Countdown to Oscar

I, like many of you, LOVE to watch the Oscars. For me, it's a tradition that started when I was probably seven or eight. My earliest Oscar memory was the On Golden Pond , Charriots of Fire year which was 1981, I think. I remember thinking how great it would be to go up on a big stage, with an even bigger dress and accept an award for best actress in a leading role, like Katherine Hepburn did that year. (I was rooting for Meryl Streep at the time! )
Speaking of Meryl, this woman is amazing. She's been nominated fourteen times! She has won only twice--what is wrong with the Academy? Surely, this woman deserves more than two Oscars?

We have until Feb 25th (5pt/8et) to watch all the nominated films so get busy, people. I still have to see Babel, The Last King of Scotland, The Queen (although, I really don't want to see this film), Blood Diamond and Notes on a Scandal. Then, I'll be pretty much caught up on most of the Oscar buzz.
The thing that strikes me as funny this year is the outrage over the snub Dreamgirls got for best picture. Funny, I'm not surprised. How could a film with Beyonce as a leading actress be nominated for best picture? Highly unlikely. Beyonce is about as exciting as unbuttered toast; a piece of unbuttered toast could probably portray a character better than she ever could.
Glad to see that Jennifer Hudson was nominated though. Love her! Hope she wins and I hope Beyonce stays home in bed, with a pint of Ben & Jerry's, crying her eyes out over the lack of attention she received for the film that was supposed to make her a star. hee. hee. You can't win them all, honey.

I'm not going to give any winner predictions yet because I really want to see those films I just listed first. I do have some favourites already, though. Like Little Miss Sunshine. I've seen it about five times already--I can't get enough. It's adorable, it's funny and highly entertaining.
The Departed was awesome. I told you all in my last blog how great I thought Mark Wahlberg was--I wasn't exagerating. Take a look at the nominees.....he's nominated for best supporting actor!

Here's a list of the nominees in most of the categories:

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON
Peter O'Toole - VENUS
Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND
Performance by an actor in a supporting roleAlan Arkin:
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED
Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Penélope Cruz - VOLVER
Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN
Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Adriana Barraza - BABEL
Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL
Best animated feature film of the year:
CARS
HAPPY FEET
MONSTER HOUSE
Achievement in costume design:
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
MARIE ANTOINETTE
THE QUEEN
Best documentary feature:
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

Best foreign language film of the year:
AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
PAN'S LABYRINTH
WATER
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score):
BABEL
THE GOOD GERMAN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song):
"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS
"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS
"Our Town" - CARS
"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS
Best motion picture of the year:
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN
Adapted screenplay:
BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
LITTLE CHILDREN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Original screenplay:
BABEL
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN