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2019 Oscars predictions

The Academy shed its distaste for showy blockbuster films for the 2019 Oscars.

The eight films nominated for best picture have grossed a combined total of $1.2 billion at the domestic box office – the highest-earning batch of nominees since 2011. While predictable political dramas “Vice” and “Green Book” are well within the Academy’s comfort zone, more mainstream candidates like “Black Panther” and “A Star Is Born” are steadfast competitors. Similarly, veteran actors like Willem Dafoe and Amy Adams are interspersed amongst equally deserving first-timers such as Lady Gaga and Yalitza Aparicio, who was an aspiring preschool teacher before she was cast in “Roma.”

With the 91st Academy Awards fast approaching, the Daily Bruin’s Alissa Evans predicts the winners in six of the most hotly debated categories.

Best Picture: “Roma”

The best picture front-runner is the quietest film in a group of flashy contenders.

“Roma,” a black-and-white snapshot of 1970s Mexico City – and a cinematic love letter to Alfonso Cuarón’s childhood nanny – has been heralded as a masterpiece. In some ways, “Roma” is the embodiment of the typical best picture winner: an autobiographical art-house film framed by the political unrest within its historical context. But in the past 90 years of the Oscars, a foreign-language film has never won best picture. Additionally, its Netflix distribution and cast of lesser-known actors may slow its momentum.

Yet Aparicio and Marina de Tavira both nabbed unexpected acting nominations, indicating the strong Academy support bolstering the film. If voters can’t overlook the unconventionality of “Roma,” then Peter Farrelly’s ”Green Book” – based on the real-life friendship between a black concert pianist and an Italian-American bouncer – could potentially steal the prize. The recent win of “Roma” at the British Academy Film Awards in conjunction with its 10 overall Oscar nominations makes it a safer bet.

Directing: Alfonso Cuarón – “Roma”

The critically acclaimed “Gravity” earned Cuarón the best director trophy in 2014, and he is now slated to double up for “Roma.”

The Academy’s top two awards often go hand in hand – throughout the history of the awards show, the director of the best picture has also won best director 71 percent of the time.

But cinematic legend Spike Lee is looking to snag his first and long-overdue Oscar for “BlacKkKlansman.” Despite earning no previous nominations, Lee is a highly respected director throughout Hollywood – which might warrant him a win. Nevertheless, Cuarón secured the title at nearly every precursory award show, and he will likely end this award season campaign in the same way.

Actor in a Leading Role: Rami Malek – “Bohemian Rhapsody”

There can only be one Freddie Mercury, but Rami Malek’s interpretation of the rock icon is a near-perfect reincarnation.

While critics were generally underwhelmed by “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Malek’s electrifying performance was the foundation for the film’s commercial success. Determined to do Queen justice, Malek is said to have watched footage of the legendary Live Aid performance over 1,500 times, learning to perfectly replicate Mercury’s elegant posture and signature strut.

But Christian Bale’s performance as Dick Cheney in “Vice” is a typical Oscar-bait story, and his commitment to the role – including 40 pounds of weight gain – could sway voters. Bale is also an Oscars darling in comparison to first-time nominee Malek, and it is possible the Academy will favor experience over youth. After winning the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Awards, however, Malek is predicted to prevail once again as the other nominees bite the dust.

Actress in a Leading Role: Glenn Close – “The Wife”

Glenn Close is a seven-time Oscar nominee, but zero-time winner. 2019 may finally be her year.

Close carries the film as the titular wife who shelved her dreams as a writer to support her Nobel Prize-winning husband. Her use of subtle facial nuances to convey years of pent-up resentment is a resounding plea for Academy recognition.

But best actress is a stacked category this year, with Lady Gaga for “A Star Is Born” and Olivia Colman for “The Favourite” both poised to pull off an upset. The Academy tends to show a bias toward younger women, which could hurt Close – who is 71 – and benefit Lady Gaga, who is 32. Nevertheless, Frances McDormand won the award in 2018 at age 60, suggesting ageism in Hollywood will not be enough to cost Close the trophy.

Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali – “Green Book”

After Timothée Chalamet was snubbed for his moving portrayal of an adolescent with a drug addiction in “Beautiful Boy,” Mahershala Ali pulled ahead in the best supporting actor race.

Ali’s triumphs at the BAFTAs, SAG Awards, Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards foretell his second Oscar win – a follow-up to his 2017 victory for “Moonlight.” Ali effortlessly embodies the inner turmoil of a black world-class musician touring in the deep south, his grace and poise masking the effects of a lifetime of oppression.

But if the Academy is reluctant to award Ali another Oscar, dark horse Sam Elliott could sneak ahead for his deeply affecting work as the manager and brother of a tortured rockstar in “A Star Is Born.”

Actress in a Supporting Role: Regina King – “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Fresh off an Emmy win, Regina King is going for gold once again.

In Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk,” King shines as a fiercely loyal mother who will stop at nothing to clear her future son-in-law’s name. Though “If Beale Street Could Talk” surprisingly only garnered three nominations, its lack of Oscar attention will predictably work in King’s favor – a win for her might serve as the film’s consolation prize.

Rachel Weisz won the BAFTA, however, which is often a solid predictor of who will win the Oscar. But while both Weisz and Emma Stone delivered show-stopping performances in “The Favourite,” votes will likely be split between the two of them, decreasing both their chances of winning. This paves the way for King to claim the statue.

UCLA men’s basketball leads Oregon State 40-31 at halftime

David Singleton entered the game with the second-best offensive rating by a UCLA freshman guard this decade.

In his first career start, the Bruins hit the ground running on the offensive end.

UCLA men’s basketball (13-13, 6-7 Pac-12) leads Oregon State (16-8, 8-4) 40-31 at halftime at Pauley Pavilion. Both teams started 8-of-11 from the field, but the Bruins held the Beavers to 0-of-5 shooting and three turnovers on their next eight possessions.

UCLA used that stretch to go on a 10-0 run. The only scoring Singleton did during that stretch was off of two free throws, but he entered the half tied for the team lead in points with eight.

Singleton – who leads the Bruins in 3-point shooting with a 44.2 percentage – hit two early triples, including one on a dribble-drive kick-out from sophomore guard Jaylen Hands less than two minutes into the game.

That assist was the first of six for Hands, the Pac-12’s leading passer. Hands also scored seven points and hit a step-back 3 on the first possession of the game to get the ball rolling for UCLA.

Freshman center Moses Brown racked up eight points and eight boards in the first period, and he leads the Bruins with a plus-11 plus-minus so far. The highlight of his night so far, however, was when Brown – a 35.3 percent free-throw shooter – hit 2-of-2 from the charity stripe.

Oregon State forward Tres Tinkle leads all scorers with 13 points, but he also leads both teams with three turnovers. Tinkle played all 20 minutes in the half.

Despite being down nine at the half, the Beavers still have the chance to sweep the Bruins after beating UCLA by 13 on Jan. 13.

Student group seeks end of standardized testing in college admissions

Students said they think standardized testing should not be a factor in the college admissions process at a town hall Wednesday.

The town hall was hosted by Beyond the Score, a group of students who aim to raise awareness about the potential drawbacks of using standardized test scores to determine a student’s eligibility for college.

Oscar Macias, a fourth-year Latin American studies and sociology student and a member of the group, said he thinks standardized tests like the SAT are poor predictors of academic achievement and select against certain groups of students.

Macias said he believes standardized testing is inherently racist because the test structure favors those who come from a white middle-class background, adding he thinks Carl Brigham, the creator of the SAT, intended to exclude people of color from integrating into society through the tests.

“The SAT sees its roots in the eugenics movement with its creator Carl Campbell Brigham from Princeton,” Macias said. “This was used heavily in the conversation against immigration policy in the U.S., so we just wanted to take a stance against that, as it still has impacts against students from minority communities.”

