My Oscars

Mode of distraction: Reflecting on a great year of movies and wishing I had sole control over award shows.
Distracting me from: Workshop critiques.

Since high school, I've been obsessed with the Academy Awards. I have always tried to see as many nominated movies as I can, to varying degrees of success throughout the years. Now that they've upped the Best Picture category to ten films, this is an even more serious endeavor. But, after several theater gift certificates, matinees, and general budget reallocating, I managed to see almost every film nominated for the big categories.

The Oscars had their chance. This is how the actual rankings should be according to me. If you haven't seen many of these movies, save yourself the trouble and prioritize via my list. I'm including five more slots than the Oscars give, just cause this year was that good.

*Denotes movies nominated for an Oscar
 

Best Picture

1. The Social Network*
2. The King's Speech*
3. 127 Hours*
4. Inception *
5. Blue Valentine
6. Rabbit Hole

7. Black Swan*
8. The Kids Are All Right*
9. The Fighter*
10. Winter's Bone*
11. Toy Story 3*
12. Cyrus
13. Howl
14. Shutter Island
15. True Grit*

The top three are really interchangeable for me and all fantastic in different ways. True Grit barely makes the top 15 over Easy A, and while I saw The Town...I didn't think it was all that great. But even that had entertainment value. I can safely say I really enjoyed every film in my top 10. 

Best Director

1. Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
2. Christopher Nolan, Inception
3. David Fincher, The Social Network*

4. Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan*
5. Tom Hooper, The King's Speech*
6. John Cameron Mitchell, Rabbit Hole
7. Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine
8. David O. Russell, The Fighter*
9. Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
10. Debra Granik, Winter's Bone
-- Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit*
 

127 Hours was so masterfully put together that a movie that was about a man trapped in the same place and eventually has to cut his arm off wasn't either a bore or full of a distracting amount of anticipation. As for the beloved Coen brothers, sorry--your successful direction of a remake isn't enough to cut top 10. 

Best Actor

1. James Franco, 127 Hours*
2. Colin Firth, The King's Speech*
3. Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
4. Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network*
5. Aaron Eckhart, Rabbit Hole
6. Leonardo DiCaprio, Inception
7. John C. Reily, Cyrus
8. Mark Wahlberg, The Fighter
9. Jeff Bridges, True Grit*

10. James Franco, Howl

--Javier Bardem, Biutiful*

I'm thrilled Colin Firth has been doing so well this awards season--he's a terrific actor and was perfect in The King's Speech. I just think Franco had the more challenging role, and his execution was just as strong. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see Biutiful. 

Best Actress
1. Natalie Portman, Black Swan*
2. Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole*
3. Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right*
4. Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine*
5. Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone*
6. Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
7. Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right
8. Marisa Tomei, Cyrus

9. Rebecca Hall, The Town
10. Emma Stone, Easy A

Look at that--I'm in agreement with the Academy. The top three was a really tough pick--Portman had the most physically demanding role, Kidman the most emotionally demanding, and Bening is just so damn good in everything and her subtle work here was no exception. And, just to be clear, Hailee Steinfeld is listed here because she was a leading actress--she was in every damn scene of the movie. Through ridiculous campaigning that used her age and inexperience as manipulation tools, she was successfully awarded a slot in the Supporting Actress field. 

Best Supporting Actor

1. Christian Bale, The Fighter*
2. Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech*
3. Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
4. Miles Teller, Rabbit Hole
5. John Hawkes, Winter's Bone*
6. Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
7. Matt Damon, True Grit
8. Ben Kingsley, Shutter Island
9. Jonah Hill, Cyrus
10. Jeremy Renner, The Town*

I get that Kidman is the case in which the Academy rewards a really talented ensemble by focusing on one actor, and while she deserves the praise, so do the rest of the cast. This young actor was heartbreaking in the role of the teenager who accidentally kills the four-year old boy. And don't even get me started on Jeremy Renner's one-note performance in The Town being nominated.

Best Supporting Actress
1. Amy Adams, The Fighter*

2. Melissa Leo, The Fighter*
3. Barbara Hershey, Black Swan
4. Dianne Wiest, Rabbit Hole

5. Marion Cotillard, Inception  

6. Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech*
7. Mila Kunis, Black Swan
8. Dale Dickey, Winter's Bone
9. Patricia Clarkson, Easy A
10. Ellen Page, Inception
--Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom*

Animal Kingdom only arrived in my mail yesterday so, sadly, I didn't have time to screen it. The Fighter women really do stand above the rest here in what is probably, overall, the weakest category this year. The first four really are great, but after that the best adjective to describe the rest are "strong" and "effective." 

My dream is to one day have a vote in the Academy Awards. I feel my best bet is for my sister to get famous and become a member of the Academy, where she will no doubt hand her ballot straight over to me and I'll be the deciding vote in a certain leading lady trumping Katherine Hepburn's record four Oscar wins. Speaking of...
 

Of course, the Oscars always bring back a particularly special memory for me. In 2002, Kevin and I were able to attend the Academy Award rehearsals courtesy of my mom. We were supposed to go to the actual award show, as well, but former President Bush (remember that troll?) decided to declare war and security was a nightmare. Anyway, after a rather ho-hum day, who do we spot taking flowers. None other than the backbone of American cinema: MERYL STREEP. 

She was the sweetest person ever, of course. I went up to her and got to tell her something very few people ever have: "Death Becomes Her is my absolute favorite movie!" She gave a heart laugh and hugged me, and took pictures with us. Unfortunately, it was during those awkward teen years, so I don't like to flash the picture, but looking now I'm confident Meryl's radiance overpowers braces. Yes/Yes?