Jessie Buckley Age: 32 Film: The Lost Daughter Role: Young Leda, a mother and academic who needs time (that she doesn’t have) to devote to her own research. Young children require constant care, but translating Auden into Italian takes time and concentration. More and more, Leda finds her focus divided and …
Troy Kotsur Age: 53 Film: CODA Role: Frank Rossi, the loving (and somewhat eccentric) father, fishing boat captain (and, on occasion, rap enthusiast) who struggles with the reality that his daughter Ruby wants to leave the family business to study a subject he doesn’t understand—choral music. Frank loves his daughter and …
Jessica Chastain Age: 44 (but 45 by March 27th) Film: The Eyes of Tammy Faye Role: Tammy Faye Bakker (later Messner), the charismatic wife and partner in puppetry (but apparently not in crime) of rising star televangelist Jim Bakker. Trying to overcome a confusing early childhood that made her feel like an …
Best Picture: #78 Original Release Date: May 6, 2005 (with a September 10, 2004 release at the Toronto Film Festival) Rating: R Runtime: 1 hour, 52 minutes Director: Paul Haggis Quick Impressions: It’s possible that Crash is my least favorite Best Picture winner. (My friends always seem shocked when I …
Best Picture #: 77 Original Release Date: December 15, 2004 Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 2 hours, 12 minutes Director: Clint Eastwood Quick Impressions: Back in 2004, I was a huge fan of Katharine Hepburn (and that hasn’t changed) and Cate Blanchett (and that hasn’t changed, either). The Aviator may not have …
Best Picture: # 76Original Release Date: December 17, 2003Rating: PG-13Runtime: 3 hours, 21 minutesDirector: Peter Jackson Quick Impressions:“One does not simply walk into Mordor.” Everyone knows that. Similarly, one does not simply watch The Return of the King. You can’t start there. The Lord of the Rings is one story. …
Best Picture: # 75 Original Release Date: December 27, 2002 Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes Director: Rob Marshall Quick Impressions:As we picked up coffee after school the other day, my daughter and I came up with what we first thought was a hysterical joke. What if someone made …
Best Picture: #74 Original Release Date: December 21, 2001 Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 2 hours, 15 minutes Director: Ron Howard Quick Impressions: When A Beautiful Mind first came out, it reminded me of events in my own life and filled me with a visceral revulsion. I didn’t like the movie. It …
Best Picture: #73 Original Release Date: May 5, 2000 Rating: R Runtime: 2 hours, 35 minutes Director: Ridley Scott Quick Impressions:While we were watching our favorite scene in Gladiator (in which Falco ever-so-slowly tells Commodus about the wiles of a certain sea snake), my daughter exclaimed in shock, “You know, …
Best Picture: #72 Original Release Date: October 1, 1999 Rating: R Runtime: 2 hours, 2 minutes Director: Sam Mendes Quick Impressions: Here’s some good advice. If you’re feeling bad about yourself as a parent, watch American Beauty. One of my most time-intensive hobbies is ruminating over my inadequacies as a …
