Annually, thousands of films are envisioned, created, and ultimately released to either become successes or failures. Some movies lack qualities that the general population long for while others meet the public taste. Of course there are some films that hit the big screen that are soon forgotten, but to the contrary there are also the elite movies of the year that capture the hearts of virtually everyone in the nation. Those films are the ones at the top of their class, essentially the “elite of the elite”. Those films deserve recognition of the highest degree and every year the perfect venue is utilized to reward that hard word and dedication that goes into the making of a truly quality film. That platform is none other than the quite prestigious Academy Award stage.

This year, 2013, marks the 85th in a long line of illustrious Academy Award nights. The Academy Awards (a.k.a the Oscars) is the one day out of the year in late February where the highly esteemed class of actors, directors, producers, and films are paid homage to. It seems that practically every year’s film class is better than the next and in the case of the class of 2013, the trend undoubtedly continues. This year, more than any other, I can truly say that the 2013 film class is filled with extremely well done movies, encompassing an abundance of quality actors and actresses. The best part about this year, possibly more so this year than years prior, is that there really isn’t any one movie, one actor, or one actress that will have a definite victory and take home the prized hardware.

There are many categories that the Oscars cover in the industry of film such as best cinematography, costume design, directing, documentary feature, animated feature, documentary short, film editing, original score, and production design, but every year there are the top five categories that are anticipated more than any others: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and of course Best Picture. Every year those five are the most anticipated because they represent the supreme at their respective lines of expertise. Having seen a good assortment of the films that are up for those awards, I will give my personal thoughts, opinions, and ultimately my prediction of who will be victorious Oscar night.

For starters, I think that Lincoln will win the nod for Best Picture on Oscar night. Lincoln, directed by the one and only Steven Spielberg, will win I think because of its immaculate cast and the overall story it encompasses. The story of Abraham Lincoln at the tail end of his life, with beautiful acting on Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, and Sally Fields all adds up in my mind to a victory for Best Picture. However, although I think Lincoln will win, I would personally like to see Argo take home the nod. (All nominees for award include Lincoln, Amour, Life of Pi, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained, Zero Dark Thirty, and Les Miserables.)

As for Best Actor in a leading role, I think that Daniel Day-Lewis has this one in the bag. Day-Lewis has been nominated for the honor five times and has won twice, and with that experience with victory in his past, I think that only helps his chances this year. Additionally, his past accolades may be great, but his performance as Lincoln was superb, and I would definitely be shocked if he didn’t take home the award. Concerning who I would like to win though, I would love to see Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) win the award Oscar Sunday. (All nominees for the award include Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Denzel Washington.)

Thirdly, I think that Jennifer Lawrence will win Best Actress in a leading role. I had the opportunity to see Silver Linings Playbook twice, and I fell in love with her character “Tiffany” more and more each time I saw it, and I’m positive others felt the same way. She took home the nod for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes, so with that in mind, that victory can possibly send luck her way Oscar night. Also, as my preference I would like to see Lawrence take home the nod. (All nominees for the award include Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain, Emmanuelle Riva, Naomi Watts, and Quvenzhane Wallis.)

Next, are the supporting actors. As for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, I think that Cristoph Waltz of Django Unchained will take home his second Oscar. After having won the same award for another Tarantino time piece, I think the cards are definitely in his favor. Additionally, he was great as Dr. Shultz and his performance speaks volumes on the truly great skills he attains. Although I think that Waltz will win I would love to see the one and only, Robert De Niro (who played Pat Solitano Sr. in Silver Linings Playbook) take home the honor. He was funny and played a truly moving role that deserves some recognition. (All nominess for the respective category includes Alan Arkin, Phillip Seymour-Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Cristoph Waltz, and Tommy Lee Jones.)

Lastly but certainly not least, I think that Sally Field will win Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Fields is an amazing actress and that definitely showed in her performance as Mary Todd Lincoln in Lincoln. She showed not only what we as an audience has seen from her for years but we also had the opportunity to see the true depths of her acting talent. As for who I would prefer to win, I am indifferent on the category. No one really jumps out at me like the rest of the categories so I really don’t care who wins which ever way it turns out. (All nominees for award include Jacki Weaver, Helen Hunt, Anne Hathaway, and Amy Adams.)

With the illustrious night just around the corner, it will be very exciting to see who in fact will be successful and who will not have the honor to take home the prestigious awards. The date of the show is February 24th and I along with a few other Clarion members will be doing a special ClarionLIVE! segment on it, where we have a live online discussion of what is happening as it happens. Hopefully, the lucky few who end up being recipients truly deserve the title, but most importantly everyone should enjoy the biggest night the film industry has to offer.