The Griffon News

With Valentine’s day just around the corner, the question is always, “What movie or performance were you in love with this year?”

The 79th annual Academy Awards, which airs Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. on ABC, promise, as always, to be filled with drawn-out, dishwater-dull speeches and obliviously gratuitous, schmoozy behavior.

But every minute is worth watching. It is the Superbowl of award shows and for good reason.

In the always exciting Best Actress category, the big news this year was that three of the five actresses, Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Judi Dench, and Meryl Streep, nominated for “The Queen,” “Notes on a Scandal” and “The Devil Wears Prada” respectively, are over 50.

Senior Daniel Kirk thinks that Streep is the best bet.

“Her performance in that film was electrifying, as all her roles are,” Kirk said. Remaining nominees include Penelope Cruz for “Volver” and Kate Winslet for “Little Children.”

Nominees for the Best Actor statue include Leonardo DiCaprio for “Blood Diamond,” Ryan Gosling for “Half Nelson,” Peter O’Toole for “Venus,” Will Smith for “The Pursuit of Happiness” and Forest Whitaker for “The Last King of Scotland.”

Less importantly, nominees for Supporting Actress are Adriana Barraza for “Babel,” Cate Blanchett for “Notes on a Scandal,” Abigail Breslin for “Little Miss Sunshine,” Jennifer Hudson
for “Dreamgirls” and Rimko Kikuchi for “Babel.”

Supporting Actor nominees include Alan Arkin for “Little Miss Sunshine,” Jackie Earle Haley for “Little Children,” Djimon Hounsou for “Blood Diamond,” Eddie Murphy, “Dreamgirls” and Mark Wahlberg for “The Departed.” Most importantly, the Best Picture Oscar nominees include “Babel,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “The Queen,” and “The Departed.”

Best Costume Design nominees include “Curse of the Golden Flower,” “Dreamgirls,” “Marie Antoinette,” “The Queen” and “The Devil Wears Prada.”

There are some for which the Oscars just aren’t a priority. Some students don’t have time, and many just don’t care.

“I don’t think I’ll watch the Academy Awards,” Senior Jacinda Seese said. “I think I have to work that night, and even if I don’t, I wouldn’t watch because I don’t know who is nominated, and I really don’t care.”

Kelsey Parkhurst, movie aficionado, Missouri Western student and Best Buy media employee, takes the opposition.

“I’m definitely going to watch the Oscars if I don’t have to work,” Parkhurst said. “I think Helen Mirren will take Best Actress for her role in ‘The Queen.’ Best Picture should go to ‘The Departed,’ but ‘The Queen’ will probably receive it.”

Even if you don’t share the same polarizing opinions of Oscar night, it’s always entertaining to watch the ceremony go down, see who is wearing what and see who makes history by winning.

It’s never the same ceremony twice, and the night will even be made more fabulous with comedienne Ellen Degeneres acting as host/ringleader.

Even if you’re not a huge movie buff, it’s worth checking out, if for nothing else than to know what everyone will be talking about. You can also check out www.Oscar.com for more details and a complete list of nominees and films.