The Academy Awards are on tonight and the golden statues go to some we feel deserving and some we may disagree with.
Sometimes I wish all the nominees could be awarded, as they are all so great, and in some cases I feel that great performances or movies are snubbed and not nominated.
I enjoy the speeches and to see who the dates are, and am especially loving it when celebrities bring their moms, like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did when nominated for Good Will Hunting, which they won best screenplay for, a wonderful achievement for the two who were at the time young men.
In years gone by, friends have gathered and we have drank champagne, toasted the successful awards, and booed, oohed and awed at some of the gowns worn, and of course wondered about choices as well.
We can be a judgmental bunch, which seems a bit odd considering our own fashion choices, however, it’s all about personal taste. Many people now have a stylist assisting them with their selections.
It seems so magical, the ultimate dress-up party, and I have certainly enjoyed seeing some absolutely stunning gowns and also loved it when someone does something wild and breaks with tradition.
In my teen years, I wanted to walk the red carpet and accept an award for costume design. Seems like a million years ago that I would have even considered that as a career choice. At that time the walls of my bedroom were filled with dress designs and the corner of the room by my sewing machine stacked with fabric and vintage clothing ready to be transformed into something spectacular.
My mom suggested that I go to university first and then if I really wanted to continue in the design business, continue schooling from there. I never went and my closest experience to designing costumes was working on A Christmas Carol and Godspell with the amateur theatre company in Fort McMurray and my high school drama department. I loved the behind the scenes of the plays and the camaraderie of the company.
Our family loves to go the movies at the theatre and to watch at home. Movies have provided countless hours of enjoyment. They have allowed me that time of escape, have challenged me, made me laugh, cry, have deep thoughts, and in some cases, yell at the screen. I still love to see a movie on the big screen.
What I know for sure is that the people who are involved in this business will work very hard for many years and few of them make the outrageous salaries that we associate with Hollywood. There are thousands of actors, writers, musicians, filmmakers, costumers, make up artists, and technicians, and so few get the recognition and the salaries as top tier stars.
However, the passion for what they do keeps them motivated and hopefully they are able to make a living and continue to do the passionate work that drives them.
I so appreciate their efforts! To get that film to the screen can take years of work, writing, re-writing, production, editing, marketing… Many, many people are employed in this business and you need only to read the credits at the end of the film to see that.
Our local Okanagan Film Commission is asking for more funds to support the work they do and I see this as a good investment given the great results they are achieving to bring the film work to this area.
This is bringing large amounts of cash to the area and creating work for locals who are involved in film and television production. It also showcases this area.
We have visited locations we see in movies and television and we are certainly not unique in this desire.
The opportunity to walk the red carpet and to be at the Oscars is the dream of many and for some that dream will come true. For most of us this is very far removed from our lives and would never be a consideration and yet we all have our dreams, and our version of a magical moment of some recognition or achievement of work that will be really significant to us.
I say dream big!
– Michele Blais has worked with families and children in the Vernon area for the past 27 years.
