19 Oscar Contenders I’m Rooting For In This Year’s Awards Race

With the Oscar race starting to shape up, we’re already seeing some surefire locks (like Gravity) and some movies that didn’t pan out so well (the Naomi Watts-vehicle Diana). Aside from my never-gonna-happen dream nomination for the on-point Scarlett Johansson in Don Jon, I have some Oscar hopefuls on my Christmas wish list this year. Between the sure things (#1, #8) and the long-shots (#7, #10), here are some folks I’d like to see recognized come March.

1. 12 Years A Slave: Best Picture

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIqodUJ-UfM&w=584&h=390]

It’s not just that I want 12 Years a Slave to win Best Picture. I want it to win just about everything its nominated for, even winning in categories for which its not eligible. Best Animated Film? Check. We can even make up new categories. Best Antebellum Beard? Brad Pitt, Winner. Best Reminder That Sarah Paulson is also in American Horror Story? Gold. Best Use of Alfre Woodard? Fucking landslide.