Academy Awards

Ooops.........I mean.....the Oscars. I was wondering where the name "Oscar" came from today so I decided to do a little research. I found two references to its origin......one from an Academy Award librarian named Margaret Herrick who said that the "statuette resembled her Uncle Oscar" and the second reference came in 1934 when Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky used it in reference to Katharine Hepburn's first Best Actress win. (for her role in Morning Glory)

Kate was hardly an "oscar" in 1934 but then again........who knows what the term "oscar" could have meant in 1934? Hmmmmm...........

In any case, it is another grand night of television. Full of the usual glitz and glamour of celebrities walking down the red carpet exclaiming how they "never saw it coming" and how it is "just wonderful to simply be nominated". Where would we be without Hollywood?

I have to be honest and say that I have seen only one of the Oscar nominated pictures this year. I saw "The Queen" in December and I must say it was fantabulous. I really lost sight of the fact that it was an actress portraying Queen Elizabeth II. Yes yes......Helen Mirren was THAT good!
I mean.....who can ever forget the whole Princess Diana tragedy? This movie gave you the "behind the scenes" look at this stuffy old monarch's feelings surronding the whole accident. It is not surprising how much they despised Diana. With youth fading in the distance...........its no wonder that neither the Queen or King even could mention her name without throwing up. Helen Mirren is clearly the front runner for the Best Actress award for her portrayal.

One other film that is not up for Best Picture but does garnish a nomination for Best Actress......is "Notes of a Scandal". Judi Dench picks up the nomination for her portrayal of an overly possessive grumpy old teacher who is in some kind of lesbian denial. Surprising film actually. I didn't catch the lesbian aspects until about 45 minutes into the film. After that.......it was a wild roller coaster ride until the end of the movie. Not a particularly great film but it had a good enough plot to keep pushing it along for another 45 minutes. I don't expect Judi to beat out Helen for the Oscar.

While I would have liked to seen "Bobby" pick up a nomination (for Best Makeup at least) for something, it did not. I still think it is a great "period flick" that will leave you inspired.

My picks for the Oscars:
Best Picture - Letters from Iwo Jima - this will be the long shot winner
Best Actress - Helen Mirren
Best Actor - Forest Whitaker
Documentary Feature - An Inconvenient Truth

TA TA!