#7: The Saturday 411
On the Oscars, what we've been watching, what we want to watch, and another Leading Ladies update!
Dear cinema enthusiasts,
You might have noticed this is the first Saturday 411 of March! That’s because we’re moving to a new publishing rhythm (yet again). I’ve said it before, but I’m grateful to all you readers along for the ride as we iron out the wrinkles here! Keep reading to find out the exciting things we’re going to be doing here at Leading Ladies!
But first, we have to talk about the Oscars.
The 96th Academy Awards
Thank you to everyone who filled out our Oscars Picks survey! And congratulations to Emily Stivers for predicting seven out of the ten categories we asked about! The only ones she guessed wrong were Lily Gladstone for Best Actress (who everyone thought would win), best original screenplay (she guessed The Holdovers, which I support), and The Zone of Interest for best adapted screenplay, which lost to American Fiction but won as best international film. Emily, you wow us all in your film prowess!
I personally really enjoyed critic Alissa Wilkinson’s audio recap of the night over at The New York Times.
She talks about something new that happened at this year’s award show: for the acting awards, five previous winners came out to praise each nominee and give them a spotlight before announcing the winners. It was fun to see and hear from previous winners, as well sweet to see the reactions on the faces of the nominees. Many of them were moved to tears.
Oppenheimer took home the most awards. And I loved Oppenheimer, but I also really wanted Barbie to take home more. Which is why I loved
’s recap highlighting my personal favorite moment of the night:
This was my first time watching the Oscars through, that I can recall. And I actually really enjoyed it. I even put on the pre-show red carpet shindig. I am certainly no fashion expert, but here’s my take:
I loved a lot of what I saw. While Carey Mulligan and Emma Stone really impressed in some classic silhouettes, I couldn’t stop thinking about some of the sequined numbers (of which, there were many). Particularly, America Ferrara looking somehow curvy and slim in a gorgeous pink dress that I can’t even dream of pulling off. Plus, her wavy bob had me itching to book an appointment at the salon.
No one looked too outlandish. Makeup and hair seemed understated and simple. But I really can’t understand why Emily Blunt’s dress straps hovered over her shoulder. It was just odd. So here are my three favorite looks from the night:
At our Oscars viewing, there was some discussion of how awards get awarded. Someone suggested the union votes, but I knew this wasn’t the case. So who votes? And how do movies, actors, etc. get nominated to be voted on? I couldn’t remember or explain, so I did some research. I remembered my fave critic once wrote about why she doesn’t like awards shows to begin with, so I started there: “I love the movies. That’s why I hate the Oscars.”
Alissa writes:
Hollywood tends to favor prosthetic-aided imitations of famous historical figures, films that look very complicated to make, actors who lose or gain a lot of weight for their roles, and, above all, movies about Hollywood itself. And the movies that win Oscars tend to be the ones with the most money to spend on lavish campaign events that keep them in the minds of Academy voters.
Even if the Oscars were a more modest affair, the enterprise of giving awards to art for being the best still makes me want to stab myself in the eye with my rhinestoned stiletto. Deciding whether Parasite is the “best,” rather than Marriage Story or Little Women or The Irishman, feels like being asked to decide what’s best: a ripe, succulent peach just picked from the tree; a sublime, freshly baked, buttery croissant; or a perfect bowl of ramen. I mean, I don’t know! You tell me!
Alissa linked several other articles, so I followed the trail and this one is where it gets really interesting: “How to win an Oscar: The campaign trail for the Academy Awards is expensive, exhausting, and not really about the movie.”
In this article, Alissa explains how winning an Oscar means you and your film’s team campaigned in the same way someone would campaign for political office. Intriguing. It reminded me that, when I babysat for a family in New York in 2019, they had DVDs of the films only recently in theaters, films that were up for awards that March. I got to rewatch The Favourite on DVD in their home, and the words across the top of the cover were: For Your Consideration. I realized I was watching kids for someone in the Academy.
Anyways, Alissa gives the example of Sorry To Bother You as a really great film that didn’t make it into the awards ceremony that very same year. She quotes the movie’s writer and director Boots Riley from his posts on Twitter:
“[T]he largest factor as to why we didn’t get nominated is that we didn’t actually run a campaign that aimed to get a nomination for Screenplay or Song,” Riley tweeted. “We didn’t buy For Your Consideration ads in the trade magazines and we didn’t service the whole academy with screeners. Without that, its perceived that you don’t have a chance, or enough buzz.”
“Academy members dont just vote for a thing they like if they think it doesn’t have a chance. It’s like that with most voting,” he continued. “That is not to say that we would have gotten a nomination if we had [run a traditional Oscar campaign,] because at that point it becomes about which of the contenders they like the most- it’s just that not doing [a campaign] made it a self-fulfilling prophecy that we wouldn’t get nominated. So I had no actual belief that we would get nominated.”
“How to win an Oscar” is a long, in depth look at the whole process. I was really into this! I recommend reading the entire article, but if that’s not your thing, that’s okay!
My summary is: Alissa’s breakdown is an important explainer that while it’s probably worth it to watch a lot of nominated films, we shouldn’t neglect films that don’t make it. Not making it doesn’t mean the film wasn’t good. It means that, for some reason, the people behind the film decided not to campaign.
And that pretty much sums up what I have to say about the 96th Academy Awards ceremony.
