“And the Oscar goes to…”

For Oscar week, we thought it would be fun to provide you with some fun facts surrounding the biggest night in film.  The Central Arizona Library will also be hosting an Oscar prediction raffle.  Participate by selecting your Oscar picks for this year (details below).  Good luck keeping track of the 10 films in the best picture category!  We hope you enjoy the trivia. 

Literary Inspiration. Throughout Oscar history, countless nominated and winning films have been based on books.  2011 adaptations include 127 Hours, True Grit, Winter’s Bone, How to Train your Dragon, and The Social Network.  Other recent films to jump off of the pages are Slumdog Millionaire, Precious, The Blind Side, and Up in the Air.  And we can’t forget iconic films such as The Godfather, To Kill a Mockingbird, Silence of the Lambs, and The Shawshank Redemption.  Those people who insist on reading the book before seeing the movie are keeping busy!

Host/Nominee Curse? Of the six nominees who have also taken on double duty as host of the big night, only the first two have won (Frank Capra in 1938 and David Niven in 1958).  This 52-year stalemate has lead many superstitious observers to believe that taking on the hosting role is a one-way ticket to defeat.  It remains to be seen whether or not this trend (or curse) will hold true on Oscar night for this year’s Co-host and Best Actor Nominee, James Franco (127 Hours).

Golden Oldies. Since the adorable child nominees and winners usually get all of the attention, I thought it would be nice to take a moment to recognize the decorated elders to grace the podium in Oscars past.  The oldest winners include George Burns at 80 years old (The Sunshine Boys), Jessica Tandy at 81 (Driving Miss Daisy), Henry Fonda at 76 (On Golden Pond), and the ageless Clint Eastwood who directed Million Dollar Baby at 74.  Years later at 80, good old Clint is showing no signs of stopping!

Silent Performances(!) Yes it is possible to win an Oscar without making a peep.  Jane Wyman (Johnny Belinda, 1948), Sir John Mills (Ryan’s Daughter, 1970), and Holly Hunter (The Piano, 1993) all won Oscars for playing mute characters.  Some of us were just blessed with expressive faces.  Did I say us?  I mean them.

Is Oscar hugging himself or holding something? Our little friend Oscar is holding a knight’s sword and standing on a reel of film with five spokes.  What do the five spokes represent you ask???   The five spokes each represent the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers and Technicians.  Disappointed?  Maybe he’s holding the sword and hugging himself.  I would hug myself if I was wearing that much bling! 

Winning(less) Catch Phrase. “And the winner is…” was replaced by “And the Oscar goes to…” in 1989.  This way, all of the Oscar nominees will feel like winners.  What a warm and fuzzy note to end on.

Tell us what you think:  Will James Franco fall victim to the Oscar host curse?  If so, will he be able to maintain that winning smile?  What’s your favorite book/Oscar movie combo?  Is Clint Eastwood the new 30?

Finally, a challenge to our CAC Students and Staff:

Do you think you can predict the Oscar winners?  Leave us a comment here at Word of Mouth – before the Oscars start on Sunday evening – with your predictions for the Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Animated Feature Film, and Directing and we’ll enter you in a raffle drawing for a Barnes & Noble gift card!

(Be sure to include your CAC email address in the email box – not the actual comment box.)