The 2014 Oscar Best Picture challenge
A few years ago, I took a university course entitled “Film, Faith & Popular Culture”. The course sought to bring together art house and mainstream films and popular culture in conversation with Christian faith. At the time, I thought it would be an easy credit… except for one problem; I hated movies.
Yes, I said it. Previously, in my former life, I held contempt toward movies. Why is that you may ask? The answer was simple; movies are a cop-out to socialization.
Movies, in many situations are the vehicle that allows us to fulfill our human need for socialization, all the while being completely alone emotionally. Movies often rob us of social intimacy, while providing cheap thrills in return.
So what changed? One word. Art.
I have always been an art lover; whether it is music, painting, typography or design, art is all around us and helps shape how we interact with the world around us.
Taking the one course in film helped expose me, and show me that film is yet another art form. Films are there when you’re sad, they can make you happy, they can celebrate with you, prod and intrigue you. Film as a medium has a power to convey emotion, tone & symbolism through a series of moving pictures.
Over the past few years, I have had to change my perspective, from viewing movies as mere “entertainment” or cheap socialization and instead replace that framework with one that views films as an art form.
I have grown to love film, and have begun to see the duality of its nature—to amuse and to narrate.
While I—admittedly—did poorly in that university course numerous years ago (subjective non-linear topics such as film were never my strong suit), and am by no means a film critic, this blog exists to chronicle my journey of seeing all 9 films nominated for best picture at the 2014 Academy Awards (all which, for the first time). I do not know if anyone will ever read this, but it doesn’t matter, because this is in many ways my own personal journey, self exploration and self-expression.
Enjoy.
Peace
The films.
- 12 Years a Slave
- American Hustle
- Captain Phillips
- Dallas Buyers Club
- Gravity
- Her
- Nebraska
- Philomena
- The Wolf of Wall Street