What follows is a hypothetical scenario in which we are Academy voters who commit the ultimate sin of showing you our completed ballots.

Note: Like many Oscar voters, we could go through the motions of voting in all 24 races, but, for the sake of honesty (and what we hope the real voters practice), we'll abstain from the categories where we have yet to see all the nominees. So no Animated Feature, Foreign Film, or Documentary Short.

BEST PICTURE

The cream of the crop is voted on by a preferential ballot where voters are instructed to rank all the nominees for Best Picture in the order of their personal preference. While this means one could, in effect, vote against a particular film by placing it lower on their ballot, the system is in place to gauge overall support for the top films. Here's where the pictures fall for us:

Matt

1. Boyhood
2. Selma
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Birdman
5. The Imitation Game
6. Whiplash
7. American Sniper
8. The Theory of Everything

The top half of this lineup made my personal top ten list for the year; the other four came nowhere near it. I'll be happy with whichever is the eventual winner (barring a major upset), but my heart is with Boyhood.

Nathan

1. Birdman
2. Boyhood
3. Selma
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. The Imitation Game
6. The Theory of Everything
7. Whiplash
8. American Sniper

Number one is a tough call because my top three movies of the year are nowhere on this list. Birdman wins by a hair over Boyhood, but either film would make a fine, and unusual, Best Picture.

BEST DIRECTOR

Matt

Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman)
*Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher)
Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game)

In my book, four of these men are deserving of this award (sorry, Mort), but Linklater crafted something truly special.

Nathan

Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman)
*Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher)
Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game)

Boyhood is a director's film, and I've been in love with Linklater since Matt introduced me to Before Sunrise et al.

BEST ACTOR

Matt

Steve Carell (Foxcatcher)
Bradley Cooper (American Sniper)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)
*Michael Keaton (Birdman)
Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)

Keaton edges out Carell and Cooper for me with ease, though it might be a more narrow victory had David Oyelowo, Ralph Fiennes, or Jake Gyllenhaal been nominated.

Nathan

Steve Carell (Foxcatcher)
Bradley Cooper (American Sniper)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)
*Michael Keaton (Birdman)
Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)

Eddie Redmayne comes in a close second here, but I'm willing to overlook Keaton's obnoxious acceptance speeches (and those lips) because his performance in Birdman is that good.

BEST ACTRESS

Matt

Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night)
Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)
Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
*Reese Witherspoon (Wild)

I will be ecstatic when Julianne Moore wins on Sunday (and it is a deserving win), but Reese gave my favorite performance of the five.

Nathan

Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night)
Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)
*Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
Reese Witherspoon (Wild)

Despite what the blogosphere might have you believe, this is not an egregious "lifetime achievement" win for Moore. She turned in one of the best performance of the year in Still Alice.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt

Robert Duvall (The Judge)
*Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)
Edward Norton (Birdman)
Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

Robert Duvall's performance in The Judge marks the first time since 2002 that I have not seen a nominated performance prior to the awards show...and I'm not sure I even want to? Regardless, I have immense respect for the work Ruffalo and Norton did this year, but Hawke is a clear #1 for me.

Nathan

Robert Duvall (The Judge)
*Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)
Edward Norton (Birdman)
Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

For me this category is lackluster at best. Ethan Hawke wins it by being least overrated.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Matt

*Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Laura Dern (Wild)
Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)
Emma Stone (Birdman)
Meryl Streep (Into the Woods)

Nathan

*Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Laura Dern (Wild)
Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)
Emma Stone (Birdman)
Meryl Streep (Into the Woods)

Arquette is the emotional core of this movie. Raw naturalism at its best.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Matt

Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
*The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler

Many aspects of these scripts are top-notch, but Grand Budapest is the most fully realized whole.

Nathan

Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
*The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Matt

American Sniper
*The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

A really limp and uninspired set of nominees. I would consider abstaining here, but would ultimately throw The Imitation Game a vote for being an enjoyable sit.

Nathan

American Sniper
The Imitation Game
*Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

I'm tempted to write in Gone Girl AND Wild.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Matt

*CITIZENFOUR
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

I think Last Days in Vietnam is narrowly the best made documentary here (over Virunga), but CITIZENFOUR is such a thrilling, important document worth supporting.

Nathan

*Citizenfour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

Believe the hype (and don't believe Matt's silly stylized spelling of the title). Citizenfour is most entertaining and best made.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Matt

*Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

A great roster, but, like Gravity last year, Birdman is tough to ignore here.

Nathan

Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
*Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

BEST FILM EDITING

Matt

American Sniper
*Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

Nathan

American Sniper
*Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Matt

*The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner

Nathan

The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
*Mr. Turner

Tough choice between Grand Budapest and Mr. Turner, but I'd go with the latter to show it some love.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Matt

*The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

Nathan

The Grand Budapest Hotel
*Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Matt

*The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything

Nathan

The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
*Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Matt

"Everything is Awesome" (The LEGO Movie)
*"Glory" (Selma)
"Grateful" (Beyond the Lights)
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You" (Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me)
"Lost Stars" (Begin Again)

Nathan

"Everything is Awesome" (The LEGO Movie)
*"Glory" (Selma)
"Grateful" (Beyond the Lights)
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You" (Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me)
"Lost Stars" (Begin Again

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

Matt

Foxcatcher
*The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

Nathan

Foxcatcher
*The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST SOUND MIXING

Matt

American Sniper
*Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

Nathan

American Sniper
Birdman
*Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

Go big or go home.

BEST SOUND EDITING

Matt

*American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

Nathan

*American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Matt

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Nathan

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

BEST SHORT FILM - LIVE ACTION

Matt

Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
*Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
The Phone Call

Nathan

*Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
The Phone Call

Tough call between Aya and Butter Lamp, but the profound discomfort I felt while watching Aya pushes it over the edge.