>Mission Accomplished: The Grimacer Ends Night as Biggest Loser
>UPDATE: The research paid off… The Nashville Ferriers split votes in the Oscar categories that were too close to call, leaving my 16 and 13-year-old stepdaughters tied for first at the end of the night. I came in second and Hubs came in third. Who could ask for anything more?
This is my father-in-law. No, really. Although I’m not one for spilling family secrets (besides my own), I will share that one of his many interesting characteristics is that he makes a face in every picture. Seriously. Every picture. Whether he’s holding a baby, posing with his wife, or standing with one hand defiantly on his hip in the corner of our wedding photos, this is what you get. You don’t believe me, do you? Oh hell, let me fire up the scanner.
Here he is holding his new granddaughter for the first time.
Yeah. I told you. And I’ve got a kazillion more photos of him just like these, in every family situation imaginable. Would it kill you to smile, buddy?
Perhaps this gives you the faintest understanding into the many reasons why I have to beat him in tomorrow night’s Ferrier Oscar pool. There was a time, you see, when he reigned supreme in the competition. That time ended when I came along. Determined to exact revenge on The Grimacer for the havoc he wreaked on my wedding album, I began carefully researching the nominees and basing my ballot on a well-thought-out combination of critics’ picks, betting odds, word of mouth and calculus. And lately, it’s been coming down to the two of us every year: my research versus his Rain Man-esque knack for picking winners.
This year, on the eve of a whole new batch of new-baby-photos-with-the-father-in-law, I’m pulling out all the stops and appealing to you guys for help. I’m posting my Oscar picks, hoping you’ll respond with advice on the categories that are too close to call. I also thought my list may help those of you who are in Oscar Pools yourselves. Leave your thoughts/research/opinions in the comments.
Come on, guys. Together, we can Bring Down the Facemaker!
Best Picture: The Departed
Best Director: Martin Scorsese
Best Actor: Forest Whitaker
Best Actress: Helen Mirren
Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy
Alan Arkin tore it up in Little Miss Sunshine, though. I think he might be a surprise winner.
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson
Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine
Adapted Screenplay: The Departed
Animated Feature Film: Cars
Foreign Language Film: Pan’s Labyrinth
Art Direction: Pan’s Labyrinth
Cinematography: Children of Men
Costume Design: Dreamgirls
Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth
Documentary Short: The Blood of Yingzhou District
Film Editing: The Departed
Makeup: Pan’s Labyrinth
Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean
Original Score: The Queen
Original Song: “Listen” from Dreamgirls
Animated Short: The Little Matchgirl
Live Action Short: West Bank Story
Sound Editing: Letters From Iwo Jima
Sound Mixing: Dreamgirls
>I’m going to spend Oscar night watching the DVD we just bought, “The Departed”.Then after Oscar night, we can make a list of other DVD’s to buy.I don’t do movie theaters.
>What I really want to know is, what will you be EATING during the Oscar broadcast? Before we became parents, my husband and I hosted cornball Oscar parties at which we served hors d’ouevres named after nominees. Last year, the two of us ate microwaved popcorn in our jammies. But the show is so damn boring, my husband thinks we need to kick up the festivities a notch with some Tostinos Pizza Rolls. So sad. I haven’t seen Dreamgirls, but I would love to see J. Hudson win–black, not skinny, and fabulous.
>I think we’re having gigantic sea scallops sauteed in butter and garlic.
>Ah, the infamous Facemakers! I have acquired several friends over the last couple years who are either incapable of making normal faces in photos or insist on making adnormal ones.At least the photos are funny…
>Sigh. aBnormal…
>I think my opinions would hurt your cause. If it weren’t for Little Miss Sunshine, I dont’ think I’d have seen any of the movies nominated. I use movies as a time to be vacant. I try not to watch anything that makes me think.That’s kind of hilarious about those pictures…I was just telling people today about how The Man’s ex made horrible .. HORRIBLE .. faces in EVERY picture. Seriously, at least his look funny – not like he’s going to hurl!!Anyway, I still hope you beat him.****GO***LINDSAY****
>I’m no help. The last movie I saw was “We are Marshall”. Saw in January but did not sniff a bit of lobby popcorn in all of 2006. I’m just a big ‘ol bucket o’ buttery fun, eh?Love the Grimacer’s curls! As for the ornery picture takin’, my sister is the SAME WAY! It makes me so darn mad…I KNOW she can smile…I have seen it. But in every single picture, she looks like she would just as soon slap you or spit in your face. Real attractive. I can even grab her butt and make sex jokes while the shutter is snapping……same stupid pissed off expression! Grrr!What can you do? I once covered her face in every album with paper circles. She was even happier…..
>Oh goodie, another Oscar fan. There aren’t many of us in blogville.I watched all five films. I thought Letters from Iwo Jima was the best film. I have know idea what will win. I just care about what SHOULD win.Ummmm..I thought the supporting actress performances in Babel were fantastic. I hope one of those two women win. Can’t remember the names.I hope The Departed doesn’t win. It was a good film, but in my mind not as memorable as the others.I did not see Dreamgirls, which sucks because it got so many nominations.: )
>I just wanted to let you know that whenever I pull up your site, I have to scroll ALL the way down to see your post. At first it looks as though you posted a big load of nothing. Then scoll and walla! Genius! 😉
>Huh. Maybe it’s your browser? Or your screen resolution? I think that people who still have their resolution set to 800×600 (not many of those anymore) have trouble viewing the site sometimes…
>Yeah, it is…I have MSN, so I have a sidebar menu…if I minimize it, it comes up normal, otherwise I have to do to the same thing, still standing.
>I can see clearly now. . .lalalaala.Thanks!
>We saw The Queen last night and Helen Mirren is SOOOO hott. I just want her to talk dirty to me so bad.
>I am crossing my fingers for you.
>So did you beat your Father In Law? I was in a work pool and ended up with many of the same picks as you had (interestingly enough), and got 12 correct. Not sure if I won the pool, but I hope so. It’d be a nice surprise tomorrow to start off my week…
>I am delurking to say the only Oscar nominees I saw were Cars and Happy Feet. I was SO disappointed that HF beat cars. SO VERY DISAPPOINTED.