2016 Oscar Predictions: FILM EDITING

Long ago Film Editing always used to be very closely tied to Best Picture but in the last decade or so genre films have done very well here. Winners like The Bourne Ultimatum, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Matrix have won without the benefit of a Best Picture nomination. This year looks like a very Best Picture-heavy group of likely contenders and partly because the expansion of the Best Picture category has opened the doors for genre films to be included. The Martian fits that criteria, as does National Board of Review winner Mad Max: Fury Road (which sits at #6, probably too low). Often, as is in many tech categories, “Best” can really mean “Most.” Take, for example, that last year’s Best Picture winner Birdman (from Best Director winner Alejandro. G. Iñárritu) wasn’t even nominated here. It’s editing tricks of making the film appear to be all in a single take (it wasn’t) ended up kind of biting it in the ass. But, it also managed to become the first Best Picture winner without a Film Editing nomination in 35 years.

This year seems like a better chance for Iñárritu’s The Revenant to secure a nomination there. The editing goes from long takes to quick cuts and should be an easy get here. But Film Editing doesn’t always have to be flashy and one of this year’s Best Picture frontrunners, Spotlight, should also be comfortable.

Then we come to Joy. While it’s currently in 3rd place with the Gold Rush Gang, the word of mouth for the film has been less than stellar and the biggest complaint has come from…you guessed it, the editing. What seems to have been a rushed job and director David O. Russell struggling to find the tone and story he wanted to tell (full storylines were cut from last month’s test screenings to the finished product) will probably find the film out of the running here very quickly. That makes room for any number of the 6-8 contenders to take over.

If Bridge of Spies is a Best Picture/Best Director contender then 3-time Oscar winner Michael Kahn is in like Flynn. He’s three wins were for Spielberg films (Raiders of the Lost Ark – 1982, Schindler’s List – 1993, Saving Private Ryan – 1998) and of his eight nominations Kahn six of them came from Spielberg films.

You can track the Gold Rush Gang’s Oscar predictions for Film Editing here.