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When you grow up as an only child, you inevitably spend a seemingly endless amount of time dreaming up fairytales with my dolls, journaling my deepest thoughts, and watching classic films with my father. We watched everything from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Star Wars to The Godfather and Casablanca. As you can imagine, the bar was set very high. And while my degree and much of my career was spent in health care, my mother always knew that writing was such an integral part of who I am that she didn’t blink an eye when I delved into entertainment writing.
With Oscar season upon us, I managed to see as many of the Oscar nominated films as possible leading up to the Academy Awards. With 60 films nominated, I thought I’d narrow the list down to the 10 Oscar nominated films you must see. Feel free to share your favorites or those I may have missed!
These Oscar Nominated Films Earned It
La La Land: This beautiful, whimsical musical set in modern day Los Angeles tells the story of aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) and jazz musician Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), who are struggling to pursue their passions while making ends meet. The two fall in love and experience the ups and downs of the city known for dashing even the most ardent dreamers. La La Land features original music and is nominated for 14 Academy Awards.
Jackie: Starring Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy, this biographical film gives audiences an intimate look at one of the most tragic moments in American history as seen through the First Lady’s eyes. The film details the days following the assassination of her husband President John F. Kennedy and her struggle to uphold her husband’s legacy. Jackie is nominated for 3 Academy Awards.
Fences: Based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning play by August Wilson, Fences, one of the most powerful Oscar nominated films, stars Denzel Washington as Troy Maxson, a sanitation worker living in Pittsburgh who once dreamed of playing professional baseball. While Maxson was said to have been rejected due to his age, he believes that race was a factor. His attempts to be a good husband and father are shadowed by his lost dream which eats away at his soul. A lapse in judgment causes him to make a decision that threatens to destroy his family. Washington is also the director of the film, which is nominated for 4 Academy Awards.
Manchester by the Sea: Starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea follows the story of Lee Chandler (Affleck), who learns his recently deceased brother has made him the sole guardian of his nephew Patrick. Lee returns to Manchester-by-the-Sea to care for the 15 year old boy and soon realizes that he must deal with the past that has separated him from his wife and the community where he grew up. Joe Chandler (Kyle Chandler) was the man who held their family together, but Lee and Patrick realize that they must adjust to a world without him. Manchester by the Sea is nominated for 6 Academy Awards.
Hacksaw Ridge: One of the most highly acclaimed Oscar nominated films of the year, nominated for 6 Academy Awards and chosen by the American Film Institute as one of its Top Ten Movies of the Year, Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Desmond Doss. The American Soldier managed to save 75 men without every firing or carrying a weapon due to his identification as a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service during the Battle of Okinawa where he single-handedly evacuated the wounded from behind enemy lines. The film stars Andrew Garfield and was directed by Mel Gibson.
Hidden Figures: The film details the incredible untold story of African American mathematicians Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who worked at NASA during the Space Race. They are the intelligent minds behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. This event restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race and astonished the world. This trio transcended gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big. Hidden Figures is nominated for 3 Academy Awards.
Loving: In 1967 Virginia, interracial couple Richard and Mildred fall and love and get married only to spend the next nine years fighting for their right to live as a family in their town. Their case, Loving v. Virginia went to the Supreme Court and invalidated state laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The film was inspired by Nancy Buirski’s documentary called The Lovingn Story, which followed their civil rights case. Ruth Negga who plays Mildred, is nominated for an Academy Award.
Lion: Inspired by a true story and based on the book A Long Way Home, Lion follows the story of five-year-old Saroo, who gets lost on a train while traveling away from his family. The young boy ends up in Calcutta, thousands of miles from his home in Khandwa, India. Saroo survives on the streets and manages to escape danger but ends up in an orphanage. He is adopted by an Australian family who provides a loving, secure home, however his need to find his lost family is strong. Using Google Earth, Saroo endeavors as a young adult to find his family, armed with just a handful of memories and unwavering determination. Lion is nominated for 6 Academy Awards.
Florence Foster Jenkins: Inspired by the true story of socialite and singer Florence Foster Jenkins, the film stars Meryl Streep as Florence. Her dreams of becoming a great opera singer are shadowed by her lack of musical skills. Determined to protect Florence from the truth, husband St. Clair Bayfield (Grant) is challenged with ensuring his wife hits all the right notes at the concert she stages at Carnegie Hall. The film is nominated for 2 Academy Awards.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: As a huge Star Wars fan, I have to admit that Rogue One was one of my favorite Oscar nominated films from 2016. The first in a new series of Star Wars stand alone films, Rogue One is set in the universe you know and love with a new set of characters and story lines. The first film tells the story of an unlikely group of heroes who band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star. This key event brings together ordinary people to do something extraordinary…prevent the destruction of the Empire. Rogue One is nominated for 2 Academy Awards.
Did you happen to miss any of the films while they were in theaters? Now you can watch them through Frontier VOD. If you have FiOS TV, simply press the On Demand button on your remote, select the movie you’d like to watch and click purchase. If you have Vantage TV, press the On Demand button on your remote. Use the arrows to scroll through the titles. Select your video and press ok.
Which films from 2016 were your favorites? What are your predictions for the Oscars ?
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