This post is a weird assortment of things on my mind/radar right now. Mostly movie thoughts/Oscar predictions. Stay tuned for a theater post coming up.
1. Time Magazine named Parks & Recreation the Top TV show of 1012. All I have to say about that is YES. Now Give Amy Poehler an Emmy aready. Please. By the way, I love this. I've learned a lot from Amy Poehler.
2. Anna Kendrick as Elphaba? I approve. I love this girl. She's been nominated for an Oscar (for Up in the Air) and a Tony (for High Society), which is impressive. She can act and she can certainly sing. She and Kristin Chenoweth sang "For Good" (from Wicked) at Trevor Live on Sunday, and it's a gorgeous performance (it's not my video, and the fans are distracting, but it's still lovely to listen to). I'm now campaigning for Anna Kendrick as Elphaba in the Wicked movie if it ever gets made.
3. I've read a lot of good books lately, and right now I want to mention just one. The final book of the Matched trilogy, Reached, was released last month. The trilogy is a young adult dystopian series. It's similar to The Hunger Games in that it's a young adult dystopian trilogy with a central love triangle, but the two series present very different views of the future. I love the Matched trilogy. While reading Reached I didn't want it to end, but at the same time I couldn't put it down. It's a satisfying end to the series. If you're a teacher of reluctant readers, this is something that will engage them, and I think adults will enjoy it as well (I did). I particularly love the value Ally Condie (the author) places on the written word; writing is an important part of the book (Cassia, the protagonist, is a poet).
4. Funny video.
5. It's awards season. I try to see most movies that come out as they're released in theaters (at least the good ones), and I love the Oscars. Right now is the time to start reflecting on the year's best movies and thinking about what will be honored in February, so here are my thoughts:
Best Picture:
I haven't seen Les Miserables yet, so it's probably wrong for me to want it to win already, but I feel like I will love it and I'd love to see it win. I think it's biggest competition is Argo, which I loved. Other favorites of mine are Silver Linings Playbook (so, so, so good), Life of Pi (visually stunning and very moving), Moonrise Kingdom (I love Wes Anderson, and this might be his best yet; it's charming), and Beasts of the Southern Wild (creative, heartbreaking, and imaginative with a central performance that will knock you over). I also enjoyed The Master, Anna Karenina, Lincoln, The Sessions, and Flight, but not as much as the others already listed. Zero Dark Thirty will most likely be nominated and I am really really excited to see it, and I also can't wait to see The Impossible, which also has a good shot.
Best Actor:
This is an incredibly competitive category. A handful of these men could have won this award in another less competitive year. Daniel Day Lewis will probably win for Lincoln, and he was fantastic, so I won't be disappointed. I'd love to see Hugh Jackman win for Les Miserables, though. I think he has a shot (he has the best shot at beating Daniel Day Lewis). Denzel Washington gives one of his best performances in Flight and will most likely be nominated. John Hawkes should be nominated; he's wonderful in The Sessions. The fifth actor to be nominated is tricky. It could be Joaquin Phoenix for The Master, but his recent anti-awards tirade could hurt his chances. It could also go to Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook. I loved both performances, so I'm torn.
Best Actress:
Jennifer Lawrence. Silver Linings Playbook. She's fabulous, and right now I give her the edge to win. Jessica Chastain is a contender for Zero Dark Thirty, but I haven't seen the movie so I can't comment. I do love her, though (look for my posts on The Heiress and her Times Talk). I really, really want to see Quvenzhane Wallis nominated for Beasts of the Southern Wild. I am in awe of this tiny force of nature. She was six years old when this movie was filmed. Six! She blows me away; she's filled with this quiet strength. Naomi Watts will probably be nominated for The Impossible, and the fifth slot could go to Keira Knightley (Anna Karenina), Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone), Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), or Helen Mirren (Hitchcock).
Best Supporting Actor:
Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln) will get a nomination. Philip Seymour Hoffman will be nominated for The Master, and Leonardo DiCaprio will be nominated for Django Unchained. I think Robert DeNiro will get a nomination for Silver Linings Playbook, and Eddie Redmayne has a good chance for Les Miserables. That's five, right? I think those will be the five. Alan Arkin (Argo) or John Goodman (Argo or Flight) could sneak in and replace one of my guesses. I have no idea who will win this category.
Best Supporting Actress:
This is the easiest race to call. The nominees haven't even been announced and I can still say that Anne Hathaway should start writing her acceptance speech. Based on everything I've heard about and seen of her performance in Les Miserables, she's the one to beat. Helen Hunt in The Sessions and Sally Field in Lincoln both give complex, nuanced performances, but I don't think it's their year to win (they will be nominated, though). Amy Adams should be nominated for The Master. The fifth slot could go to Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook), Kerry Washington (Django Unchained), Maggie Smith (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Samantha Barks (Les Mis), or Helena Bonham Carter (Les Mis).
That's all for now. Here are the trailers for some of my favorite movies of the year.
Silver Linings Playbook:
Moonrise Kingdom:
Beasts of the Southern Wild:
Argo:
Life of Pi:
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