Oscar expectations

blog by Caitlin Fletcher, graphic by Anna Leach with figurine by Katie Parkinson

Celebrities are hitting the red carpet again while we sit at home wondering whether our favorite movie or actor will be awarded the top prize. The Golden Globes have come and gone and now the next big awards show is the Oscars. This blog will evaluate one or two of the movies in each category as well as some of the actors and actresses.

Best Picture Category:

One of the nominees for best picture is Lincoln. The script for Lincoln was developed by director, Steven Spielberg in 2001. While this was not the script they ended up going with, creating and casting Lincoln was an ongoing process. If you’ve seen Lincoln then you can tell that their hard work was well worth it. The portrayal of Lincoln, by Daniel Day Lewis, was so fantastic that I could have mistaken him for the real thing. They basically look like twins. Not only did Daniel Day Lewis do a fantastic job, but Sally Field did a great job as the eccentric Mary Todd Lincoln. While this picture did not win best motion picture- drama at the Golden Globes, it still looks to be a strong contender at the Academy Awards.

Another nominee for best picture is Les Misérables. Before this movie came out many people were questioning how well this would be adapted for the screen in 2012. People were worried about the acting choices and I heard of a singer complaining that the movie used actors instead of singers. First of all, the all of the actors brought their best to this movie. When you heard them sing you felt like you were right there with them living their experiences. Secondly, Hugh Jackman, who played Jean Valjean, worked on stage in musicals before he made it big in the film industry. While, Russell Crowe’s singing was a bit lack-luster, he made up for it with an incredible performance as the officer after Jean Valjean, Javert. While, Les Mis may not be a top contender, I wouldn’t count them out quite yet seeing as at the Golden Globes Hugh Jackman won for best actor in a comedy or musical, Anne Hathaway won for best supporting actress in a comedy or musical and Les Misérables as a whole won for best picture comedy or musical.

The total list of best picture nominees is: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty.

Best Actor Category:

When I saw Silver Linings Playbook I never believed that it would be in the running for best picture. It didn’t even cross my mind that Bradley Cooper (or Jennifer Lawrence) would be nominated for best actor. However, knowing it now I’m not surprised. Bradley Cooper plays a man (SPOILER ALERT) recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Cooper, in real life, is obviously not bipolar. However, after watching the movie you could think it’s real. His performance is escalated by the performance of Jennifer Lawrence alongside him.

Other nominees include: Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln, Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables, Joaquin Phoenix for The Master and Denzel Washington for Flight.

Best Actress Category:

Jessica Chastain starred in Zero Dark Thirty as a CIA agent stationed in the middle east named Maya. Throughout the movie she is on the trail of Osama Bin Laden and fiercely set on finding him and killing him. She is an extremely strong female character. The men in this movie generally have a hard time going against her and she finds a way to get what she needs done, done. She looks to be a serious contender for winning best actress after her strong performance.

Other nominees in this category include: Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook, Emmanuelle Riva for Amour, Quvenzhané Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild and Naomi Watts for The Impossible. On a side note this category contains the youngest and oldest nominees in Oscar history in the best actress category: Emmanuelle Riva is 85 and Quvenzhané Wallis is nine years old and was only six when she filmed Beasts of the Southern Wild.