Salvador Martinez, a third-year applied mathematics student and member of the group, said he thinks requiring standardized testing for college admissions is also classist and selects against lower-income students.

“It’s been proven time and time again that students with higher incomes who have resources to afford after-school programs and SAT prep programs are the students who historically do very, very well on the SAT,” he said. “A lot of these students over here are being penalized just because of the situations that they were born into.”

Martinez said students with financial difficulties or busy families often have trouble making time to study for the SAT, if they can even afford the test and preparatory materials in the first place. He added it also costs money to send scores to colleges, even after factoring in the fee waivers the College Board allots to lower-income students.

“I had to use all my waivers on my backup schools … but I also had aspirations of applying to Brown, Stanford and all of these other places that I couldn’t afford,” Martinez said. “If we had paid for those extra ones, that’s money out of the budget for food, money out of the budget for bills … and that’s something I can’t put my two working parents, who are supporting three children, through.”

Fernanda Romero, a third-year Chicana and Chicano studies student and member of Beyond the Score, said high standardized testing requirements can discourage students from applying to UCLA. She added students may not even try to apply because they may think it is impossible to attain high enough scores because of their lack of resources.

“When people see that people getting admitted into UCLA have a 1530 out of 1600, not a lot of people are motivated to apply to UCLA,” she said. “Sometimes you don’t have the resources … and not a lot of this information is given to you.”

Romero added deterring low-income, minority students from applying decreases the diversity of UCLA’s student population.

“When you look at the demographics of (Los Angeles), it’s not represented by our campus,” she said.

Katie Davis, a fourth-year biology student, said she thinks all standardized tests should be eliminated, including pre-professional ones for graduate schools like the MCAT, until administration can come up with a better standard with which to evaluate students.

“I think it’s just a filter to determine which low-income students of color they decide to give a chance and ones they consider too big of risks,” she said.

Ronni Barron, a first-year financial actuarial mathematics student who attended the event, said everyone learns and expresses knowledge differently and that standardized tests do not fully assess a student’s ability to succeed.

Beyond the Score aims to continue its efforts to end standardized testing in the college admissions process and is currently collecting student testimonies for a social media campaign, Martinez said.

Throwback Thursday: Forty years later, the Grammys still struggle with recognizing talent

It’s been four decades since the 21st annual Grammy Awards back in 1979.

The Bruin had some hot takes previewing the awards this year – and it had some back then too.

In a column entitled “Grammy Awards: A shrine to pop mediocrity,” former Daily Bruin senior staff Jodi Zechowy anchored her animosity toward the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences on its inability to honor originality.

Particularly frustrating in Zechowy’s eyes was the fact that the Rolling Stones had not yet won a Grammy Award, despite their remarkable success in the music industry. As they made their way back to the mainstream stage, their album “Some Girls” was, according to Zechowy, unfairly beat out by “Saturday Night Fever,” which she derided for consisting of a number of previously released songs.

The infamous gold gramophone statue remains elusive, even for some of the most successful artists. In a “Second Take” on this year’s Grammy Awards, Daily Bruin senior staffer Eli Countryman broke down some of the nominations, discussing which artists got snubbed and which artists were rightfully awarded.

One of the nominees for best Pop Vocal Album at this year’s Grammy Awards was Taylor Swift – an artist who, like the Rolling Stones back in 1979, has had immense mainstream success, selling more than one million copies of more albums than any other artist in history. Based on sheer numbers alone, Countryman argued that Swift was snubbed.

In addition to the general lack of recognition for nonpop artists, Zechowy was also aghast at the overdone theatricality of the show. In her piece, Zechowy proceeded to express her distaste for the garish decor used to adorn the auditorium used.

“As for the pomp,” she wrote, “The Shrine looked about as glittery as the old exhibition can.”

That same pomp that Zechowy derided has only grown, perhaps most noticeable in Camila Cabello’s glamorous “Havana” set and the diamonds and drapery used in Cardi B’s “Money” number.

