My Oscar Awards

Hi, friends! Know what today is? Oscar day! Husband and I have watched the Academy Awards together for at least the last five years and it is one of the highlights of my winter. I enjoy celebrating the hard work and talent that has gone into creating such beautiful stories that transport me to new worlds and expose me to new surroundings and situations. Husband and I make predictions each year and are (usually) right (except for you, last year’s Spotlight). Tonight, we will be watching while I try to stuff a week’s worth of homework into one evening (I’ve been in Texas for a conference all week), but hey, at least the tradition continues.

While I’m assuming La La Land will be sweeping (mostly) everything tonight, I wanted to highlight my favorite movies from throughout the year and at least give them my recognition, even if the Academy sees otherwise. I would love to hear everyone else’s Top #5 movies of 2016!

Here we go:

1. Captain Fantastic-This movie spoke to me so much and reminded me of some people I grew up with and the conflict between freedom and conformity. Viggo Mortensen was amazing.
2. The Light Between Oceans-I haven’t cried so hard watching a movie since My Sister’s Keeper. Such a beautiful love story combined with Michael Fassbender’s beautiful eyes.
3. Hello, My Name is Doris-Such light fantasy, but I appreciated the idea of love being ageless and the possibility of reinventing yourself throughout the life span.
4. La La Land-Yes, this is everyone’s favorite movie and has been winning a million, billion awards. I found it adorable and fun to watch, but after being raised with Julie Andrews’ singing and Gene Kelly’s dancing, I found the talent a little disappointing for a modern musical. I’m hoping it will open the door for future musicals with some crazy-good singers and dancers instead of just pretty faces.
5. O.J.: Made In America-Hands down, the best documentary I have ever watched. (Yes, even though it originally aired on TV, it was also screened in theaters to make it eligible for awards.) I was captivated by the incredible interweaving of history and personal accounts to make for such an educational experience.

I’m probably forgetting one, but this list is pretty close. I STILL have not seen Moonlight or Arrival and they were both on my 2016 radar, so let’s hope they make it to Netflix soon.

Have you seen any of my Top #5 movies? What did you think? What 2016 movie do you think deserves to win?