It's Oscar Night!!!

Blake and I have decided to attempt to see all of the Best Picture nominees before the Academy Awards. We tried to do it last year (I honestly can't remember whether we were successful or not) and we tried again this year. With the Academy broadening the nominees to 10, it makes it harder to see all of them. This year, we got 9 out of the 10. We were going to see the 10th one (127 Hours), but thanks to Justin Beiber, it was bounced out of the theaters before we got a chance.

So, here are my reviews--in no particular order--of the 9 Best Picture nominees that we did see:

Black Swan:

Natalie Portman is genius in her portrayal of a prima ballerina. I loved how vulnerable she seemed, even when fighting against external and internal forces. Mila Kunis is great at being a villainous character, and I really think that she's going to have a strong career ahead of her.

Inception:

Having seen this movie so many months ago, my memories are hazier than on most of these. That being said, I think this movie stayed with me for much longer than most other Best Picture nominees this year. I think that Christopher Nolan did an amazing job at creating a screenplay that seemed slightly plausible, even while your intelligence fights against the idea. After watching this movie, I caught myself trying to remember dreams and analyze them more than I had in the past. Leo DiCaprio was wonderful in the movie, but Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt were the show-stoppers for me. 

The Social Network:

Blake and I avoided this movie for so long. Actually, it wasn't until his mom bought it for him for his birthday that we finally decided to watch it. I guess we were really uninterested in watching a movie about Facebook and how it came to be. Blake's never been big into FB anyway, so his aversion to this movie was totally understandable. However, once we watched it, I was struck by how believable Jesse Eisenberg was in his portrayal of Zuckerberg (especially after seeing interviews with the actual Zuckerberg). It was a good movie, but not Best Picture Winner caliber.

The Fighter:

I've loved this movie since the buzz first started around it. I was astounded to find out that Mark Wahlberg trained for 4 years while trying to get this movie made, even moving one of the real life people (Dicky Ecklund) into his house to help him train. These details and more caused me to think Marky Mark was going to run away with the movie when I finally saw it. However, about 20 minutes into the movie, it's painfully obvious that Christian Bale is going to steal the show and run for the hills with it. Emaciated and looking like he truly developed a drug habit for the role, I was astounded at the believablity of his performance.

The Kids Are All Right:

Blake and I just watched this movie this past week. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it, due to my intense hatred for Annette Bening (not sure why, but I've never ever liked her).  I was totally wrong. This movie was perfect. It was a great movie for any family who has gone through family struggles. Everyone was great in this movie, including Annette.

The King's Speech:

MY FAVORITE MOVIE OF THE YEAR. Colin Firth is my King. Seriously though, I can't downplay my excitement over this movie. Geoffrey Rush is amazing in this movie. I was surprised, because while watching the movie, it was hard for me to remember that these people were actors, and not the actual royal family.

Toy Story 3:

I can't watch this movie without crying... EVERY TIME. Blake and Carter make fun of me when we watch it, but as a mother, it's almost impossible to not tear up at the end of the movie. I know that Disney/Pixar aren't planning on doing another Toy Story full-length feature film, but they are releasing two short films this year, so we can still get a fix of our favorite talking toys!

True Grit:

I knew that this was a remake (in a way) but since I'd never seen the original film, I wasn't biased. I thought that Hailee Steinfeld made a name for herself in her very first film. She commanded every scene she was in, which is (I'm assuming) what the Coen Bros. were hoping for. Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon's scenes together were wonderful and hilarious at the same time, which only served to make this another great movie pick for Best Picture.



Winter's Bone:

We watched this film during the gigantic ice storm that hit us this January. The weather outside felt as chilly as this film did. It just didn't... click with me. There is not one positive moment in this movie...at all. I just wasn't a fan.

My other Oscar picks:

Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth

Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale

Actress in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman

Actress in a Supporting Role: Melissa Leo

Directing: The Social Network

Blake and I will be cozying up on the couch tonight to enjoy all of the Oscar festivities!!

Introductions!!

I've thought about starting a blog for quite a while, but the logistics of it seemed to get away from me. I either couldn't find the time or the inspiration to start one, but after seeing so many family and friends have success with their blogs, I thought I ought to jump into the pool with the rest of them!

So, we'll begin with introductions.

Undoubtedly, our main character will end up being our son, Carter. He's 5 years old, and has the greatest personality that I could ever imagine! For example, last week when he spent the night with my parents, he and my mom got on the topic of how the dinosaurs died. The conversation went something like this:

Carter: "Mamaw, how do you think the dinosaurs died?"
Mamaw: "Well, I think they died in the great flood."
Carter: "Nuh-uh!!"
Mamaw: "Okay, how do you think they died?"
Carter: "They died because of the asteroid that hit Earth."
Mamaw: "Oh... well why did you ask me if you already knew?"
Carter: "...[pause]... Because I wanted to make fun of your answer!!"

Precocious doesn't even begin to cover it! On top of buckets of personality, he's the sweetest kid I've ever met, beyond adorable, and pretty stinkin' cute to boot! (I might be biased though...)

Here he is:

Our patriarch is Blake. He's finishing his last semester in law school, and is also a law clerk at a local law firm. He's an avid tennis player, and a lifelong Colts fan. We've known each other for over 10 years and we're getting married on June 4th, 2011. Blake and Carter are so funny with each other, because I've never seen a father/son relationship that takes on a "best buddies" relationship almost all the time! Its so great that they get along so well, but sometimes it's like having two kiddos! (sorry babe...)

Here's Blake at his first Braves game:

And now, ME!! I'm in school right now, pursuing an accelerated BSN degree, and planning our wedding. (Trust me, I'm sure there will be lots and LOTS of wedding planning/frustration posts before the big day!) I have a younger sister, Rachael, who has my chunky little ball of love nephew, Ty. My mom, Kim, and dad, Mike, have been married since 1984. I love to read, and I have a newfound interest in home decor and crafting.

Here's me:

Well, here it is... THE FIRST BLOG ENTRY!

See you all soon!

--Brooke