The red carpet rolls out this coming Sunday for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, but if you can’t make it to Hollywood, never fear–Tacoma offers its own Oscar excitement.
Non-profit indie cinema house The Grand is hosting its seventh annual Academy Awards fundraising event this Sunday evening at a new venue: The Theater on the Square in downtown Tacoma. The Oscars will be screened on a huge movie screen amid a crowd of Tacoma filmies starting at 4 p.m. If you show up in sweatpants and a hoodie but still feel the need to prep before your glam shot, Embellish Salon is offering free on-site makeovers. In addition to being an excuse to dress up, the event will feature a costume contest (dress as a character from one of the movies up for an Oscar to win prizes), offering a further opportunity for sartorial extravagances.
The $20 ticket ($15 if you’re a member of The Grand) covers admission, numerous snacks, and a catered dinner and desert, with all proceeds benefiting The Grand. A raffle and silent auction offer something to do during those overly long acceptance speeches. And, to heighten the party atmosphere, there will of course be a cash bar. For tickets and additional information, vist www.grandcinema.com.
Finally, a “Golden Ticket” (one year of free movies for the winner and one guest) is being offered for the person who correctly selects the most Academy Award recipients. And although I plan to win it, and therefore can’t give away all of my secrets, I will share a top picks list with you of my predictions for the Oscar winners this year.
The Oscar for Best Documentary had better go to what was by far the most original and delightfully twisted documentary ever–Exit Through the Gift Shop–which still has me wondering whether anything in that movie was sincere.
My pick for Leading Actress is going to have to be Natalie Portman for Black Swan. The range and depth she gave to that role were remarkable and, frankly, terrifying.
Although I haven’t yet seen Biutiful, I have a gut feeling that Javier Bardem is going to win Best Actor–because I’ve seen the trailers, and those alone have been enough to wrench my heart. Although Jeff Bridges was pretty freaking awesome in True Grit, I’m just not sure if he’ll pull it off.
As much as I loved Black Swan and True Grit, I’m pretty sure that The Social Network will win Best Picture, simply because it is such a seminal portrayal of what is currently the most influential social and cultural outlet of this generation.