From the red carpet to the glittery statuettes, there is nothing on Earth quite like the Academy Awards. On Feb. 24, the most famous and respected names in cinema will take over the Dolby Theatre in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. For 85 years, since 1929, the Oscars have been used to honor the best motion pictures released within the past year. This year’s ceremony will be broadcasted live at 7 p.m. only on ABC, with Seth MacFarlane as the host.
The list of nominees has been out since Jan. 10, and since then it has been all any entertainment news source can talk about. From the snubs to the controversy, there has been non-stop chatter about who are the front runners in the race for that almost nine pound trophy. But Ryan Seacrest and Ellen DeGeneres are not the only ones talking; even the students of Plano West are getting in on the conversation.
“This year should be very interesting,” senior Jane Ha said. “There were so many great movies nominated again this year, it’s gonna be tough to see who will actually walk home victorious.”
This year is the fourth year in a row that the Academy has nominated an extensive number of films into the Best Picture category with nine nominees, including Kathryn Bigelow’s controversial Zero Dark Thirty and Tom Hooper’s musical epic Les Misérables.
“I really loved Les Mis,” senior Sarah Williams said. “The music and singing was beautiful and the story just tugged at the heartstrings of everyone in that theatre. I walked out having a whole new love of the show.”
This year was also guilty of some of the biggest snubs in Hollywood history. What some are calling the worst shock of all was Ben Affleck not being nominated in the Best Director category for his historical thriller Argo, which he directed, produced and starred in.
“I think Affleck’s cut was the worst of all,” senior Ethan Waller said. “I thought Argo was a great film and Ben Affleck definitely deserves the recognition he earned from his hard work.”
One thing that almost everyone is hoping for is a huge win by Adele for her song ‘Skyfall’ from the James Bond film of the same name released this past November. After her triumph at the Golden Globes, most agree she is number one on the voters’ lists.
“If anyone deserves that award, it’s Adele,” Ha said. “That song ‘Skyfall’ is so good and is still, to this day, one of my favorites.”
Even though it seems like certain awards are a sure win for some, no one will really know the outcome until those envelopes are opened on stage during the ceremony. So, it seems for now that movie fans everywhere will just have to sit, wait patiently and hope for their favorites to nab those tall golden statues.
“I just hope Django Unchained wins Best Picture,” Waller said. “From what I hear, it’s not a front runner for the win, but hey, a guy can hope, can’t he?”
