Headlight Written by the students of Marblehead High School for our school and community www.mhsheadlight.weebly.com race murkier with Lupita Nyong’o and Abdi had this raw performance winning after Jennifer Lawrence that made him seem real and in- claimed a victory in the race at your-face. It was truly hypnotic, 2013 Oscars: And the Oscar goes to... the Golden Globes. The Golden making me forget that I wasn’t performance. Tom Hanks, who the actors who were nominated do Globes have two categories, Drama watching a trained actor; he was portrayed Captain Phillips, was un- deserve it, save for possibly Jonah and Comedy/Musical, for all the that good. American Hustle, a spec- Alex Kerai justly robbed of what seemed like Hill, but his performance was the motion picture categories, except tacular film with an incredible cast, Webmaster/Reporter, Junior an assured nomination for Best Ac- edgier of the three. Philomena was for Supporting Actor, Supporting has a very good chance of claiming tor after the performance he gave. the bombshell in the Best Picture Actress, Director, Score, Song, and quite a few statuettes. Amy Adams The great film director Alfred His performance, along with Red- race, and Fruitvale Station should Animated Film, however, they only is the only person who can possibly Hitchcock in May of 1972 spoke ford’s in All is Lost, were two very be in the slot that is now occupied have one category for Best Screen- upset Cate Blanchett in her power- to François Truffaut about the Os- surprising snubs from the Acad- by Philomena in the Best Picture play, while the Academy Awards house performance from Blue Jas- cars and remarked: “The awards emy. Hanks gave the performance race (although it still could have divides it into Adapted and Original mine. Spike Jonze’s writing for his would have to be given out every of a lifetime combining humanity, been in the race regardless), how- Screenplay. With the two categories film Her should pull ahead of both three months, which would be dif- frailty, and authority in his inter- ever the Oscars are always full of at the Golden Globes, they were Blue Jasmine and American Hustle ficult. The disadvantage of the pretation of Captain Phillips – and surprises and Philomena was this able to give awards to all the ma- for Best Original Screenplay since present formula is that the awards that final scene was award-worthy year’s Amour. Alexander Payne jor players with American Hustle Jonze’s film is easily the most orig- invariably go to pictures that were in its own right. Greengrass was was an unexpected nominee for and 12 Years a Slave winning Best inal film nominated. Its premise of released between September and somewhat robbed. I say “some- Best Director for Nebraska. I like Picture, Leonardo DiCaprio and futuristic love questions every con- December 31st!” This year, that what” only because it wasn’t just Payne’s work, but I do think that Matthew McConaughey winning ventional belief on the subject. 12 formula was most definitely in ef- Greengrass. Barry Ackroyd, his Paul Greengrass’s direction in the Best Actor, Amy Adams and Cate Years a Slave will probably claim fect and, like Hitchcock, I believe cinematographer, gave the film a tight confines of a lifeboat and the Blanchett winning Best Actress Best Adapted Screenplay for John that many films are at a disadvan- documentary feel and contributed way he captured the suspense and (for Comedy/Musical and Drama, Ridley’s powerful adaption of tage because of it. Last year I wrote to the realism felt by the film, es- tension of the hijacking was wor- respectively in all those races). Al- Solomon Northup’s memoir. Best that the awards season unofficially pecially during the scenes in the thy of recognition. The Director’s fonso Cuarón (Gravity) has become Original Score, usually my favor- begins with the Cannes Film Festi- lifeboat. His contributions went Guild recognized the same direc- the frontrunner for Best Director ite category, is a toss-up this year. val in May, however this year was unrewarded as well. The Way, Way tors nominated for the Oscar, but with his win at the Golden Globes The Golden Globes winner Alex an exception. There were some in- Back premiered at Sundance, was with Greengrass in Payne’s slot; and at the Directors Guild Awards, Ebert sadly was not nominated for credible films at Cannes (including released in July (possibly falling I think, like last year, the Direc- while Spike Jonze is the frontrun- his breathtaking score from All is Oscar nominee Nebraska and one of victim to Hitchcock’s hypothesis), tor’s Guild was on to something. ner for Best Original Screenplay, Lost (which probably would have