Chance's Corner: Oscar Season

Deer Season, Duck Season, Rabbit Season... Oscar Season! Yes, it's that time of year again when the Hollywood elite put their heads together and decide who's who in the movie industry for the preceding year. My favorite season!

I always enjoy playing a little guessing game beforehand about who will bring home the Academy Award. Sometimes I'm dead on (like last year) and other years I'm clueless. This year, however, I found a little insight on The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter obtained and posted a conversation with an anonymous female member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences about who/what they voted for. It's truly a fascinating look into just what goes through a voters mind as they decide who should win an Academy Award.

Let's take a peek and see how the anonymous member voted.

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BEST PICTURE

The Academy member states that, "American Sniper is the winner of the year, whether or not it gets a single statuette... because it shows that a movie can galvanize America and shows that people will go [to the movies] if you put something out that they want to see."

Sounds like a winner, right? Well, she goes on to say that Birdman truly resonates among the "tortured actors" of the Academy and The Imitation Game is "prestige filmmaking" that should gain more recognition.

Her pick for the winner? The Imitation Game.


BEST DIRECTOR

She chooses Richard Linklater, the director of Boyhood, because "what he did -- as a 'thing' -- is extraordinary." She's referring to the astonishing fact that the movie was filmed over a period of 12 years to document the true growth of the lead boy actor.


BEST ACTOR

She chooses Michael Keaton for Birdman because he created a character from "whole cloth" wherein the other actors just did impressions of real people. She also points out that he may never get another chance at getting an Oscar nod.

BEST ACTRESS

She chooses Julianne Moore because she the minute she saw Still Alice she knew the race was over. She states "four other women are going to have to get dressed and go to 5,000 dinners knowing they have no chance."

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

She cites Ethan Hawke giving "a very strong performance" in Boyhood, but J.K. Simmons' performance in Whiplash was "in a different league". She actually finds it ironic that he is in the "supporting" category. I'm guessing she means that he was so powerful that he seemed like a "leading" actor.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

She votes for Patricia Arquette in Boyhood due to her 12 year dedication to the film and for "having no [plastic surgery] done during the 12 years." I find that a little strange qualification, but I'm not in the Academy.

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The Academy member goes on to explain her voting in the other categories such as Costume Design, Film Editing, Cinematography, and the like, but I figure I've covered the highlights of the Oscar evening.

As a funny aside, there were several categories in which she abstained for voting. In the Sound Editing and Sound Mixing Category she states that "she has no idea what's good sound or bad sound.... and I'm not alone among Academy members."

So, do you agree with her choices? Or have you not seen any of them yet? Fear not! We have all the Oscar nominated films (that are currently available on DVD) here at the Franklin County Library. Come check them out so you know who to root for.

Wait, you want to know my guesses for the winners? Well, alright, here's my list.


BEST PICTURE

Birdman or American Sniper

BEST DIRECTOR

Richard Linklater

BEST ACTOR

Michael Keaton

BEST ACTRESS

Julianne Moore (she's swept up all the other awards)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

J.K. Simmons

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Patricia Arquette (another awards sweep)