For as long as I can remember, motion pictures have been part of my life. The other day I was trying to remember the very first movie I remember seeing. As close as I can get, it was Song of the South which was released in 1946 when I was two, but I might not have seen it until 1947. That means, I have been in love with the movies for about 60 years.
For at least the last 50, I have been paying attention to The Academy Awards and agreeing or disagreeing with the selections while talking back to the TV all the way through the show. This includes the night in 1964 that I was pounding on the floor screaming "If it isn't Sydney Poitier, I'm never watching another show!"
These days, I don't enjoy the Oscar presentation as much. There is too much pre show "who are you wearing". There are really too many truly stupid production numbers. The pairs of presenters with inane dialogue are a bore, and rarely is the emcee as warm and witty as David Niven the night he reflected on a streaker's "short comings".
Still on Sunday night, I will be sitting in front of the TV with my list, marking off who I think will win (not who I think deserves the award), and this year for the first time chatting live on line with a group of fellow watchers as we cheer or mourn the results. For the record, here is how I think it will turn out. I'll be back on Monday with a follow up of the show, but just for my wish that may not happen: I think Forrest Whittaker will win. I deeply wish it to be Peter O'Toole.
Best Picture
BABEL
Actor in a Leading Role
Forest Whitaker, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND
Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Actress in a Leading Role
Helen Mirren, THE QUEEN
Actress in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Hudson, DREAMGIRLS
Animated Feature Film
HAPPY FEET
Art Direction
THE PRESTIGE
Cinematography
CHILDREN OF MEN
Costume Design
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Directing
THE DEPARTED
Documentary Feature
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
Documentary Short Subject
REHEARSING A DREAM
Film Editing
BABEL
Foreign Language Film
PAN´S LABYRINTH
Makeup
PAN´S LABYRINTH
Music (Original Score)
BABEL
Music (Original Song)
"I Need To Wake Up"
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
Short Film (Animated)
THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL
Short Film (Live Action)
WEST BANK STORY
Sound Editing
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Sound Mixing
DREAMGIRLS
Visual Effects
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN´S CHEST
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
THE DEPARTED
Writing (Original Screenplay)
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
12 comments:
So ok girl!
best Actor
(1) Even though I am rooting for Will Smith, I will go with Forest Whitaker. He's a rare talent.
Supporting Actor
(2) Alan Arkin...Brilliant.
Leading Actress.
(3) Helen Miran
Supporting Actress.
(4) kate blanchett. I just think Hudson is not quite the shoe-in
Best Pic.
The Queen. I loved it!
Animated Feature.
Happy Feet....sweet!
Costume Design. The Devil Wears Prada. I loved the clothes.
Documentary Feature.
Inconvenient Truth.
These are the only ones I am qualified to vote on!
It's been a lean year of going to the movies for me.
From your list, the only ones I saw were Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and The Devil Wears Prada.
Even though I didn't see either film, I am torn between Helen Mirren and Judi Dench for best actress - I love them both!
Have a good weekend,
mo
As I haven't seen a movie in a theatre in about two years (I think the sci-fi "Serendipity," might have been the last one - good, but too violent), I can't comment on who I think will or should win.
I did buy Al Gore's book, but did not see the movie; I am pulling for President Gore's flick.
People don't know how to go to the movies anymore. Most will turn off their cellphones, but not all. Few seem to realize that they are not in their living rooms and don't shouldn't be chatting. I don't like the previews for horror flicks, either, especially when the feature is a comedy.
I may try to go to see an indy film or two this summer. The only place they show non-mainstream stuff in Dallas might as well be in a galaxy far, far away; much too far from my side of town.
As for the show, I usually make it through the first half hour before I find something better to do. If anything interesting happens, like a streaker gets loose again, I'm sure it will be replayed ad nasuem somewhere. I do like the fashion show, though. I don't care "who" someone is wearing, I just want to see the pretty frocks.
I hope your favorites win!
Hey Blue.... we have a wonderful movie theatre about 10 miles from the town I live in.... it's on the top floor of the town hall and the person running it used to work at the renowned theatre in Boston called the Orphieus. He plays all the independent and artsy fartsy films.... some, you'd have to go to Boston to see...
hey Sheila... I want Kate Blanchett to win too.... just put an "e" at the end of that name and you have my last name....
Renee,
One of my favorite places on earth is Bass Lake in California. There is a privately owned movie house there that can play anything they want or can afford. Everybody in the surrounding mountains come around. You get everything from 50s musicals to avant garde as weird as it gets. Anyone who truly loves movies would love to own that place
I am also burned out on the movie experience and do not catch up with movies until they appear on HBO...for example, I just saw Peter Jackson's "Kong" Saturday. I mostly watch old movies on TCM . I have not been to a show since we took the grandkiddies to the Carrey "Grinch"...maybe about 8 years ago.
Don't know about Pan's Labyrinth, but did not see any other foreign film contenders. An important movie, and one that truly sticks with you and makes you think after the fact, but ...
I did not like the makeup at all. Thought the fawn looked more like furniture and the fairies looked like outtakes from a Peter Jackson movie.
Humans were cast perfectly and acted flawlessly, to a person.
I guess I did not like the movie because it showed such ugliness, in the cruelty of the Fascist captain and in the nightmare otherworld sequences of the child. The ugliness stays with you.
More curmudgeoning here from dog, whose seen 10% tops of nominated movies:
re visual effects for Pirates sequel: I thought CGI sequences were the beast that ate the movie. Totally loved the first Pirates, which had a plot and was human-based. Loved the portrait, true or false, of life in an 18th century Caribbean port.
This one was ugly and often pointless and would never have led to a sequel. Of course, my 9 year old nephew loved it, but it left me cold.
Think first Pirates may have benefitted from crossover audience that recognized a good old adventure story or costume drama. This one excised those charms.
I absolutely agree Jamie! Rooting for Whitaker!
I do hope Alan Arkin wins, I thought he was great in Little Miss Sunshine.
Pirates is something big, nice, and shiny to look at. The best thing they did for it was give Depp more free reign to be as weird as possible. He keeps the movie funny. In the first film Geoffrey Rush kept it a lot more interesting.
I can't listen to anything more on Dreamgirls, it's all too much.
Anon Paranoid said....
I haven't been too the movies in ages so I'm not really qualified to vote since I don't know any of the movies currently up for an Oscar.
Sorry folks but I'm totally in the dark on this subject.
God Bless.....
I am useless on this topic too, as i haven't seen any movies for a while. At least i have a good list to work through now.
OFF TOPIC: I have just put some new hiking photos up.
jamie - The I-don't-go-to movies response from this sampling might give theater-owners nightmares.
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