my favorite films of the year All is and was a funny, touching film The Best Actor race was the final winning at both the Golden Globes won) and Hans Zimmer, a usual Lost) but this year’s awards season that got no love during the category where I was astounded: and the Writers Guild. However feature in this category, was also began at the Sundance Film Festi- awards season. What sur- Leonardo DiCaprio. Don’t get me the race for the Oscar turns, it shut out for his 12 Years a Slave val. Three “spectacular” films pre- prised me in particular was that wrong, DiCaprio is a great actor definitely has been a competitive score. My money is on Thomas miered there – The Way, Way Back, Sam Rockwell’s supporting turn and his performance in The Wolf year. The Best Picture race is one Newman’s score for Disney’s Fruitvale Station, and The Spectac- in the film went unrewarded. His of Wall Street was great, but I re- of the most contentious races in re- Saving Mr. Banks; he already has ular Now – all of which were among work over the years has always ally think that Robert Redford or, cent memory, and even the various twelve prior Oscar nominations the many films snubbed for awards been subtle and scene-stealing, and particularly, Tom Hanks deserved guilds don’t seem able to predict and deserves a win. Another Dis- this season. Although the Acad- it seemed like this would finally be it more. Christian Bale was a sur- it, thus leaving it up to the nearly ney film, Frozen, will undoubtedly emy tried to rectify this problem in the time he broke through with an prise for some, but it makes per- 6,000 members of the Academy of claim Best Original Song for “Let 2009 by changing the rules and in- Oscar nomination. Fruitvale Sta- fect sense for me: he completely Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It Go,” however I personally prefer creasing the number of Best Picture tion, like The Way, Way Back, pre- transformed himself into Irving After giving you all the the subtlety of “The Moon Song” nominees, it did not matter this year miered at Sundance, was released in Rosenfeld in American Hustle and backstory on the awards season from Her and hope it wins instead. for there was still a tenth slot open July, and was nominated for noth- he was barely recognizable; that, this year – the surprises, the snubs Hitchcock did have a point this year which was never filled. ing. Michael B. Jordan is incredible to me, is worthy of a nomination. and frontrunners – I am going in his idea for fixing the Oscars: Films at Sundance were in the lead role as Oscar Grant, and Since 2007, the Produc- to give my predictions in a few usually, films released before Sep- not the only ones snubbed in one although the Best Actor field was ers Guild Awards (PGA) has ac- choice categories. The Best Picture tember are forgotten during awards of the greatest recent years of film. crowded this year, he would have curately predicted the Best Picture race has been between 12 Years a season. Look no further than Fruit- The Sundance Kid himself was had a chance. Also, Ryan Coogler’s winner, even choosing The King’s Slave and Gravity, with each win- vale Station and The Way, Way shut out of the Best Actor race af- script was riveting and deserved a Speech over The Social Network ning their fair share of critical and Back. But are awards truly the key ter giving one of the most powerful Best Original Screenplay nomina- in 2010. The PGA nominates ten guild award, but I believe that 12 to a movie’s longevity? Sir Alfred performances on screen this year. tion. The whole story was told very films (instead of the nine that were Years a Slave will win Best Picture Hitchcock, director of such films Robert Redford was brilliant in well and made you feel for and un- nominated this year), and this year and Gravity’s Alfonso Cuarón will as Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, All is Lost, a film with only Red- derstand Oscar Grant after the 24 there were only two films miss take Best Director for his innova- Dial M for Murder and The Birds, ford in it and minimal dialogue. hours you spend with him. Another ing on the Academy’s list of Best tive film (much like Ang Lee did never won an Academy Award. The whole film was incredible film that was shut out of the awards Picture nominees and one new film. last year for Life of Pi). Cuarón’s This year’s nominees should be and Redford’s performance was was Enough Said, which has a great Philomena was, again, the surpris- win is a near lock with only 12 proud of the work they accom- the anchor (if you see the movie screenplay by Nicole Holofcener, ing nominee from the Academy, Years a Slave’s Steve McQueen plished.