Grab your googly eyes and throw some confetti in the air—it's Oscar prediction time! If you're looking for totally and completely correct predictions in all 23 Oscar categories, you've come to the right place. Because I never get it wrong.*
Best Picture: "All Quiet on the Western Front" is pushing hard, and "The Fabelmans," "Tar," and even "Top Gun: Maverick" all have a fighting shot at the top prize. But with big wins at all major guild ceremonies (Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild, Producers Guild, etc.), I just don't see anybody but "Everything Everywhere All At Once" going home with this award. (Rightfully so! I'd hand the Daniels the gold for the scene with those two rocks alone.)
Best Director: You may think he already has too many awards in this category already, but believe it or not, Steven Spielberg hasn't won the Best Director prize since 1998's "Saving Private Ryan"—TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. So while there's more than a solid chance the Daniels will grab this one, I think the Academy will find a way to honor "The Fabelmans" with a win in this category.
Best Actor: The only surprise here will be if someone besides Brendan Fraser or Austin Butler wins. And as cool as it would be to see Fraser's "comeback" continue with a win on Sunday, I'm giving the edge to Austin Butler.
Best Actress: The only surprise here will be if someone besides Cate Blanchett or Michelle Yeoh wins. And just like above, although I would love to call this one for Yeoh, I think Cate Blanchett is an unstoppable force.
Best Supporting Actor: I suppose there's a parallel universe out there where someone other than Ke Huy Quan wins this one. But it's not ours! Grab your fanny pack and get your speech ready, Ke—you're up!
Best Supporting Actress: Man, talk about a toss-up. Sometimes this category is all sewn up (like last year with our queen, Ariana DeBose), but this time around it's truly anyone's guess! I want to say Stephanie Hsu because she's phenomenal (and also because I like bragging that I saw her on Broadway in "Be More Chill" back in 2019), but Jamie Lee Curtis, Angela Bassett, and Kerry Condon seem to have the best chances here. It's truly anyone's guess, and mine is Angela Bassett.
Animated Feature: As fantastic as all of these nominees are, I think this one belongs to "Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio."
Production Design: Man—talk about a stacked category! It's definitely possible "Babylon" or "All Quiet on the Western Front" could sneak in here, but I don't think it's wise to count a Baz Luhrmann movie out in this category. So I'm going with "Elvis!"
Cinematography: I think this one will either go to "All Quiet on the Western Front" or "Elvis," and it's difficult to predict which direction the Academy will lean. "AQotWF" has picked up several precursor awards for this category, though, so while I wouldn't be at all surprised to see "Elvis" grab this one, I'm still going with "All Quiet on the Western Front."
Costume Design: Right this way, Mr. Presley—"Elvis" has this one in the bag.
Film Editing: It's possible that "Top Gun: Maverick" scoops this one up, but I tend to like to go with my Best Picture pick, so my money's on "Everything Everywhere All at Once."
Makeup and Hairstyling: I could pretend to be waffling between a couple of these, but come on. It's gonna be "The Whale."
Original Score: Okay NOW I'm waffling. (And I want waffles.) It's down to "The Fabelmans," "Babylon," and "All Quiet on the Western Front" for me—although I suppose "Everything Everywhere" could grab this as well. (Or even "Banshees," wow! I didn't realize Carter Burwell composed that one!) Man this is tough. With minimal confidence and pretty much only a gut feeling to go on, I'm picking "All Quiet on the Western Front." (Although I would be delighted to hear John Williams' name being called for "The Fabelmans" come Sunday!)
Original Song: I know it's not wise to bet against Rihanna or Lady Gaga. But I'm going to—I'm picking Naatu Naatu from "RRR."
Original Screenplay: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" is so creative and inventive and well crafted, I have to believe it's going to win this award.
Adapted Screenplay: A lot of people seem to think this one will go to "Women Talking," but I just can't envision it happening. Plan on seeing "All Quiet on the Western Front" pick this one up too.
Sound: While this could be another category clinched by "All Quiet on the Western Front," I think the Academy will be looking for ways to give a nod to "Top Gun: Maverick." So in a tight race, I'm giving the edge to "Top Gun: Maverick."
Visual Effects: I can't imagine "Avatar: The Way of Water" not winning this one. This is probably THE lock of the night.
Documentary Feature: Truly, truly I say to you: I have never heard of ANY of these movies. (Some film fan I am!) But most prognosticators seem to think it's gonna be "Navalny," and I'm a very agreeable person (obviously), so I'm checking that box as well!
Documentary Short: This could very well go to "Stranger at the Gate," but if I learned anything from "My Octopus Teacher," it's to never count an animal film out. I'm going with "The Elephant Whisperers."
International Feature Film: Just going to pause here and acknowledge once again how insane it is that "RRR" was not nominated in this category. So without that competition, the way is clear for "All Quiet on the Western Front," a very deserving film.
Animated Short: My very informed and uh... confident... prediction is that the winner will be... "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse."
Live Action Short: It looks to me to be down to "An Irish Goodbye," "The Red Suitcase," and "Le Pupill." "An Irish Goodbye" won the BAFTA, so I'm going with that one!
*Hey so... I don't know how to tell you this, but... I actually do get it wrong pretty frequently. Like, a lot a lot. I'm sorry I lied. I'll work on it.
3. Love on the Brain Look, we're all familiar with the fact that my final rating of a book will, in many ways, correlate directly to the number of Heart Sparkles (TM) it gave me. And much like its STEM/rom-com predecessor, "The Love Hypothesis," "Love on the Brain" delivered on Heart Sparkles. Dr. Bee Königswasser finds herself transferred to NASA to work on a dream project... with her nemesis. Luckily for us (the readers), her nemesis just happens to be tall, dark, and handsome. And secretly soft, caring, and filled to the brim with heart eyes for Bee. "Love on the Brain" was sweet, clever, and even a little mysterious, and I can't wait to jump back in for a re-read.
“She’s everything I ever wanted and I want to inject her into my veins and also to never see her again.”
2. The Do-Over From Lynn Painter, author of my #1 read from last year, "Better Than the Movies," comes "The Do-Over," another clean dive into a high school rom-com pool filled with heart-shaped sprinkles and a dash of impossible magic. Emilie Hornby is fully prepared to have the best Valentine's Day ever, but instead it turns out to be... the worst. She sets out to fix everything the next day, but finds herself somehow reliving Valentine's Day again. It's Groundhog Day by way of enemies-to-lovers, but better, because "The Do-Over" has broody Nick Stark, sarcasm-laced banter, and a dark ribbon of melancholy running throughout. It's a quick, easy read, one that will leave you eager to find a way to step back into the same day over and over again—if only a Nick Stark is waiting on the other side.
"And as we ran over the snow-packed pavement, I felt magically, wonderfully, not like myself. I was the manic pixie dream girl in a movie, a character created solely to be uncomplicated, unexpected, and utterly unpredictable."
1. The Replacement Crush After her summer fling turns out to be a not-so-great guy, Vivian Galdi decides she needs someone else to swing her heart-eyed gaze onto. Enter her idea for a "replacement crush"—a new guy she can fixate on without risking heartache. It's a concept easier said than done, especially with new "McNerd" Dallas Lang on the scene, a Clark Kent-lookalike who ends up working side-by-side with Vivian at her mother's bookstore. There's a ton to love about "The Replacement Crush," including the delightful small coastal town setting, tons of book talk, and some excellent character growth. What tips this one into the #1 slot, though, is the Grand Gesture at the end of the book. I was sitting on my couch listening to the audiobook, and I was so delighted by the unexpected surprise awaiting me that I literally stood up in excitement and pumped my fists in the air. Who could literally ask for anything more? "It's like a bad movie, watching you pretend you don't like him."