What We’ve Been Watching
As the month of March comes to a close, here’s a little recap of what I’ve been watching.
Malcolm in the Middle, for the lightheartedness and laughs. Severance, for the mystery and thrill. Ben and I have been taking way too long on this one. It’s probably a good thing, but we rarely have any screen time these days! We’re not even half way through this show and I’m dying to know what’s going on. Plus just ready to relieve my vague sene of horror as I wonder alongside the characters: what is really going on a Lumon?
As mentioned above, we watched the Oscars. We also saw Dune: Part Two in theaters. It was… just fine. I felt in Part 1 and Part 2 that the director (also of Arrival, which I love) was more concerned with world building than storytelling. While critics are lauding the film’s visual aspects, I’m taking an unpopular stand and saying: that’s just not good enough for me. It was fun while it lasted, then I left the theater and realized I felt very little empathy for any one character. I was rooting for Paul because he’s the main character, not because his motives and behavior made much sense. It seems like the film skipped over a lot of that to jam-pack the action.
In that way, the series feels like it was made for people who have read the book. I personally would love to see an HBO style mini television series of Dune because, IMO, way too much happened in 2.5 hours. Break it up and give me character development! As well as some actual real chemistry between Paul and Chani, since there was none between Timothee and Zandaya (again, IMO).
Lastly, I’ve been keep up with the films for the online class over at The Empathetic Imagination! As a result, I’ve seen my first Charlie Chaplin film, my first Alfred Hitchcock film, and I’m really excited for the rest of the list!
What We’re Looking Forward To
always has a great pulse on the industry as well as good taste. I checked in with her on the latest and upcoming releases for March and April, and what’s she’s looking forward to seeing. Here’s what she had to say:
The Regime (TV) 3/3: Kate Winslet is back on tv playing an unhinged dictator in a new satirical series. That’s all we know. For me, it’s enough to give this show a shot. Kate has a good but not great tv track record with shows like Mare of Easttown and Mildred Pierce. I’m wary of it being too political, but if it succeeds at being funny, I’m willing to roll with it. (Max)
Scrambled 3/11: Leah McKendrick wrote, directed, and starred in this film about a woman in her late 30’s rethinking her life choices and trying to decide if she should try to have a kid on her own. It seems like a movie by the girls, for the girls, with a focus on female friendships and women’s search for meaning. It’s also a low-budget film with an outstanding Rotten Tomatoes rating, so I’m intrigued. (AppleTV, Amazon Prime)
Irish Wish 3/13: Lindsay Lohan brings us another holiday-themed Netflix original rom-com, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Lindsay takes those long red tresses across the ocean to Ireland, where she wishes for love, and then must decide what she really wants. Will it be fine cinema? Probably not, but it’s sure to be a good time. (Netflix)
One Life 3/15: One Life is based on the true story of Nicholas Winton, an ordinary British man who worked to rescue hundreds of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia before the outbreak of World War II. It’s sure to be a testament to what the bravery of a ‘normal’ person can do. It’s also a rare chance to see Helena Bonham Carter play something other than a villain, as she takes on the role of Winton’s mother. (Theaters)
Wicked Little Letters 3/29: Bad language aside, this movie has potential, inspired by a true story of the delivery of mysterious, profane letters mailed to residents of a small, seaside British town during the 1920s. All evidence points to an Irish immigrant portrayed by Jessie Buckley, but Olivia Colman’s unassuming matronly character is also frequently close to the crimes. The town scrambles to find out who the culprit is and what to do about it, and I’m hoping for some intelligent commentary on free speech and society’s willingness to condemn women. (Theaters)
Scoop 4/5: I hope you’re ready for movies related to Jeffrey Epstein, because they’re here. This is a journalism thriller (a great genre) and a Netflix original about the BBC team that investigates Prince Andrew’s relationship to Epstein. The stakes are incredibly high. I finished the trailer wondering why the UK even has the monarchy anymore, and I’m sure the movie will bring more of that feeling. Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell star. (Netflix)
Unsung Hero 4/26 If you know the band For King & Country or the singer, Rebecca St. James, this movie is a must-see. It’s inspired by the true story of their family’s journey from Australia to America and the path these siblings take to enter the Christian music industry. Little else is known right now, but Candace Cameron Bure is also listed in the cast. (Theaters)
There you have it folks! Got a lead on any other releases you’re excited about?
And last but not least…A Leading Ladies update as promised!
Announcing: The Leading Ladies Film Club!
At the beginning of each month, we will be recommend one film that we believe is worth your attention.
To follow it up, we will release a podcast conversation about it.
What do you need to do to be “in the film club”? Watch the film, and talk about it! With friends, with family, or with us!
More to come on how this is all going to play out, but stay tuned to find out the movie we’re watching in April.
And why only one movie? Well, we’re all busy. So many things clamor for our attention. We figure, realistically, one great movie per month is what we have time to watch and recommend to you as well as what you time to view, consistently.
Along with the Film Club, which will include two posts per month, we will publish one miscellaneous post per month (about television, a movie, or some combo) as well as one Saturday 411.
Like I said, we’re all busy. The goal of this newsletter is encouraging conscious consumption, so we want to consciously publish in such a way that you have time to read and engage without feeling overwhelmed or bombarded.
We are very excited, here at Leading Ladies, to launch the film club and watch some really great movies with you in the coming months!
Thanks as always for reading, and we’ll see you next time.
 | A guest post by
|