Even when I’ve seen very few of the films nominated for Best Picture, Oscar Sunday is still my favorite day of the year.
Every year I look forward to the Academy Awards. I mark the date in my calendar months in advance, I try to predict which films will be in the running for that year’s big awards, and I anxiously await the actual nominations. Once the contenders are announced, I try to see as many of the Best Picture nominees as possible. Both to prepare myself for the big night, and just to celebrate and enjoy the films that are viewed as being of the highest quality, that year.
Unfortunately, some years I don’t get around to seeing as many as I’d like. Life gets busy, things come up, and I don’t spend nearly as much time on the couch, foresaking all responsibilities, watching movies as I’d prefer. It doesn’t help when many of the nominated films don’t get wide cinematic releases, or are spread across multiple streaming platforms either.
This year was one of those years where I just couldn’t get around to seeing many of the nominated films. And I know I’m not alone, since this year’s Best Picture nominees boasted record low box office returns. So the question is, are the Oscars still worth watching if you don’t know much about the films in the running?
For me, the answer is simple: Hell yes.
Whether I’ve never heard of the nominated films, or it’s a list made up of my all-time favorite movies, I’m still all in on the Oscars. The energy, anticipation, and excitement of that night just can’t be beat.
The Oscars itself is an icon. The name has become just as meaningful to the world as it has always been to Hollywood. It means something. It feels big and important and I get completely swept up in the bravado of it.
You can practically feel the shortness of breath and quickened heartbeats that come with immense anticipation as the stars walk the red carpet.
Perhaps, like in the case of Leonardo DiCaprio with his nomination for The Revenant, they’ve been waiting for this moment their entire career. Or maybe, like Lupita Nyong’o, they’re being recognized for their very first performance. Alternatively, they could be like the Meryl Streeps of the world, for whom the Oscars is a regular occurrence.
The beauty of the Oscars is that it doesn’t matter which of those camps you fall into, the joy and the energy of that night is still the same. It’s a euphoria that doesn’t diminish with age or experience. You can see the same jubilation on the faces of everyone in the pool of nominees.
For the Oscar veterans, each piece of art they pour themselves into is like a different part of themselves that they’re giving to the world. To have it be understood and admired by their peers at that level is the most gratifying experience possible. Each work is so separate, making each Oscars experience unique.
Of course, “it’s an honor just to be nominated,” but the triumph for the person who’s actually crowned the winner of their category is tangible. As a viewer, it’s equally exciting to watch the victors who eloquently deliver a carefully crafted and poignant speech and the ones who fumble over their own disbelief.
For many in Hollywood, receiving an Oscar is the apex to which they’ve been climbing for their entire life. Making it in the industry is one thing, but to then receive the highest honor possible for their work is a dream that few dare to believe possible.
The Oscars allows you to watch as people’s wildest dreams are fulfilled, over and over again. When else do you get to continuously witness the shock and amazement of someone’s blood, sweat and tears paying off in the biggest way possible? It’s a completely unique experience, and one that I can’t get enough of.
Whether I’ve seen the nominated films or not, this feeling is still the same. That feeling of excitement, passion, and pure joy goes hand in hand with the Oscars for me.
In fact, it’s almost a bonus if I haven’t seen many of the movies nominated, because I’ll leave the show with a whole new list of films that I need to see. I’m a sucker for those meticulously edited supercuts that could make even the worst parody movie look like an epic masterpiece.
So despite being almost entirely oblivious to the merits of the candidates, I will watch this year’s Oscars with bated breath, just as I have for many past years, and just as I will for many years to come. Pop the popcorn and let the corny La La Land jokes ensue, I’m ready to watch some dreams come true.
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