I can't decide what this says about me: the only Oscar-nominated film I've seen is in the Best Animated Feature Film category.
There are a few I plan to see eventually–
- Slumdog Millionaire (while waiting to meet the guys from Yanni Voices at BlissDom 09, Andrea said I needed to see this if I was going to India, but because I know the story, I'm reluctant :/)
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (I can't imagine how this movie "works", much in the way I couldn't figure out how "Groundhog Day" could work, but I think we're talking apples and orangutangs here…)
- Doubt (Philip Seymour Hoffman? Meryl Streep? They're nominated in their categories for good reason, I'm sure)
…but beyond those, I really couldn't care less.
For some reason, I want not to care less.
The famed red carpet, beautiful gowns and beautiful people, Hollywood–it used to house mystique and glamour and something just out of reach. Now, there's infinite accessibility to celebrities through entertainment news shows, magazines and ezines, and increasingly these days, social media.
I suppose I'm in favor of a little mystery; the same way I think a woman is much sexier when dressing to accentuate her best features with a little skin showing in all her right places, as opposed to dressing like a stripper and giving it away whether or not anyone's buying.
But that's just me.
What have you seen? What are your favorites of 2008? What do I "need" to see that's not already on my list? Convince me–tell me why I'm way off base. Or, if you agree, chime in.
For the record, I'll still watch the Academy Awards tonight–maybe not the entire broadcast, but enough to satisfy an appetite I don't quite understand.
Photo credit: oscars.org
{Revised: winners noted in bold}
BEST ACTOR
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
* Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
** Kate Winslet, The Reader
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
** Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Doubt
** Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
** Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Frozen
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
** Milk
Wall-E
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
David Hare, The Reader
** Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
** Wall-E
BEST ART DIRECTION
Changeling
** The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
** Slumdog Millionaire
BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
** Man on Wire
Trouble the Water
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
** The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
** Smile Pinki
The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306
BEST FOREIGN FILM
The Baader Meinhof Complex, Germany
The Class, France
** Departures, Japan
Revanche, Austria
Waltz with Bashir, Israel
BEST FILM EDITING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
** Slumdog Millionaire
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
**The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
BEST SONG
Down to Earth, WALL-E
** Jai Ho, Slumdog Millionaire
O Saya, Slumdog Millionaire
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
** Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
** La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory – Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
** Spielzeugland (Toyland)
BEST SOUND MIXING
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
** Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
BEST SOUND EDITING
** The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
** The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Umm . . . pretty much don’t care. Pretty much for the same reasons. We’d rather watch America’s Funniest Home Videos and Extreme Makeover Home Edition if we’re going to plop down in front of the tv tonight.
We hardly ever go to movies anymore. It’s seriously too expensive. Just wait for the DVD. Or not. There aren’t that many movies that even appeal to me. I’d rather rent some good classics, thankyouverymuch.
Chance are that I’ll be working on homeschool plans this evening. Or maybe visiting with my sister if her family sticks around for dinner. Either way, the Oscars won’t be very high on the list.
I don’t usually watch these shows. BOOOOORING! I love the dresses, but not enough to suffer through the rest of it. I’m with ya — with the glut of celeb watchers, the mystery is lost. And you know what? It’s not a life most of us would want.
Rarely do I actually like the movies that are nominated for best picture (most of the best picture nominated films are so full of bad language that I can’t sit through them!) Two exceptions that come to mind – Million Dollar Baby and the Lord of the Rings trilogy – LOVED those. I’m pretty much just a “Red Carpet” watcher – I love the dresses 🙂
The only movies I’ve seen that appear above are the animated ones… 🙁 With that in mind, I pick Wall-E for best animated feature.
I will have it on, but I’m sure I will not catch all of it. I do like to see the pretty dresses, and I like some of the actors nominated. I love Kate Winslet–I may not always agree with her roles, but she seems to put thought into them, and while she is looking super thin these days, she has always had a real-woman look about her, which I like. How’s that for a run-on sentence? It is not nominated, but Gran Torino, with Clint Eastwood, is an excellent movie. It has foul language and deals with some serious and uncomfortable subject matter, but it is a great movie. Clint Eastwood can do so much with just his facial expressions.
As for nominated movies, I have not seen any of them! Not in the major categories anyway. I hope to see several of them on video. I read the book The Reader and was not overly impressed, but I’m still curious about the movie.
I eat up the entertainment stuff without ever actually seeing most of the shows/movies being discussed. I don’t care about the celebrity gossip though, regarding personal lives and such. I just want to read/see a good story.
I’ll watch the opening, but only to see Hugh Jackman sing and dance in a top hat. The rest of it? Meh.
What a great summary. I DVR’d everything to fastforward it all later tonight. Trying to unearth my desk right now.
Hope to see you one night while I am in town – March 9-12.
Take care!
Actually … I’ve seen none of the films nominated for any of the categories because I seldom go to movies these days. I probably won’t watch tonight because I’d rather use my time more productively. I have friends, however, who have seen them all and seem to care deeply about who wins.
Hugs and blessings,
Both Dave and I enjoyed “The Visitor”. I would recommend this movie. However, be prepared because the ending leaves you hanging.
I liked Benjamin Button – made me cry. (we went with my husband’s brother, wife, and kids. Only the parents cried. the kids (they are all 18+) enjoyed it but it didn’t hit them like it did us).
I enjoyed the Dark Knight – which we watched last night. Heath Ledger should win. It was a dark movie, but no darker than Batman Begins.
And really – the only other movie I’ve seen up there (except for the cartoons) was The Duchess – which I really enjoyed too because it was a period film, which I love.
Hi! I’ve been lurking on your blog for a while. I just saw Slumdog Millionaire and LOVED it. Just knowing the plot cannot convey nearly enough of the joy and love that is in this movie and in these characters. I think it would be a great introduction to your trip…it does a fantastic job of honestly facing the grit and destitution of poverty, but not condescending or diminishing the life of those in it.
Let’s see, from your list of nominees I have seen Wall-E, Kung Fu Panda, and Iron Man.
As for the Oscars, I just like to see the dresses.
Some years the Oscars come and go without my paying any attention. This year I’ve seen quite a few of the nominated films and have written my two cents worth over on my blog. I don’t see films because they’re Academy contenders but because I like the subject or the performers. Some I’m content to wait for the DVD.
O.K., I couldn’t stay up for the whole thing, I admit. But how GORGEOUS was Penelope Cruz? I mean, really gorgeous. I couldn’t get over her.
I watched some of the Oscars.. my husband was looking terribly miserable while it was on..so I allowed him, cause I’m submissive like that, to channel surf. I think out of most of those, I’d only seen Benjamin Button. A lot of those movies, I’d never even heard of. We do not watch Rated R movies, so I don’t know the ratings of most of the movies either. Oh.. I did go see Mamma Mia. I don’t think that was even mentioned, was it? Benjamin Button was a good movie.. I did like that. It also had humor in various parts. So, yes..watch that one. I love Anne Hathaway..and her and Hugh Jackman’s little diddy was cute..as well as his and Beyonce’s. But I was really hoping she was going to break out with All the Single Ladies..haha!
I didn’t watch any it, however, I’m pleased the Brits did so well.
Gran Torino. I think thats the only one I’ve seen. I’m hoping to see a cartoon this week – I’m heading to see Curlymop, Buttercup, and Jammin’