Oscars are Sunday: Who should win?

The Oscars are upon us — airing at 8:30 p.m. Sunday — and with so many nominees, it’s hard to pick the winners.

So, who should win?

Actor in a Leading Role

I can think of many reasons why Denzel Washington should not get this Oscar — he played the role on Broadway; the character of Troy Maxson is not a nice guy; Washington has already received two Oscars and seven nominations.

Here is what Washington is up against:

▪  Andrew Garfield in “Hacksaw Ridge” was excellent in the role, but the character was not bigger than life — as Washington’s character is.

▪  I loved Ryan Gosling in “La La Land,” but Washington’s character had a lot more depth.

▪  Viggo Mortensen in “Captain Fantastic” was wasted in this film, which never generated much press.

▪  Casey Affleck in “Manchester by the Sea” spent most of two hours being clinically depressed, which made the overall experience a real downer for me.

Washington wins by default. But my emotional pick is Gosling.

Actor in a Supporting Role

I confess that “Moonlight” flew in and out before I had a chance to see it, so for that reason I cannot realistically consider it.

My pick is Jeff Bridges in “Hell or High Water,” which also blew in and out too quickly and was released early in the season, so it could easily be overlooked.

Dev Patel was fair in “Lion,” but I liked the younger Lion rather than the grown-up.

“Nocturnal Animals” was not a particularly well-received film, although I liked it, and I would be surprised if Michael Shannon won the award.

Lucas Hedges was excellent in “Manchester by the Sea” as the young nephew Affleck is charged with rearing. Hollywood is not in the habit of awarding Oscars to young men who are not leading men (feel free to correct me on this one).

So Bridges is simply my sentimental favorite but a real long shot.

Actress in a Leading Role

My pick is Emma Stone (“La La Land”) or Natalie Portman (“Jackie”). I would be pleased with either win.

I did not see either “Loving” or “Elle” — it is almost impossible to see a viewing of “Elle” (at least “Loving” is on DVD and streaming). I cannot even remember that “Elle” came to local theaters. Also, “Loving” had decent reviews, but it came and went very quickly. While I don’t think talent should be judged on the notoriety of the film, it is difficult for me to give a top award to an actor who was seen by a relative handful of people.

Meryl Streep was positively incredible in “Florence Foster Jenkins,” but the film was so silly and did not rise to the level of Oscar material. Streep’s performance was wasted on this film.

Hugh Grant should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Foster-Jenkins’ husband/manager.

Actress in a Supporting Role

My personal pick for this award is Octavia Spencer (“Hidden Figures”), but it is a very long shot. Spencer played a strong role in a very engaging film — a film everyone loved.

Nicole Kidman’s appearance in “Lion” was practically a cameo role; it was so insignificant and bland.

Michelle Williams’ role in “Manchester by the Sea” was also rather fleeting, although she played it with passion.

Viola Davis in “Fences” is probably a shoo-in for the award. In truth, her role was more of a leading lady than a supporting actress, and she played the part with spirit and intensity, as she had on Broadway.

Best Director

I confessed that I never got to see “Moonlight,” and so I cannot report on the directing. However, I believe the best film and best director should go hand-in-hand. So in that regard, I would give this to Damien Chazelle for “La La Land.” “Manchester by the Sea” was a well-crafted film, and I would not be unhappy if Kenneth Lonergan won this award.

Best Picture

“La La Land.” What makes this film so amazing is that it is a modern-day musical. But unlike the musicals of the ’30s and ’40s, the story is both sweet and edgy.

Unlike the earlier song-and-dance films, the main characters are fully fleshed out in this film — we know what makes these characters tick — their loves and ambitions and the tensions these emotions create. Gosling is super-charming as Sebastian the starving musician, and Emma Stone is engaging as the young rising star.

Second on my list is “Hell or High Water,” which would never stand a chance at taking an Oscar because it was not well-heralded and came out much too early in the Oscar season — people tend to forget.

While “Manchester by the Sea” and “Fences” are excellent films, “La La Land” is a beautiful novelty — refreshing and creative.

I am sorry to say this, but this past motion picture season was quite disappointing. If it were not for some incredible action and fantasy films (“Dr. Strange,” “Deadpool,” “Jason Bourne,” “Independence Day” and “Jack Reacher”), it was hardly worth the effort to drive to the theater.

As a consequence, there was not much competition. The films that were nominated, I believe, were the best of a poor season. Nothing to do but hope for better next year.

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Oscars are Sunday: Who should win?."