Honorable Mention
Cupcake, Cookie O'Gorman (This one NARROWLY missed being in my top three—it made me grin and sigh and swoon.) The Bookworm Crush,Lisa Brown Roberts (A worthy follow-up to "The Replacement Crush!") The Body in the Garden, Katharine Schellman (A solid mystery.) When You Get the Chance, Emma Lord (Entertaining and fun—and packed with tons of Broadway references!) Moment of Truth, Kasie West (Another heart-swooping story from my girl Kasie.) Just Haven't Met You Yet, Sophie Cousens (Well-written and super sweet.) The Wrong Prom Date, Alexandra Moody (Adorable! It had shades of "A Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad," another fave of mine.) Reluctantly Yours, Erin Hawkins (Fun, sweet, cute. The ending made me cry—in a good way!) Blind Side, Kandi Steiner (Sweet (and spicy) and made me tear up!) Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Talia Hibbert (Hibbert's use of similes and metaphors—stars streaming
across the sky and camera pops behind eyelids—is incredible.)
I was going to try to read 80 books this year but I only read 67. Oh well! Who cares! Full list here.
My Three Favorite Movies of 2022
3. (tie) Bullet Train What an absolute blast. Every actor riding the "Bullet Train" seems to be having the time of their life—including those popping up in the handful of surprise cameos I had no idea were coming. It was a highly entertaining mix of hilarious jokes, sly references, fun characters, and tons of bloody mayhem—almost like a Guy Ritchie or Quentin Tarantino joint. I mean, any movie that introduces each new character with a splashy, stylized title graphic automatically wins extra points in my book. The whole thing is crazy, twisty, and surprising—just so much fun. Come for Brad Pitt, stay for Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s over-the-top “Fanks but it's a Bullet Train, innit?” accent.
3. (tie) Vengeance Continuing our run of excellent late-summer movies: "Vengeance." Smart storytelling, unique characters, and a solid (and satisfying!) mystery all added up to make up a brilliant and incredibly entertaining film. BJ Novak turned his sharp and observant eye on Texas, and the result is a hilarious, familiar, and spot-on portrait of the Lone Star State. From the characters' use of phrases like "fixin' to" to their fierce love of Whataburger, everything that ribbed them about their "Texan-ness" felt like it came from a place of love. And even though Novak's character clearly came to the state to make fun of the "local yokels," they often make him the butt of the joke and roll their eyes at what he THINKS he knows about them ("I know what South By is!"). Can't recommend this one highly enough.
2. Matilda the Musical "Matilda the Musical" is one of my favorite Broadway shows. Seeing it felt like experiencing lightning in a bottle, so I was delighted to discover it was being adapted for the screen. And while the stage version still reigns supreme, Netflix certainly created a worthy film adaptation. The story remains inventive and heartbreaking, the casting was top notch, and elements like the production design and costuming dazzled. The breakout, though, is the music and choreography. From our sweet lead actress Alisha Weir doing handstands on her roof as she sang her heart out about being naughty to a group of children dreaming and singing about what it will be like to be grown up to the iconicred beret girl dancing fiercely down the school hallways, it's all magic. If you're a musical fan at all, this one is not to be missed!
1. Top Gun: Maverick Part of me is convinced that I'll never have a movie theater experience like "Top Gun: Maverick" again. How could anything surpass it? It had so many things working in its favor: nostalgia, adrenaline, humor, pathos... it's movie magic at its finest! Everything in this movie works: the tight, straight-forward plot, the mix of old and new characters (all perfectly cast, although the standouts are Glen Powell and Miles Teller), the music, the cinematography, and, of course, those adrenaline-inducing stunts. Seeing it in a packed theater of people who were all genuinely pumped to be there—everyone laughing, clapping, and cheering (yes, CHEERING!)—felt absolutely electric. By the end I felt like I was levitating in my seat, and I couldn't wait to go see it again. (And again.) (And again.) I just hope we don't have to wait another 30+ years for the next one.
