#9 - Watch 3 Films That Have Won the Best Film, Actor, or Actress Academy Awards

1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

8/23/23

I really wanted to love this. And I liked it. I guess I really liked it. But I had to start it 3 times before I could get through the first 30 minutes and keep going. I still can't quite figure out why though because (as pertains to this list item), the acting was incredible. Michelle Yeoh blew my mind. And it was fun. And funny. And exciting. And curious. And there were moments when I felt moved. Maybe I just need to watch it again because I really want to love it for some reason.

2- Blue Sky (1994)

12/14/23

Okay, so this film had some great themes, above them all caring for human life and the ethics of nuclear technology. It even showed the tension someone can have working for the military and being an expert and not supporting the military's goals in using a specific technology. And the value of family influence on reflecting on one's participation. 

And yes, Jessica Lange is great. I didn't watch all the films where the women were nominated for the Best Actress award. And also, I did not love this portrayal. It's so stereotypical bipolar woman. She's so dislikeable for much of the film, though there are moments where the makers seem to communicate, "See! She's also lovely and loving and you should care about her!" But those moments are so... basic. Like, I've loved someone with bipolar disorder, and if I'd invented stories about why, these stories would fit that bill.

So, Jessica Lange is great. The film has such promise. And then they bail on being powerful.

3 - The Trip to Bountiful (1985)

12/23/23

I guess I get why Geraldine Page won the Oscar for this. She was good. And it was refreshing to see someone older win. She was 65 at the time and played a very relatable character: someone who seems to be in the way by just existing and is scolded for doing too much and scolded when she's sad about being scolded. She's in a lose-lose situation, so it's refreshing to see her just run away. The near-end scene between her son and her was also quite lovely.

But it's also very clearly a stage play that's been adopted for film. It was easy to see how each scene would work on stage, with the set and other characters. Other than Page's performance, I'd assume this story would be much better on stage than it was on screen. The cinematography isn't very exciting. But also, maybe it's because most of the other performances were just okay that made Page the only interesting thing about the film.

So just like the previous film I watched, Geraldine Page was great. The story was compelling. But the film itself was just okay.