Last Sunday the annual awards for the best movies were given out (awarded, given to the winners) in Los Angeles. The awards are popularly called the Oscars, because the statue you win is called “Oscar.” But no one is exactly sure why is it called Oscar. (Why the Jeff or Lucy?) The Oscars are presented by the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences (hence (therefore), the ceremony is often called the Academy Awards). There is a separate category for the Best Foreign (non-American) Film, but actors and actresses from any movie, foreign or U.S.-made, can be nominated (named as a finalist) for the acting awards. The top or highest awards for acting are Best Actor (a man) and Best Actress (a woman). There are also awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, meaning the actors who weren’t the lead or most important actors in the movie, but were still important.
Many times in the past, actors from other countries have won acting Oscars, but this year, for the first time in more than 40 years, all of the top acting prizes – Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress – were won by non-Americans.
Best Actor was given to an Irish actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, for the movie There Will Be Blood. Best Actress went to the young French actor, Marion Cotillard, for the movie La Vie en Rose. Best Supporting Actor went to the Spaniard, Javier Bardem, for the movie No Country for Old Men. Best Supporting Actress went to a British actress, Tilda Swinton, for her work in the movie Michael Clayton.
Movies are an international art form, so although Hollywood makes many of the most popular movies, I think it is a good thing that we recognize the great acting talents from all countries.
The Best Picture award went to No Country for Old Men, which was made by two people from my home state, Minnesota! So I guess Hollywood was the loser this year.
~Jeff
what’s most important is that The Coen Brothers are representatives of Independent Art, which is the only thing that’s worth paying attention to in American film production.
anyway, Jarmusch’s the best.
Hi there
I think we are all from same village and this village is earth village , is no matter U.S.A or Britain or Germany or ….is winner .
Our earth village has not a borderline . Only politician think at something like this .
We are all one family and I will congratulate all winner from earth village .
Thanks a lot Jeff and Lucy for your nice work and I think you must have an Oscars too.
I think all podcast listeners have the same opinion.
Jamshid from Berlin Germany
As for why the Oscar, I heard such a story once on TV. The person who actually was a creator the ceremony, let’s call him X because I don’t remember his name, this person looked into one art gallery not long before the first ceremony had to be held. At that time X was looking for a convenient idea or image to use as a symbol. While strolling along rows of pictures and sculptures he paid attention to a statue that we know as the Oscar nowadays. From a gallerist he knew that the author, whose name I forgot too, had done the thing by having as a prototype his own uncle. A name of the uncle, as you all probably guessed, was Oscar. It’s a really curious incident as no one remembers who the prototype was whereas his name is well-known throughout the world.
P.S. I beg your pardon for my bad memory…
Of course here, in Russia we all hoped that Nikita Mihalkov would take the Oscar for The Best Foreign Film but that didn’t happen. There are different opinions, as always, in this regard here, from they had given it to him once, so that’s enough to this award hardly reflects a true quality of a movie since to give or not depends a lot on money, politics and so forth.
Ladies and Gentleman,
The Oscar of best podcast and of the world go to…. ESLPOD.COM
and the Oscar of better “English Teacher” go to…. Jeff… and Lucy…
Congratulations, keep doing this good work.
Wishes
Ed.
Yes, that’s right, and here is my vote for that proposal
Oscar: all the team of ESL,
Oscar to the best script: Lucy Tse,
Oscar to the best singer: Jeff Mc. who delights all us with his great voice.
I think also same as Jamshid, we all are in earth village, and we have to do all our effords to live in armony and this blog is a small place to practise these ideas.
I’ve seen ceremony. But I’ve get two ideas we could in [ESL Google Group] discuss about our favorite films. The watching of films in English is important part lerning of language for me. And I remember that community of podcasts makers and listeners have award too. So eslpod.com will win all awards as the best podcast for learners of English.
Hello Dipodidae,
You want, you can open a new topic at ESL Google Group about favorite films.
I´m sure will be a nice and constructive discussion.
Take Care
Ed.
Hello Everyone!
Could someone explain me why
“But no one is exactly sure why is it called Oscar.”
but not
“But no one is exactly sure why it is called Oscar.”