The Grammys have jumped around a bit in their location, but the recent upgrade to the humongous Staples Center arena reveals a general growth in audience – and gaudiness. However, as the spectacle grows, the lack of female and LGBTQ artists winning awards has become more and more apparent.

Last year, the Recording Academy came under attack for ignoring talented female artists – doubling down on the sentiment that women had to “step up” if they were going to be recognized. This year, female winners Kacey Musgraves and Janelle Monae made statements supporting other female artists and the LGBTQ community, calling out the award show for its lack of inclusivity.

However, as Zechowy made clear in her article, the controversy’s been around since the ceremony’s early days and it doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. Zechowy ended her article concluding that hopefully more artists outside of the Top 40 would get noticed for their talents – sort of like how Countryman noted that the Grammys got so much wrong this year.

Bruin beach volleyball sets sail with 5-0 sweep of Cal Poly

The celebration of last year’s national title is over.

“The takeaway from last year was a sense of confidence – that we can do this,” said coach Stein Metzger. “However, this is a totally new team, and we haven’t accomplished anything but one win.”

No. 1 UCLA beach volleyball (1-0) cruised past No. 6 Cal Poly (0-1) with a 5-0 win in its season opener at home Thursday morning. The Bruins – who won their first-ever NCAA championship in 2018 – received 27-of-30 first-place votes in the AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball preseason poll.

“(Today) was a great test because Cal Poly is a team on the rise,” Metzger said. “Their 1s and 2s are some of the best in the country, so I feel really good about our performance first day out.”

Junior Savvy Simo and sophomore Mac May gave UCLA its first point with a 21-14, 21-9 win over Cal Poly’s Jayelin Lombard and Elenore Johnssen on court four. May’s high line kill scraped Lombard’s hands, but eventually gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead.

Simo and May – who played the indoor volleyball season together – were one of two pairs that Metzger switched up.

“The reason I like (Simo) with (May) is that because (Simo) is great in transition,” Metzger said. “She digs really well, and she can put the ball away in transition. So when she plays with (May), she gets to play defense full time instead of half the time.”

Last season, Simo primarily played alongside senior Zana Muno while May partnered with the graduated Elise Zappia. But Simo said she likes the chemistry in the new duo.

“We’re great friends, so we communicate really well,” Simo said. “We’re pepper partners for indoor, so we know our styles of play so it makes it easier to be a team with her.”

Muno paired up with Abby Van Winkle – who was the only freshman that earned a spot in the lineup – on court three. The tandem dropped a close first set that saw seven ties, but bounced back to win the second and third 21-17, 15-10 to put the Bruins up 2-0.

Senior Izzy Carey and sophomore Megan Muret – who set a program-record 28 consecutive dual match victories on court five last season – returned as UCLA’s No. 5 pair again and won 21-16, 21-15 to clinch the dual victory.

“It’s really exciting that we get to play together again,” Carey said. “We’re very mentally steady together. People don’t ever just serve one of us. … So we do a very good job of bringing each other up.”

On court one, seniors Nicole and Megan McNamara took the first set 21-16, but trailed for the entire second set before taking a 20-19 lead. The sisters went on to win the set 24-22.

Senior Sarah Sponcil and junior Lily Justine took the sand last on court two. The second-year duo trailed by as many as seven in the first set, and eventually fell 21-17.

Even though UCLA had already clinched, Sponcil and Justine fought back to win the next two sets 21-9 and 15-13 and complete the sweep.

“(Cal Poly) put together a really nice game plan against (Sponcil) and (Justine),” Metzger said. “So to see them (make adjustments) and come away with the win is a positive sign.”

The Bruins will travel to Hawaii on Thursday night and compete in the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic this weekend. UCLA – which went a program-record 40-4 last season – had its only 5-0 loss at Hawai’i, where it had to battle windy conditions.

“We definitely put in a lot of good work in the wind last year and (the offseason) this year,” Carey said. “We’ll not only be more physically prepared, but more mentally prepared this time.”