The Race For The Big 'O' '06: Part I

This is the time of year I scramble to see all of the movies that are generating Oscar buzz or could generate Oscar buzz. Many are predictable (Helen Mirren in The Queen; Forrest Whitaker in The Last King Of Scotland). Others aren't so easy to predict (who, if anyone, will get an acting nod in Bobby?). This becomes somewhat of an obsession to me as I strive to see all of the movies that could get an Oscar nod in one of the big categories. I have until February 25 which is the date of the show. The nominations come out in January.

I know people say that the Academy Awards are just a political self-congratulatory orgy of Hollywood and, while I don't disagree, I also think that it is more than that. Most everything today has some politics behind it or in it. I don't always agree with the Academy's choice of winner; sometimes I get downright angry when the Academy gets it glaringly wrong (witness last year's win of Reese Witherspoon over Felicity Huffman; I'm still talking about it to anyone who'll listen). The Academy does still get it right, so right, sometimes. I continue with my optimism that as more and more young, daring, enlightened actors/actresses/writers/directors infiltrate the "boys club of the Academy" (as it's been known since they started handing out the awards) the Academy will get it right more and more and award people based on talent more than politics or mainstream acceptance.

The difficult part for me living in Rochester is coming to terms each year that Rochester is not considered a big city. Many independent and smaller movies that are not shown at the mainstream theaters will not open here until they've played in a bigger city for a number of weeks (opening in select theaters, indeed). Los Angeles, NYC, and Philadelphia are just a few of these select cities. I'm still waiting for the movie Little Children which was supposed to open on October 13. All the information I have on this movie is that it is "coming soon" to only one of the area theaters.

It's not always a given which movies will garner a nod in a major category and there is always at least one surprise. So it's no surprise that some of the movies that could get a nomination are no longer playing at the theaters and I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival on DVD (Sherrybaby and Hollywoodland are two such examples). I can only hope that they arrive before 2/25.

So each year I plug along at the movies and then await the announcement of the nominations to see how far ahead/behind of the game I am. And I always brighten when the subject comes up and, believe me, not many people are willing to discuss movies/Oscars with as much fervor as myself. I take it where I can get it.

Now if I could just figure out which dress to wear while watching the show (kidding!).

peace,

paul