LOS ANGELES — What will the Oscars look like? After last year's COVID-downscaled festivities at Union Station, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is planning what feels like a return to basics. The ceremony, set for March 27, will have a host. It will be held at the Dolby Theatre, the Oscars' traditional Hollywood home, presumably with up-to-the-minute safety protocols in place. As for what will be nominated — well, we'll find that out on Feb. 8. My hope is that on the heels of a strange, often tumultuous but altogether remarkable year for new movies, the academy will present us with a slate of nominees that reflects, to some degree, the nimbleness and enduring vitality of the medium.
The first round of voting starts this week, and while I don't have a ballot to cast, here's what I would nominate if I did. Please note: These are preferences, not predictions. I can't vote, but I can dream.
Best picture
