In tribute to this month’s salute to brides in Elmore County Living, I would like to begin with a listing of my five favorite movies about weddings: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Father of the Bride (Steve Martin), the original Spencer Tracy/Elizabeth Taylor Father of the Bride and Four Weddings and a Funeral.
I could provide another comprehensive list of movies that feature wedding scenes, like The Godfather, but I’ll save that for a future edition.
On another note, it’s Academy Awards time, and it is time for you to make time to watch this year’s Best Picture winner, as well as the nominees.
If you missed any of the following films in their original theatrical runs, the majority of them are available now to watch in the comfort of your own home:
Bridge of Spies – A smashing Cold War thriller directed by Steven Spielberg and starring the ever-dependable Tom Hanks. Mark Rylance is spellbinding in an Oscar-nominated performance as Rudolf Abel, a Soviet KGB spy. Fascinating from start to finish and definitely another jewel in the crown of Spielberg’s extraordinary career. The quirky Coen brothers co-authored the finely tuned script. A triumph!
Brooklyn – With a screenplay by Nick Hornsby (About a Boy) and an unbeatable cast that includes Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent and Julie Waters, Brooklyn is a “little film” that makes a “huge impact” on audiences. This is the poignant story of a young Irish woman’s immigration to Brooklyn, an unforgettable journey of romance and heartbreak.
Mad Max: Fury Road – Thirty years later, Mad Max’s original director and producer, George Miller, has provided a slam bang, eye-popping fourth installment in the Mad Max franchise. Tom Hardy effectively steps into the shoes of the original Max, Mel Gibson. The alluring Charlize Theron is electrifying as Imperator Furiosa, and she and Mad Max provide audiences with a new definition of “road rage.” This is the highest-grossing film in the Mad Max franchise and the first film in the franchise to receive Academy Award recognition.
The Martian – Based on Andy Weir’s 2011 novel, The Martian (which is a fascinating publishing story in itself), directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon, this blockbuster has delighted audiences and critics alike since it arrived in multiplexes a few months ago. It is interesting that the Golden Globe Awards placed this suspenseful drama (which admittedly did contain a few chuckles) in the Best Comedy/Musical Category. You’ve got to be kidding! Attention, Golden Globes: It is time for you to review your rules.
Room – Written by Emma Donoghue and based on her popular novel of the same name, this gripping film tells the haunting story of a woman and her 5-year-old son who are held captive for years in a tiny “room” and their readjustment to the outside world when they gain their freedom. The mother and son team, Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, have been darlings of critics since the film’s release.
Spotlight – A riveting true story that follows The Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” investigative team and its unflinching investigation into the widespread child sex abuse cases in the Catholic Church in the Boston area. Michael Keaton heads an impeccable ensemble, which also includes Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Brian d’Arcy James, Liev Schreiber and Billy Crudup. Trivia fact: Billy Crudup is one of the stars of Big Fish, which director Tim Burton filmed here in Elmore County back in 2002.
At press time, the following Oscar-nominated films had not yet been released to the home video market:
The Big Short – Based on the 2010 book of the same name by Michael Lewis, this is the wild tale of the 2008 financial crisis from which our nation is still recovering today. The film takes a grim topic and makes it comedic and unforgettable with the combined talents of Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt.
The Revenant – Fresh from his Oscar wins last year, director Alejandro G. Inarritu ignites the screen once again in his latest film, inspired by the experiences of frontiersman Hugh Glass in 1823 Montana and South Dakota. Leonardo DiCaprio is unforgettable in his Oscar-worthy performance as Glass.
Don’t miss any of these eight dazzling movie treats!
And now, here are some of my random thoughts about this year’s Oscar pool:
Nearly 40 years after Rocky, isn’t it great that Sylvester Stallone got nominated for Creed (aka Rocky 7)?
I loved Star Wars: The Force Awakens and was surprised that it was not nominated for Best Picture. Just saying.
Other Oscar snubs that surprised me include the lack of Best Actor nods for Johnny Depp (Black Mass) and Will Smith (Concussion); the lack of Best Director nods for Ridley Scott (The Martian) and Steven Spielberg (Bridge of Spies). I also was surprised that bad-boy director Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight) got left off of the Awards list this time around.
I am hoping that this 14th nomination will be the charm for film composer Thomas Newman and that he will finally take home an Oscar for Best Original Score. Newman has composed some of Hollywood’s finest film scores over his 30-year career (Road to Perdition, Fried Green Tomatoes, Finding Nemo, etc.).
On a final note, here in 2016, let’s reflect back on the Best Picture Award winners from the years ending in the number “6” over the past 50 years, including Crash in 2006, 1996’s Braveheart, 1986’s Out of Africa, 1976’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and 1966’s The Sound of Music.
It is interesting to note that even a Best Picture Oscar does not make a film especially memorable; how many times do you want to drop everything and watch Crash? Braveheart – yes. Out of Africa – absolutely. Cuckoo’s Nest – indeed. The Sound of Music – unquestionably. But drop everything and watch Crash – nah!
Until next month.
