As the 82nd Annual Academy Awards® draws nearer,
all eyes will be on the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. In preparation for the
event, Great Lakes Scrip Center has prepared this special Oscar® Edition article
to help you enjoy family-friendly Oscar notables from the past and the present.
When preparing for Oscar Night, we often think
back to all our old Oscar favorites. Let Great Lakes Scrip Center help you on
your journey down memory lane. Take scrip to
Best Buy or
Amazon.com to buy your favorite
movie, or Blockbuster if you want to rent it for a short time.
Here are some family-friendly winners from the past to take along on your journey:
·
Apollo 13
(Sound and Film-Editing)
·
Forrest Gump
(6 Awards, including Best Picture and Lead Actor)
·
March of the Penguins
(Feature-length Documentary)
·
Mrs. Doubtfire
or The Nutty Professor (Makeup)
·
Finding Neverland
(Music: Original Score)
·
Finding Nemo, The Incredibles,
Ratatouille, Shrek, Wall-E,
and Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the
Were-Rabbit (All won for Animated Feature Film)
·
Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The
Lion King, Pocahontas, and Tarzan
(All won an Award for Music)
Many of this year’s Oscar nominees are still at the movie theaters. Buy scrip
for your
favorite movie theater, AMC, Cinemark, Regal, or Celebration Cinemas,
and see them before Oscar Night and find out for yourself what all the buzz is
about.
Still at the theater:
·
Avatar
- (PG-13) The story of an ex-Marine who
finds himself on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a
human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a
desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people.
Review: Although
a fantastic story set in a wonderfully unique world, this movie is not
recommended for children under 13 because of fighting and an occasional show
of military force.
·
The Blind Side
- (PG-13) Teenager Michael Oher is surviving on his
own, virtually homeless, when he is spotted on the street by Leigh Anne Tuohy.
Learning that the young man is one of her daughter's classmates, Leigh Anne
invites him to stay at the Tuohy home for the night. What starts out as a
gesture of kindness turns into something more. Michael's presence in the Tuohys'
lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Based on a
true story.
Review:
This movie has one scene involving brief violence,
drug and sexual references, but is wonderfully uplifting story that would be appropriate for junior high and older children.
·
The Princess and the Frog
- (G) A modern twist on a classic tale,
featuring a beautiful girl named Tiana, a frog prince who desperately wants to
be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure
through the mystical bayous of Louisiana.
Review:
This movie would be great fun for the whole family.
·
Invictus
- (PG-13) Inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela
joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team to help unite their
country in the wake of apartheid, believing he can bring his people together
through the universal language of sport.
Review:
If it weren’t for one bad word, this movie might have
been rated G. There is some minor violence within the rugby games (think
football with no pads). Overall, a great message for Junior and Senior High
kids.
·
Fantastic Mr. Fox
- (PG-13) Mr. Fox is a chicken thief who decides that
he'll pull off one last heist against three evil farmers that live nearby.
Unfortunately, his actions force the farmers to retaliate, and they set out to
destroy him, his family and his friends. Trapped underground, the animals, led
by the fantastic Mr. Fox, hatch a plan to claim victory once and for all.
Review:
With recognizable voices like George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, and
Bill Murray, this movie is fun for the whole family, kids and adults alike. The
PG-13 rating is for animated violence (the farmers trying to kill Mr. Fox), so
it isn’t recommended for younger children.
Find
these at
Blockbuster:
·
Up
- (G) By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen
sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right
after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since
Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a
stowaway on the trip.
Review:
This movie is can be enjoyed by all ages.
·
Coraline
- (PG) A young girl walks through a secret
door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life - a better
version. But, when this fantastical adventure turns dangerous, and her “other”
parents try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness,
determination, and bravery to get back home.
Review:
This movie might not be for really young children.
Though animated, there are some scenes that might be a little scary for the
young children that are easily upset.
There are many other Oscar contenders that are a little less family-friendly.
Make a date night, pairing the movie with
dinner (we have scrip for that too!) and see the other Best Picture nominees
like Crazy Heart, The Hurt Locker, and Up in the Air, among others.
1.
Who has hosted the most Academy Awards®?
2.
Name the only two trilogies that have received Best Picture nominations
for each installment.
3.
What two movies are tied for the most Oscar nominations?
4.
What three movies have tied for the most Academy Awards won at 11? Which
one won all that they were nominated for (11 out of 11)?
5.
What two movies have been nominated for ten or more Academy Awards and
won none of them?
6.
Who is the most nominated Actor? Actress?
7.
Name the only three films that have won the coveted “Golden Five”; Best
Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Picture.
8.
Which actor had the least amount of screen time and still won the Best
Actor Award? How much screen time did he have?
9.
Which actor/actress has had the most Academy Award nominations without
winning?
10.
Which actor/actress holds the record for the longest time period between his/her
first Academy Award nomination/win and last nomination/win?
SCROLL DOWN
FOR THE ANSWERS.
How well
did you do?
8 - 10
Correct - You are ready for national coverage - think
“Entertainment Tonight”.
5 - 7
Correct - You know more than 50%, but not enough for
national coverage. Maybe you can cover entertainment news for your local TV
station.
Less
than 5 Correct - Stick
to emailing your opinions to your friends.
1.
Bob Hope has hosted the most Academy Awards with 19.
2.
The Godfather (1972, 1974, 1990) and The Lord of the Rings
(2001, 2002, 2003)
3.
Titanic (1997) and All About Eve (1950) were each nominated
for 14 awards.
4.
Titanic (1997), Ben Hur (1959), and The Lord of the
Rings: the Return of the King (2003) have all won 11 Academy Awards. The
Lord of the Rings was the only one to win all that they were nominated for
(11 out of 11).
5.
The Turning Point (1977) and The Color Purple (1985) did
not win any of the awards they were nominated for.
6.
Jack Nicholson had twelve nominations, and Meryl Streep had 15.
7.
It Happened One Night (1934), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
(1975), The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
8.
Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor in Silence of the Lambs with only
16 minutes of screen time.
9.
Peter O’Toole has been nominated for Best Actor 8 times and has never
won.
10.
Katherine Hepburn has had the longest time period between her first
Oscar nomination/win and her last nomination/win: Morning Glory (1932/33)
and On Golden Pond (1981).
