There will be disappointment, dreams will come true, and history will be made. This statement is true of any Academy Awards presentation for the past 84 years…and this year promises to be no different.
Each year the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences pour over hundreds of deserving films and compile a list of elite contenders who will forever be known as Academy Award nominees. These nominated movies and performances are then voted on by members of the Academy. And for one night each year, the world stops to watch as Hollywood’s finest gather to see who will take home the most prestigious award in film.
Although its’ official name is the Academy Award of Merit, it is better known by its’ famous pseudonym Oscar. Through the years, the Oscar has become a tangible symbol of outstanding achievement in movie making.
For every exhilarating Oscar win, there is a heartbreaking Oscar loss. Actor Samuel L. Jackson has not been shy about his disappointment in losing the Best Supporting Actor award in 1995 for his role in “Pulp Fiction.” In a recent interview with Deadline, Jackson was asked if he felt he should have won the Oscar, he replied “yes, I do.” Jackson was a front runner for the award, but lost to actor Martin Landau.
In the world of film, winning an Oscar can be described as achieving the ultimate goal. In 1998 two guys from Boston walked onto the stage at the Academy Awards and gave an acceptance speech for their nine-time nominated film “Good Will Hunting.” Matt Damon and Ben Affleck took home the award that night for Best Original Screenplay. Affleck later described the entire experience as a dream come true.
Becoming an Academy Award winner is an unforgettable moment when you and your work become historic. In 2002 Halle Berry made history by becoming the first African American woman to win the award for Best Actress. As she stood on stage, she dedicated her award to every African American actress that came before her, and to all those who would follow.
In the history of the Academy Awards over 2,800 Oscars have been handed out in categories including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Actor. This year, early favorites in these categories include “Argo” for Best Picture, Jennifer Lawrence, for Best Actress in “Silver Linings Playbook,” and Daniel Day- Lewis for Best Actor in “Lincoln.”
Whoever is fortunate enough to take home Oscar gold this year one thing is certain….for some there will be disappointment, for others dreams will come true, and no matter who wins, history will be made.
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