I think Danielle Brooks was phenomenal, well-deserved, but I don't think it's going to go to Danielle. And I think Tracy knows who I think it's going to go to.

I bet you echo the same thing.

La Porsche: Yeah. Who do you think is going to go to Tracy?

Tracy E. Gilchrist: It's Da'Vine Joy Randolph who has all the heat. She's swept. And unfortunately, that is the one film I have not seen yet. I've heard she's terrific in it. But, you know, coming out of The Color Purple, I walked out of that film and said, this is Danielle's I thought she worked along with so many strong performances, I mean, Taraji [P. Henson] was incredible.

Colman [Domingo]! If I didn't know that Colman Domingo is a really sweet, lovely gay man, I would have been terrified. He was so good in that. And, you know, Fantasia, of course. But when I walked out, I thought Danielle was a stand out, that she’d walk away with it.

La Porsche: She was a stand-out when that jail scene and her being quiet for about seven years and slowly finding her way back. She found her way back to, of course, men being very patronizing. You know, throwing a joke in there. I just thought it was such an incredibly strong performance. And I do. I really love Colman Domingo as well, however, I have to be honest, I don't think that Rustin was a strong enough film and I did a lot of coverage for it.

To me, it felt quick, if that makes sense. I thought that his performance was spectacular, but the movie as a whole, it felt just a little quick to me. Of course, a big fan of [Domingo’s] portrayal in The Color Purple. I was like, “Come on. Is that you?”