It’s the most wonderful time…
…of the year!
Ladies & gentlemen, it’s awards season!
We kicked things off with the Golden Globes last weekend (Tina Fey & Rachel Poehler were amazing, as usual). We had Oscar nominations come out on Friday. The Screen Actor’s Guild awards are tonight. And so it goes until we wrap things up with the Oscars on March 2nd.
For the next couple of months you won’t be able to throw a stone without hitting a fashion disaster, an ill-considered speech or a priceless reaction shot from a loser while the winner takes the stage.
It’s a scandal a minute this time of year, folks, & I for one am delighted.
I’m not a mean-spirited person, but come on. What else does one do with January & February? (I already shoveled. Now what? Celebrity gossip? Don’t mind if I do!)
So…what are we thinking about the Oscar nominations? Is this the year Leonardo DiCaprio finally wins one? Or is the Wolf of Wall Street too reprehensible?
What about Barkhad Abdi for Best Supporting Actor? He was the first-time actor who played the pirate in Captain Phillips. I have a soft spot for him, seeing as he’s a home town boy. (I’m not from Somalia, he’s from Minneapolis.)
What are we thinking about Tom Hanks’ shocking failure to get a nod either for Best Actor (Captain Phillips) or Best Supporting Actor (Saving Mr. Banks)? He’s such a pillar of the community, & I love seeing him up there with his wife of a gazillion years. How often do we see that in Hollywood, huh? There should be an Oscar for that.
How about Best Picture? Of the nine nominees, I’ve only seen three: TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE, AMERICAN HUSTLE, and GRAVITY. I’m hitting THE WOLF OF WALL STREET tonight. That leave me about a month & a half to hit HER, NEBRASKA, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, PHILOMENA, & DALLAS BUYERS CLUB.
But based on what I’ve seen, I’m voting for AMERICAN HUSTLE. I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t seen it, but I will say this–the story telling was exquisite. And unlike so many movies where they serve up reprehensible characters & expect you to just go along with it, they made every single character sympathetic. You felt for each & every one of this hugely talented ensemble cast. The one guy with his heart in the right place, who was genuinely trying to make the world a better place? He was the one who went to jail. And I still left the movie feeling awesome. It was a great story, and told by master artists.
That said? I still have five movies to see. I might change my mind. I’ll get back to you.
So…are you an awards show kind of person? Will you be following the action straight up to the Oscars this year? Do you have an opinion on who should get which award? Share!
For those of you who are really into it, here’s a webpage where you can download a ballot, or do a thing where you post your predictions on Facebook!
