Film discussion: Lady Bird
The first argument is that, with the Golden Globes having made their usual splash, the awards season for the film industry is heating up nicely. (And btw, the Globes were indeed remarkable, both as Hollywood’s very public acknowledgment of its rotten history of sexual harassment and exploitation and also as the kickoff of the draft-Oprah movement for 2020.) Oscar nominations will be announced very early on January 23 (next Tuesday) and the Oscars will air on March 4.
Personally, I like to see as many of the movies that nab Oscar nominations in the top categories—picture, actor, actress, supporting and director—as I can. I’m under no illusions that the Oscars are an accurate reflection of quality, but I decided a long time ago that I would allow myself to be a simple movie fan just once every year.
Second, the quality of the movies we will be discussing over the next seven weeks is truly remarkable. From Lady Bird tomorrow to Florida Project on January 23, then Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri on February 13 and Call Me By Your Name on February 27, I expect every one of these films to get some love from the Academy. And the critics (who can be mistaken one by one, but seldom as a group) have been effusive in their praise of all of them.
If any one of these four doesn’t produce at least one Oscar nomination, I’ll eat an entire box of Music Hall popcorn all by myself! Huge sacrifice, I know, but I mean it!
Third, with retail outlets of all kinds already awash in Valentine’s Day red, white and pink, I can pretty much guarantee that these movies in The Music Hall won’t assail you with shallow romance and superficial emotions. There’s a lot of meat on these cinematic bones.
Lady Bird, the first film in our string of gems, is a mother/daughter comedy/drama featuring Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf. As Lady Bird, Ronan is trying to keep her identity and her dreams alive while living with a strong mother in a tough economic time. Ronan is a shoo-in for a nomination and the film showed up on virtually every Best Pictures of 2017 list, and often at the top position.
So I encourage you to put your parka and your gloves and your muffler and your hat by the door and make your way across the trackless arctic wastes to The Music Hall on Tuesday. I can guarantee you a great movie experience and a chance at some collective cinematic enlightenment afterward.
I hope to see you there, which will be in The Historic Theater at 7:00.