Stop…Oscar Time

By: Kaitlyn Boisvert
Posted In: Entertainment

That special day of the year is coming, and no, it is not Christmas. For most people associated with films, it’s even better. It’s the day where hordes of lucky patrons wearing extravagant evening wear attend the event that reigns as an epitome of high society and associates itself with many big names in Hollywood. It’s the time where all the hard work of actors, directors, and screenwriters truly pay off. The time where the biggest dreams of many people are granted by merely touching a slim golden statuette. It is the time of the Academy Awards Ceremony.

The Ceremony will air on Mar. 7, 2010. Both Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will act as hosts. With the comic talents and unpredictable personalities of both men, I think the two will make the ceremony very enjoyable and entertaining to watch.

This year, the Oscars have reaped a lot of anticipation and excitement, especially with the addition of five more potential nominees for the Best Picture category. The contenders for the big title this year are: “Avatar,” “The Blind Side,” “District 9,” “An Education,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire,” “A Serious Man,” “Up,” and “Up in the Air.”

As much as I LOVED the animated movie “Up” and wish that it will win the as the Best Picture, the big movie “Avatar” will probably win the crown. Its director is James Cameron, the “King of the World” after all. His film would deserve to win though, although its plot is very predictable, the special effects of “Avatar” are superb, which causes it to truly stand out amongst all of its contenders.

Next are the nominees for the best actors, which seem to draw in the most audiences because they are often associated with big name celebrities. The lead actor of a film is the big cheese: it is usually his face that is on the movie poster. He is the backbone of the film, and is usually what people come to see. The film’s overall quality depends heavily on his performance.

For the title of Best Actor in a Leading Role, the nominees for this year are: Jeff Bridges for “Crazy Heart,” George Clooney for “Up in the Air,” Colin Firth for “A Single Man,” Morgan Freeman for “Invictus,” and Jeremy Renner for “The Hurt Locker.”

All actors express great talent and potential, however; I am hoping that Jeff Bridges will win the Oscar. He beautifully portrayed an old country singer on the search of his big break. Also, since he won the Golden Globe for best actor for his performance in the same film, I think Jeff stands a great shot with the Academy. However, I won’t at all be upset if any of the opposing men win the award.

For The Best Actress in a Leading Role, the nominees are: Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side,” Helen Mirren for “The Last Station,” Carey Muligan for “An Education,” Gabourey Sidibe for “Precious,” and Meryl Streep for “Julie and Julia.”

I believe that each nominated actress did a stupendous job in her role. However, both Meryl and Sandra seem more likely to win the statuette than the other nominees, because they both won best actress in the two separate categories for this year’s Golden Globes; Sandra for Best Actress in a Drama and Meryl Streep for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical.

After much debate, I have decided to put my vote down for Meryl. Sandra really did perform her finest in “The Blind Side,” however; there was still that common “Sandra Bullock” flair in her portrayal, or the recurring witty humor and attitude that Sandra seems to always incorporate into her performances. In a way, she seems to play the same person in her movies. In Meryl’s case, she, as always, completely delves into a new character until there is no “Meryl Streep” audible. When we watch her, we see someone completely different; we are not reminded of any of Meryl’s past performances. I think it takes great talent to do that, and thus she earns my vote. Also, the fact that she perfectly portrayed a legend makes her very Oscar worthy.

Now, for the next group: The Best Supporting Actors. Old Hollywood actor Martin Balsam once said: “The supporting role is always potentially the most interesting in a film.” Since he won the 1966 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, he definitely knows what he’s talking about, and I agree with him 100%. The supporting actor has far less screen time than the Lead Actor to make an impact in the overall story, and for a supporting actor to provide a very memorable and powerful performance in such short time expresses true talent.

The candidates for Best Supporting Actor in a role are: Matt Damon for “Invictus,” Woody Harrelson for “The Messenger,” Christopher Plummer for “The Last Station,” Stanely Tucci for “The Lovely Bones,” and Christoph Waltz for “Inglourious Basterds.”

I am very much rooting for Stanely Tucci on this one. After seeing him in “The Devil Wears Prada,” I have been a huge fan of him as an actor: he has proven that there is nothing he cannot do. In his Oscar nominated performance for “The Lovely Bones,” he is very unrecognizable, and he provides a very powerful and chilling portrayal for his dark character in the film. However, since Christoph Waltz won the Golden Globe for best supporting actor, he is probably more likely to win the Oscar.

Now to move on with the ladies, the nominees for Best Actress in a Supporting Role are: Penelope Cruz for “Nine,” Vera Farmiga for “Up in the Air,” Maggie Gyllenhaal for “Crazy Heart,” Anna Kendrick for “Up in the Air,” Mo’nique for “Precious.”

Although Mo’nique did win the Golden Globe for the same category, and provided a powerful and gripping performance in her film, I am hoping that Maggie will win this one, and I believe she has a fair shot. Maggie’s nomination came as a huge surprise to most people: she had not been nominated at the Globes, and she had beaten out actress Julianne Moore for the nomination at the Oscars. I always believed that Maggie was a great actress who always provided heartbreaking performances, and who would finally get her time for grand success, and I strongly believe that her time is now.

And now for directing: The nominees for Best Director are: Kathryn Bigelow for “the Hurt Locker,” James Cameron for “Avatar,” Lee Daniels for “Precious,” Jason Reitman for “Up in the Air,” and Quentin Tarantino for “Inglourious Basterds.”

As I said earlier: I think James Cameron will win simply because he is James Cameron, and his picture is a huge box-office hit that features one of the greatest special effects of the decade. However, all the other Directors should still feel proud of their work and honored to have had it noticed. I strongly believe that each one of them will win Oscars in the future.

These are all of the nominations that usually capture the general interest of most audiences that tune in to the ceremony, as well as my own. However; I of course am happy for the great talents recognized in the other categories, and wish the best for them all.

To view the full nominees for this year’s Oscar Ceremony, go to: http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Academy_Awards_USA/2010