Oscars time – the winners are out. Winners and nominees: http://oscar.go.com/nominees
Books on screen
Book Depository has a very interesting list of books that have been made into films – Books on screen. It includes book tie-ins for this year’s Oscar nominees and other titles made into films. 105 titles – children’s literature, young adult, adult fiction and non fiction.
The Oscars – Best Picture nominations
Some of these films would be useful resources for history, psychology, sociology, biography, film, media, civil rights…
Check the ratings – some MA are quite graphic.
Theory of Everything – PG – Directed by James Marsh. Biographical romantic drama adapted from Travelling to infinity: my life with Stephen by Jane Wilde Hawking. Deals with her relationship with her ex-husband, his diagnosis with motor neuron disease and his success in physics. Stars Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne – Winner – Best Actor Oscar.
Imitation Game – M – Directed by Morten Tyldum. Historical thriller based on the biography Alan Turing: the enigma by Andrew Hodges, the story of how Turing helped solve the Nazi’s Enigma code during WW2 and how he was prosecuted for homosexuality. Stars Benedict Cumberbatch. Great film!
Selma – M – Directed by Ava DuVernay. Historical drama based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by Martin Luther King and others.
Boyhood – M – Directed by Richard Linklater. Coming-of-age drama filmed from 2002 to 2013. A young boy grows up in Texas with divorced parents. Stars Patricia Arquette – Winner – Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
Citizenfour – M – Directed by Laura Poitras. Winner of Best Documentary Oscar. Examines Edward Snowden and the NSA illegal wiretapping of US citizens. Snowden (Citizen Four) secretly emailed Poitras who then interviewed him.
Big Hero 6 – PG – Animated superhero action comedy, based on Marvel comics story. A young robotics prodigy forms a superhero team to combat a masked villain. Winner – Best Animated Film Oscar.
Birdman – MA – Winner – Best Picture Oscar. Directed by Alejandro Inarritu. Black comedy-drama. A faded superhero actor struggles to mount a Broadway play. Stars Michael Keaton.
Grand Budapest Hotel – M – Directed by Wes Anderson. Comedy film inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig. A concierge teams up with an employee to prove his innocence after he is framed for murder.
Whiplash – MA – Directed by Damien Chazelle. Drama film based on his experiences in the Princeton High School Studio Band. A student jazz drummer seeks the respect of an abusive teacher. Stars J.K. Simmons – Winner – Best Actor Oscar.
American Sniper – MA – Directed by Clint Eastwood. Biographical war drama based on the book American sniper: the autobiography of the most lethal sniper in US military history by Chris Kyle. Stars Bradley Cooper.
Other Best Actor/Actress nominations
Still Alice – M – Directed by Richard Glatzer, based on the novel by Lisa Genova. A linguistics professor is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Stars Julianne Moore – Winner – Best Actress Oscar.
Wild – MA – Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. Biographical drama based on the memoir Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest trail by Cheryl Strayed. A young woman hikes a thousand miles, healing herself after the death of her mother and years of reckless behaviour. Stars Reese Witherspoon. Some graphic scenes.
Foxcatcher – M – Directed by Bennett Miller. Dramatic true crime thriller. Two Olympic wrestlers are recruited by a multimillionaire to help coach wrestlers for competitions. Stars Steve Carell.
Gone Girl – MA – Directed by David Fincher. Psychological thriller about a married couple and what happens after the disappearance of the wife. Stars Rosamund Pike. Some graphic scenes.
Best Song
Glory (from Selma) – by John Legend and Common – very powerful. Their acceptance speech referenced the ongoing struggle for justice and the incarceration of black men in the US.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/oscars/11339347/Glory-from-Selma-wins-Oscars-best-song.html