Surprise in the Oscar Nominations

     The 2013 Academy Award nominations are out and the biggest surprise isn't which films got nominated, but who didn't. Django Unchained is one of the most entertaining movies of the year and Quentin Tarantino did an excellent job in the director's chair. His flair for the dramatic put a memorable, personal stamp on the movie and Tarantino has been given the snub. The Academy failed to nominate him for the Best Director award. His movie earned five nominations, including Best Picture, but no top reward for the director despite much buzz preceding the nominations. Zero Dark 30's Katheryn Bigalow also failed to earn a Best Director nomination despite critic acclaim for her new movie and the fact that she won the category just years ago to much fanfare with Hurt Locker.
     This year's nominations lack excitement. As I closely follow the process every year, there wasn't much of a surprise in any of the categories on announcement morning. Both Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild earned Best Picture nominations and more, but I wasn't surprised because I had heard they were movies to watch for. I will not make any predictions at this point, but I am glad to see Denzel Washington won a nod for his acting in Flight. This is a much deserved nomination for him despite the movie not being the type of film the Academy typically pays attention to. I am also pleased to see Argo earned so many nominations (7). It is a movie that was surprisingly entertaining given what could be a dry subject.
     Leading up to the Oscar night, I try to see as many of the nominated movies as possible. This year that quest isn't as daunting because I've done a nice job of picking the right movies to go to in the last few months. In the weeks before the big show, some theaters have special marathon showings of the Best Picture nominees and other categories. In the past I've gone to the Best Picture nominees and a showing of the Best Short Films; both were a lot of fun and I intend to see one of these marathons this year as well. I am very excited about the awards show itself. It is a favorite occasion for me. I love to fill out my Oscar ballot and then see how many of the categories I got right. There is a fun pageantry to the Academy Awards and it is a great occasion to throw a party.