How to Fake Your Way Through Predicting the 2016 Oscars' Best Picture Race

By
Getty Images

This year’s Best Picture race is a bit of a toss-up.

While other Oscar categories are sure things -- Leonardo
DiCaprio will win Best Actor, finally -- the question of which film will
take the night’s top honor is still in debate. Maybe you’ve seen all of the
nominated movies and have made up your mind.

WATCH: Find Out Who Got Nominated for What at the 2016 Oscars

But if you don’t have time to watch all eight -- especially since some clock in at over two and a half hours (looking at you,The Revenant) -- here is a handy cheat sheet that will tell you everything you need to know about the Best Picture race.

The Big Short

Paramount Pictures

What It’s About: The U.S. housing market. Seriously. It’s
about the businessmen (Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carell, among
others) who get rich off the financial crisis of 2007–2008. There’s also a
Selena Gomez cameo.

What It Will Win: If anything, Charles Randolph and
Adam McKay will win Adapted Screenplay. McKay is a long shot for Best Director,
and Bale does not stand a chance in the Supporting Actor category against
Sylvester Stallone (Creed).

Was It Snubbed for Anything? No.

Talking Points:

“Did you know this was directed by the same guy who did Anchorman:
The Legend of Ron Burgundy
and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky
Bobby
?!”

“Any movie that can make financial stuff interesting
deserves some award.”

Bridge of Spies

Walt Disney Studios

What It’s About: If you couldn’t tell from the
poster, it’s a period piece. The 1950s, specifically. Tom Hanks plays an
insurance lawyer who is asked to defend a Soviet spy in court. Then things get
complicated.

What It Will Win: Likely, nothing. Original score
will probably go to The Hateful Eight, while The Revenant will take
most of the technical awards. Supporting actor Mark Rylance won’t be able to
beat Stallone either.

Was It Snubbed for Anything? Some were surprised that
Steven Spielberg was not nominated for Best Director or Hanks for Best Actor, but
both were stacked groups this year.

Talking Points:

“My dad loves that movie.”

Brooklyn

Fox Searchlight Pictures

What It’s About: A coming-of-age story about a young
woman from Ireland (Saoirse Ronan) who finds love and a new life in, you
guessed it, Brooklyn, New York.

What It Will Win: Nothing. Both Ronan, nominated for
Best Actress, and Nick Hornby, for Adapted Screenplay, make great alternates,
but it’s a tough year.

Was It Snubbed for Anything? Perhaps in costuming and
production design.

Talking Points:

“It’s pronounced Sur-sha, like inertia.”

WATCH: Here’s How All the Stars Responded to Their Oscar
Nominations!

Mad Max: Fury Road

Warner Bros. Pictures

What It’s About: Where to even begin with this one?
It’s about Max (Tom Hardy), a survivor in some dystopian wasteland, as he
begrudgingly helps Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) lead the tyrannical
Immortan Joe’s wives to safety in some far-off promised land. Maybe just see it
for yourself.

What It Will Win: George Miller is the dark horse for
Best Director, and one could say the same about John Seale in the
Cinematography category. It won’t go home empty-handed though, as it will
surely collect some technical awards -- Sound Mixing? Sound Editing? Makeup and
Hairstyling? Sure!

Was It Snubbed for Anything? True Fury Road
fans will say it was snubbed in every category it wasn’t nominated in. The
consensus is that Theron could have been nominated for Best Actress.

Talking Points:

“There was too much debate about the feminism of the movie.
It was feminist because Miller let Charlize Theron’s character be a kick ass
action hero. Why wouldn’t we want a movie with Charlize Theron as a kick ass
hero? More feminist movies, please!”

“Yo, that guy who played the flame-throwing guitar was
awesome.”

The Martian

ETONLINE

What It’s About: Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is left for
dead on Mars when the rest of his crew is forced to abort their mission. It
turns out, he actually survived and must try and stay alive until NASA can get
someone back to rescue him.

What It Will Win: Drew Goddard has a strong, strong
chance at nabbing Adapted Screenplay. Any other year, Damon would probably be a
frontrunner -- unfortunately, this is DiCaprio’s year. Perhaps it’ll take home
Visual Effects, though?

Was It Snubbed for Anything? Jessica Chastain could
have been landed a Supporting Actress nod, had half the nominations not gone to
lead actresses (Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander). Ridley Scott should
have earned one for Best Director.

Talking Points:

“Another movie where Matt Damon needs to be rescued?! First
it was Saving Private Ryan. Then it was Interstellar. How many
times are we just going to forget Matt Damon somewhere?”

“Which did you like better, The Martian or Interstellar?”
(And then study up on this post to understand why you enjoyed The Martian
more.)

The Revenant

ETONLINE

What It’s About: A fur trapper is attacked by a
grizzly bear, abandoned by his men, and left for dead. Then, it’s basically
just Leonardo DiCaprio tracking down Tom Hardy to seek revenge.

What It Will Win: As previously mentioned, DiCaprio
will win Best Actor
. Alejandro G. Iñárritu will likely win Best Director for
the second year in a row. Cinematography is pretty much a lock too, and we
wouldn’t be surprised to see costuming and makeup wins, among others.

Was It Snubbed for Anything? What could it have been
snubbed for? It was nominated for everything! Tom Hardy was reverse-snubbed, as
no one expected him to make the Supporting Actor race.

Talking Points:

“If Leonardo DiCaprio doesn’t win the Oscar for getting
attacked by that bear, eating raw bison liver, almost getting hypothermia in a
river, and growing that beard, then WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM HIM, ACADEMY?”

“He wasn’t actually raped by a bear though.”

NEWS:Kate Winslet Attending Oscars in Hopes of
Seeing Leonardo DiCaprio Finally Win: 'I Got His Back'

Room

A24 Films

What It’s About: A young woman is kidnapped and held
captive in a shed, where she gives birth and raises her son. When he turns
five, she decides it’s time they escape back to the real world.

What It Will Win: Brie Larson will win Best Actress.
Emma Donoghue has a shot at Adapted Screenplay, while Lenny Abrahamson should
be honored just to be nominated for Best Director. (Which isn’t to say he
didn’t deserve it.)

Was It Snubbed for Anything? It’s a pity that Jacob
Tremblay was not nominated for Supporting Actor. His performance isn’t just
impressive for a child actor -- he’s 9-years-old -- but any actor.

Talking Points:

“I have never cried more in a movie in my entire life.”

“Did you know the kid in that movie has a hot dad?”

Spotlight

Open Road Films

What It’s About: A team of Boston Globe reporters
investigate the Roman Catholic Church’s repeated cover-ups of priests sexually
abusing children. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s based on true
events and was an appropriately huge news story at the time.

What It Will Win: Original Screenplay for Josh Singer
and Tom McCarthy. The latter may also be a runner-up for Best Director, while
the supporting acting nominees -- Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo -- are
reaches.

Was It Snubbed for Anything? No.

Talking Points:

“I wish Rachel McAdams were in more movies.”

Don't miss ET’s live Academy Awards pre-show on Pop this Sunday, Feb. 28., starting at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. Go to PopTV.com to find out where to watch.