Let's Talk About Movies: Some History
I've always been a sucker for a good movie. From the time I was a little girl, my mom would flip the TV to old movies on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Oh sure, sometimes I'd complain because, god forbid, it was in black and white. But more often than not, I enjoyed the heck out of whatever we were watching. "The Best Years of Our Lives?" Amazing. "Anatomy of a Murder?" Thrilling. (Some other memorable ones include "I Remember Mama" and "Life With Father.") "The Elephant Man?' Way too early in my life to be appropriate. Also scared the shit out me. But I digress.
My point is, the movies and I go way back.
I went through phases in high school and then right after college where I was sort of out of touch with movies playing in the theater. I'd catch them when they came out on HBO or DVD. Most of the time I watched blockbusters and rom-coms only. But once I was out on my own, I became friends with a woman whose entire family went Oscar crazy each year, and spent December through February seeing flicks I'd sometimes never heard of. She started asking me if I wanted to go with her to some of them, so I did. And then I caught the fever.
That was about 10 years ago, and I've spent winters this last decade trying to see all the movies. It's not because I'm a snob, although that's certainly been implied. My motivation is twofold: (1) I like a good challenge and (2) I needed to reclaim the Oscars as my own.
Let's start with the first one: liking a good challenge. Until a few years back, seeing the Best Picture nominees wasn't super hard, since there were only four or five. But recently they expanded that number to 10. (Some years there are still less.) Going to see all those films presents a few challenges. You need to find them, first of all. They don't always play in the megaplex close to come. Sometimes the subject matter bores me before I even step into the theater, so I need to overcome my own biases and prejudices about certain kinds of movies, get over actors I can't stand, etc. The weather can slow me down. My seasonal depression can get the best of me some weekends. And finally, that's a WHOLE lot of popcorn to ingest. Oh, you think I could skip the popcorn? Screw you.
Now for the second motivation: reclaiming the Oscars. I've always loved the spectacle of the Academy Awards, even if I hadn't seen the movies. But when I was a junior in high school, the night the awards aired I found out a stupid boy with whom I was ridiculously smitten had forgotten to tell me that he HAD A GIRLFRIEND. Sigh. I spent the whole evening on the phone with him and HE (yes, he) bawled and told me that he felt so awful he wanted to kill himself. From then on, I associated the Academy Awards with the night I had to console the dude dumping me.
For the most part, I love my Oscar journey each year. I watch movies I'd never otherwise contemplate seeing, and I'm often pleasantly surprised. One fantastic example is "Grand Budapest Hotel." Under any other circumstances, I'd have made no effort to see it, either in the theater or on video. But the year it was nominated, I watched it on HBO GO and was so enchanted by the whole thing that I even bought it on blu-ray. I've learned how to appreciate what other people see in movies too. For example, this year's sweetheart, "Call Me by Your Name," is not my top pick. My first watch-check (what I consider a mark for how interesting the film is) happened at the 45-minute mark. I spent the rest of the movie deciding what to make for dinner. But at the same time, I could appreciate it's beauty. The elegance with which it was shot. The admirable acting required to tell what really was a compelling story, albeit at a glacial pace.
I've also learned that each year I will HATE one movie that critics absolutely adore. Last year, it was "Manchester by the Sea" (or as I like to call it, "White Dude Makes Mistakes Over and Over Again and Ruins Everyone's Lives for Three Hours" or "I'm So Glad I Didn't Pay Full Price To See This Piece of Crap Because Casey Affleck Can't Act"). The year before it, I experienced such a negative reaction to "The Revenant" that I almost left the theater. I wasn't grossed out. I just thought it was stupid, and I resented how much the director shoved his symbolism down my throat. I started checking my watch less than 30 minutes into "Wolf of Wall Street." I used to feel bad that I didn't love everything, but who does? I've learned that my opinion might differ, but it's still valid. So I'm OK with hating some movies ;)
I also never get to all of them, even though I try like hell. As I write this, I'm still down three movies for this year — and the awards air tomorrow night. I had plans to rent one tonight to pare that number down to two. We'll see if it happens. But if each year I feel like I made a concerted effort, experienced films that live outside my comfort zone, and enjoyed myself in the process, it's been a successful season.
