Best of 2014, part 5: My Dream Oscar Ballot

And here's *really* the end of the 'best of' posts. Basically, I just drop this list here to sum up everything and put a bow on it for posterity. I'll just list the best in each category, in alphabetical order, sans commentary, with the winners in bold. For extra fun, I'll put an asterisk next the choices were also nominated by Oscar. As is becoming tradition, there was little overlap between my choices and the Academy's. Either I'm getting much more adventurous, or they're getting much safer (or why not both?).

Best Picture (for comparison with the Academy, I'll only list 8. Sorry The Guest/Captain America!)
The Babadook
Birdman*
The Grand Budapest Hotel*
Ida
Nightcrawler
Pride
Stranger by the Lake
Under the Skin

Director
Bong Joon-Ho-Snowpiercer
Ava DuVerney-Selma
Dan Gilroy-Nightcrawler
Jonathan Glazer-Under the Skin
Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu-Birdman*

Actor
Ralph Fiennes-The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jake Gyllenhaal-Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton-Birdman*
Jack O'Connell-Starred Up
Dan Stevens-The Guest

Actress
Marion Cotillard-Two Days, One Night*
Essie Davis-The Babadook
Scarlett Johannson-Under the Skin
Rosamund Pike-Gone Girl*
Reese Witherspoon-Wild*

Supporting Actor
Patrick D'Assumcao-Stranger by the Lake
Chris Pine-Into the Woods
Edward Norton-Birdman*
Mark Ruffalo-Foxcatcher*
J.K. Simmons-Whiplash

Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette-Boyhood*
Jillian Bell-22 Jump Street
Agata Kulesza-Ida
Emma Stone-Birdman*
Uma Thurman-Nymphomaniac

Original Screenplay
Birdman*
Boyhood*
The Grand Budapest Hotel*
Nightcrawler*
Pride

Adapted Screenplay
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Gone Girl
Obvious Child
Under the Skin
Wild

Art Direction
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel*
Interstellar*
Only Lovers Left Alive
Snowpiercer

Costume Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel*
Inherent Vice*
Only Lovers Left Alive
Snowpiercer
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Visual Effects
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes*
Edge of Tomorrow
Godzilla
Guardians of the Galaxy*
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Makeup
Guardians of the Galaxy*
Only Lovers Left Alive
Snowpiercer

Film Editing
Boyhood*
Edge of Tomorrow
Nightcrawler
Under the Skin
Why Don't You Play in Hell?

Cinematography
Birdman*
Godzilla
The Grand Budapest Hotel*
The Guest
Under the Skin

Original Score
Birdman
Gone Girl
The Grand Budapest Hotel*
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Under the Skin

Sound Mixing
The Babadook
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Godzilla
Stranger by the Lake
Under the Skin

Sound Editing
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Edge of Tomorrow
Godzilla
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies*
How to Train Your Dragon 2

Original Song
"The Big House"-Muppets Most Wanted
"For the Dancing and the Dreaming"-How to Train Your Dragon 2
"Everything is Awesome"-The LEGO Movie*
"Glory"-Selma*
"Lost Stars"-Begin Again*

There's another year done. Now I've got to get my head around the fact that 2015's been going on for quite some time. Nuts. I never really do get caught up, do I?