Oscar Homework

I’m not ready for the Oscars tonight. Well – I’m ready in the sense that I know what party I’m going to attend, what time I’m getting there, and how much fun I’ll have. But other than that, I’m completely unprepared.

For one thing, I’ve seen none of the five Best Picture nominations, and I’ve seen nearly none of the rest of the films. Most years I’ve seen at least a handful, or I’ve done a mad-dash run through the theatres the week before, taking in as many as I can before Oscar Sunday.

This year my calendar has been too packed for that, though, so instead I’ll just sit in front of the TV cheering on none of them. That’ll make my voting card at this year’s party a bit silly.

The voting card goes like this: we pass out lists of films nominated, and everyone gets to check off likely winners. After the show is over, we add up who was correct about the most awards, and there is much rejoicing. It’s a family tradition.

I take that process a bit further. Normally I mark “should win” and “will win” on the list of films, creating a kind of irritating catalogue of details that documents my feelings about each nomination. As if anyone cares. ☺

But this year I won’t be able to annoy anyone with my dissertation on the worth and value of each film unless I invent ridiculous things like, “Slumdog Millionaire WILL win because of the ancient prophecy promising all mortals that Who Wants to be a Millionaire would one day rule over the lives of Earthlings, but Frost/Nixon SHOULD win because that title is cool.”

I’ve also, as my friends and family will confirm, utterly overbooked myself in the past few months, and so my attention will be divided. I’ll be working on a project (the secret one that I can announce to you in a little over a week) during at least part of the Oscars unless I hurry up right now and get that done.

It’s kind of a bummer to go into the Oscars like this. Hrm. I wonder what the schedule is like at the movie theatres this afternoon…

Anybody else super behind on your Oscar homework? Or is it just me?