This season has definitely met my definition of success. Stay tuned for mini-reviews of each Best Picture nominee I saw this year.
My point is, the movies and I go way back.
I went through phases in high school and then right after college where I was sort of out of touch with movies playing in the theater. I'd catch them when they came out on HBO or DVD. Most of the time I watched blockbusters and rom-coms only. But once I was out on my own, I became friends with a woman whose entire family went Oscar crazy each year, and spent December through February seeing flicks I'd sometimes never heard of. She started asking me if I wanted to go with her to some of them, so I did. And then I caught the fever.
That was about 10 years ago, and I've spent winters this last decade trying to see all the movies. It's not because I'm a snob, although that's certainly been implied. My motivation is twofold: (1) I like a good challenge and (2) I needed to reclaim the Oscars as my own.
Let's start with the first one: liking a good challenge. Until a few years back, seeing the Best Picture nominees wasn't super hard, since there were only four or five. But recently they expanded that number to 10. (Some years there are still less.) Going to see all those films presents a few challenges. You need to find them, first of all. They don't always play in the megaplex close to come. Sometimes the subject matter bores me before I even step into the theater, so I need to overcome my own biases and prejudices about certain kinds of movies, get over actors I can't stand, etc. The weather can slow me down. My seasonal depression can get the best of me some weekends. And finally, that's a WHOLE lot of popcorn to ingest. Oh, you think I could skip the popcorn? Screw you.
Now for the second motivation: reclaiming the Oscars. I've always loved the spectacle of the Academy Awards, even if I hadn't seen the movies. But when I was a junior in high school, the night the awards aired I found out a stupid boy with whom I was ridiculously smitten had forgotten to tell me that he HAD A GIRLFRIEND. Sigh. I spent the whole evening on the phone with him and HE (yes, he) bawled and told me that he felt so awful he wanted to kill himself. From then on, I associated the Academy Awards with the night I had to console the dude dumping me.
For the most part, I love my Oscar journey each year. I watch movies I'd never otherwise contemplate seeing, and I'm often pleasantly surprised. One fantastic example is "Grand Budapest Hotel." Under any other circumstances, I'd have made no effort to see it, either in the theater or on video. But the year it was nominated, I watched it on HBO GO and was so enchanted by the whole thing that I even bought it on blu-ray. I've learned how to appreciate what other people see in movies too. For example, this year's sweetheart, "Call Me by Your Name," is not my top pick. My first watch-check (what I consider a mark for how interesting the film is) happened at the 45-minute mark. I spent the rest of the movie deciding what to make for dinner. But at the same time, I could appreciate it's beauty. The elegance with which it was shot. The admirable acting required to tell what really was a compelling story, albeit at a glacial pace.
I've also learned that each year I will HATE one movie that critics absolutely adore. Last year, it was "Manchester by the Sea" (or as I like to call it, "White Dude Makes Mistakes Over and Over Again and Ruins Everyone's Lives for Three Hours" or "I'm So Glad I Didn't Pay Full Price To See This Piece of Crap Because Casey Affleck Can't Act"). The year before it, I experienced such a negative reaction to "The Revenant" that I almost left the theater. I wasn't grossed out. I just thought it was stupid, and I resented how much the director shoved his symbolism down my throat. I started checking my watch less than 30 minutes into "Wolf of Wall Street." I used to feel bad that I didn't love everything, but who does? I've learned that my opinion might differ, but it's still valid. So I'm OK with hating some movies ;)
I also never get to all of them, even though I try like hell. As I write this, I'm still down three movies for this year — and the awards air tomorrow night. I had plans to rent one tonight to pare that number down to two. We'll see if it happens. But if each year I feel like I made a concerted effort, experienced films that live outside my comfort zone, and enjoyed myself in the process, it's been a successful season.
This season has definitely met my definition of success. Stay tuned for mini-reviews of each Best Picture nominee I saw this year.
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