There Will Be Oscars

Got the popcorn ready? This is Oscar night, a guilty pleasure for many. Are these the best films and the best actors of each year? Probably not because the night is mostly about Hollywood. But it is rather fun and every Academy Awards ceremony gets something right.

I do hope that Daniel Day Lewis gets the Best Actor award for his role in There Will Be Blood. We went to see it yesterday and his performance bristles with venom and anger. It is such a great portrayal of a life that is driven and eventually destroyed by hatred. That is the seductive reality of hate. It can truly fuel our lives and make us feel energized. It is non-renewable energy source, like the oil that Day Lewis' character seeks relentlessly.

There is an incredible scene in the film where Daniel Plainview is baptized with his cooperation but against his will. His internal struggle as he stands before the congregation is palpable and it turns out that the triumph of the preacher is short-lived. But in the end that phoney conversion could have been the salvation of a life that is consumed from the inside.

See you at the movies.