Tropy for Talent

Hello. My name is Oscar and my title is The Academy Award of Merit. Such a mouthful! A Director of the Academy thought I looked like her uncle Oscar and gave this name to me. I was born in Los Angeles in 1928. I am 87 years old and have always worked for the Academy. It has been a busy time with awarding over 2,900 replicas of myself.

My sun sign is Pisces, which means I am immersed in the arts, being comfortable in the illusory world of motion picture production, its tragedy and comedy. I feel the burdens and joy of the actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers. I am a knight, standing on a reel of film with five spokes representing these groups. I am made of britannium with a 24 carat gold coat. I am not a grouch.

My reputation as a representative of the Academy’s choices rests in the criteria for selecting the nominees. The Academy’s membership gets to vote for eligible films and only those in the same discipline i.e. actors for actors, directors for directors etc. The tally of the votes results in the list of nominees for each category, which is published in January of each year.

The critics begin scouring the merits of the chosen few. Their voice influences the movie going crowd and box office dollars.

Motion pictures reflect the world we live in. I could not express this better than these quotes from this year’s best picture nominees.

“Listen to me I am trying to do something important” (Birdman).

“I was there to push people beyond of what is expected of them. I believe that’s an absolute necessity” (Whiplash).

“You know how everyone is saying seize the moment. I don’t know I’m kinda thinking it’s the other way round. You know like the moment seizes us.” (Boyhood).

“There are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity” (The Budapest Hotel).

Sometimes it’s the people who no one imagines anything of, who do the things that no one can imagine (The Imitation Game),

I am willing to meet my creator and answer for every shot I took (American Sniper).

Our lives are not fully lived if we’re not willing to die for those we love, for what we believe in (Selma).

However bad life may seem there is always something you can do and succeed at. Where there’s life there is hope (The Theory of Everything).

This year it is appropriate pay tribute to the talent of Robin Williams (1951-2014). We know the roles he had in so many movies like Dead Poets Society, Good Morning Vietnam and Patch Adams to name a few. On acceptance of the trophy for Best Supporting Actor in Goodwill Hunting (1997) he declared “I am speechless”. Imagine that!!

The winners for the best in each of the categories mentioned above will be announced at the February ceremony when the envelopes are opened. For now I will leave it to the pundits to cover the results. This Oscar week is an opportunity for me to reminisce by recalling some of the memorable movies nominated during my time at the Academy.

And so my Love Story begins….

Awakenings, Just Before Dawn to The Greatest Show On Earth, The Human Comedy and The Imitation of Life is a Great Escape keeping us Spellbound with the Grand Illusion, which is but a Field of Dreams. In The Heat of The Night and it’s Gone With The Wind of the Morning Glory.

And there was……

Ben-Hur riding his Chariots of Fire, pulled by the Warhorse, Seabiscuit, in the Traffic of Gosford Park. Glancing Sideways he avoided a Crash on the Blindside. Lost In Translation and displaying the True Grit of a Gladiator he joined The Social Network of The Gangs of New York called the Inglorious Bastards.

Shortly after……

The Elephant Man, Out of Africa landed at the Airport with Five Easy Pieces gave The Letter to The Wizard of Oz and together they began to Dance with the Wolves leaving much later in a Stagecoach bound for the Grand Hotel where they had a Room at the Top. Next door All the President’s Men who with Friendly Persuasion met The French Connection. In the Apartment below Dr Zhivago was helping The Emigrants.

Unannounced……

The Return of The King, With A Beautiful Mind and a Braveheart, was met by his Four Daughters. The King’s Speech took 127 Hours. A Serious Man. The Queen on the other hand was watching A Few Good Men In The Bedroom doing The Full Monty.

Looking out the window she remarked……

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Maltese Falcon saw The Pied Piper leading The Silence of The Lambs accompanied by The Fiddler on The Roof. In the distance The Music Man, Tom Jones was Driving Miss Daisy to Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Poor….

Becket, A Man for all Seasons and for Whom The Bell Tolls became the West Side Story on The Front Page.

and…..

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and they are brining A Clockwork Orange for The English Patient in A Room with a View.

where deliriously thought…..

How Green is My Valley with the Grapes of Wrath just a Random Harvest spoiled by the Kiss of The Spider Women.

by this time….

It was High Noon when The King and I crossed The Bridge On The River Kwai. A Dog Day Afternoon turned into The Longest Day. In The Remains of The Day 12 Angry Men went To Kill a Mocking Bird. The Witness for The Prosecution in the Anatomy of a Murder caused The Verdict to have no Terms of Endearment.

but…..

Life is Beautiful with Chocolat, The Sound of Music, All That Jazz and a Cabaret with A Place In The Sun. All This And Heaven Too you say but Heaven Can Wait because You Can’t Take It With You.

strangely……

It Happened One Night when The Bishop’s Wife, Bad Girl, took off with All The Kings Men. They climbed on A Streetcar Named Desire going From Here To Eternity. These Dangerous Liaisons proved to be a Fatal Attraction when it became The Talk of The Town. The Divorce, because She Done Him Wrong, made her a Libeled Lady and a Working Girl. She remained Unforgiven. Talk about Shakespeare in Love with Macbeth who thought he was The King of Scotland, or maybe The Last Emperor. Yes Love is a Many Splendored Thing.

and so…..

Quo Vadis Titanic? A Ship of Fools, In Which We Serve, gone Missing, On Golden Pond.

These were The Best Years of Our Lives that held Great Expectations. This is As Good As It Gets.

Good Night and Good Luck.