Honorable Mention: Apollo 10 1/2, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Gray Man, Nope, Ticket to Paradise, She Said, The Menu, The Fabelmans
My Three Favorite TV Shows of 2022
Favorite shows I started watching this year:
3. Bridgerton Okay, right off the bat let me just come clean and admit that I never watched season 1 of "Bridgerton." I just wasn't interested, for whatever reason. But when I saw a few clips and pictures from season 2, I was intrigued and decided to check it out. (Apparently I wasn't the only one to do this—bff Julie admitted she did the exact same thing!) I love an enemies-to-lovers romance, and "Bridgerton" delivered that in spades. The show is far from perfect, and at times it's downright silly, but Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley, and the chemistry between my favorite pair, Eloise and Theo, went a long way in endearing the 'ton to me. Bring on that Colin + Penelope pairing, season 3! Stream it onNetflix
2. Players I absolutely adore mockumentary series with high production values that balance humor with real drama. Off the top of my head, this list includes "American Vandal" one of my top shows of 2017, and now "Players," a new series from the creators of... "American Vandal."Taking you behind the scenes of the cutthroat world of professional e-sports, "Players" rides the line between the ridiculous (the main character's gamer name is "Creamcheese") and the believable extremely well, whipping the audience between poignancy and hilarity at breakneck speeds. It kept me on my toes, made me laugh out loud, and left me wondering what Cream, Organizm, and the rest of the Fugitive gamers would be up to now. Stream it on Paramount+
1. The Bear "The Bear" is one giant ball of tense, anxiety-inducing excellence. And I loved it.From the opening scene to that final surprising, promising shot, "The Bear" was an absolute ride. The story of a world-class chef who finds himself back at his family's local Chicago Italian beef sandwich shop unfolded in exhilarating sequences of beautiful food preparation, stressful business-ownership, and sharply realistic characters—mostly fighting with and yelling at each other. At the center of it all is Jeremy Allen White's Carmy, an expert chef setting out to prove himself, lead his kitchen, and process some heavy grief. It all culminates in a series of smart revelations and one of the best television monologues I've ever seen, delivered deftly and emotionally by Jeremy Allen White. Stream it on Hulu
Honorable Mention: Murderville, Starstruck, The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
I just want to add a note that many of the shows I watched and ranked as favorites in previous years are still releasing new episodes—namely Cobra Kai (Netflix), Girls 5Eva (Netflix), Never Have I Ever (Netflix), and Only Murders in the Building (Hulu). These shows are still killing the game, and if you didn't take me up on it before, go check them out now!
My Three Favorite Events of 2022
3. August Galveston Trip At the beginning of August, I escaped the confines of my house (I'd recently gotten over Covid) and enjoyed the best, most leisurely long weekend at the beach house. For a few days it was just me, my stack of books, coffee and cinnamon rolls, and easygoing trips to the beach. Then I was joined by my parents and brother, and Dad treated the four of us to a delicious, fancy dinner at a restaurant overlooking Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn. It was fun and special and delightful and I am more than ready to go back. (How 'bout it, Dad?)
2. Oregon College Friends Trip Last spring, Julie and I flew up to Oregon to see Dani and get away for a girls trip in Bend! It was so fun not only to get some face time with two of the best, but to do it in such a cool, tourist-y setting! We shopped at cute stores, ate amazing food, hiked the gorgeous Deschutes river trail, saw Dani's home/family/horses, watched "West Side Story" (😏), and talked non-stop. It was good for my soul, and I can't wait to Girls Trip again with them soon!
1. Family Time in Galveston + Christmas There's truly nothing better in the world to me than being with all of my people, relaxing and enjoying time together at the beach house. This year we rode the ferry, sang karaoke, went go carting, swam in the canal, took the boat out, threw all the water balloons, ate ice cream on the Strand, went to see the peacocks, and took many, many trips to the beach. It was heaven on earth.
Then in December, the whole family got together again to celebrate Christmas in Houston! I could write a whole paragraph about it, or you could just press play on this video:
Honorable Mention: Dallas Fan Expo/Hobbit reunion with Lara, Clay singing "Red and Black" from Les Miserables AT KARAOKE, March trip to Phoenix, Dani's book "Buzz the Not-So-Brave" finally releasing, Austin pool day with Ellie, double feature movie day with Stacy, and Taco Club!
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