West Springfield High School Newspaper

The Oracle

West Springfield High School Newspaper

The Oracle

West Springfield High School Newspaper

The Oracle

Oscar noms even for hosts

For film enthusiasts, the end of 2010 means one thing: the 83rd annual Academy Awards.

On February 27, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will hold the prestigious and much-anticipated Oscars award ceremony to determine the best in film for 2010.

They will judge a number of categories such as Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director. The event, held at Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, will be broadcast around the world.

As usual, this year’s Oscars will include lots of new films. Critics predict that high in the running for Best Film will be Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster “Inception,” the Facebook movie “The Social Network,” “Black Swan” starring Natalie Portman as a ballerina, and the Pixar family favorite “Toy Story 3.”

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There are 248 films eligible in total for the ten nominations, which will be announced on January 25. This number is less than it has been previously.

“I want Black Swan to win because that movie was really good,” said freshman Natalie Steinberg.

An important change is the choice of Anne Hathaway and James Franco as co-hosts. In the past, the Academy has usually chosen middle-aged talk show hosts or comedians to play this role in the ceremony, such as Chris Rock. Some die-hards cite this tradition in their disapproval of the two actors.

“It’s fine, because they’re kind of comical. I just worry a little because having actors present other actors is a little weird,” said senior Lisa Eichhorn.

Since the hosts’ performance is scripted, the fact that they are not comedians is irrelevant.

On the other hand, both Franco and Hathaway could also be up for nomination, Hathaway for her performance in “Love and Other Drugs,” and Franco for his in “127 Hours.”

The Oscar producers felt that Franco and Hathaway represented the film industry in its fullest, and are confident in their choice.

“James Franco and Anne Hathaway personify the next generation of Hollywood icons—fresh, exciting, and multitalented,” said Oscar producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer.

Hathaway, after accepting the role, recently added another unusual touch to February’s ceremonies. She visited a New York City public school’s Annual Winter Concert to give the school’s choir a surprise invitation: to perform at the Academy Awards the upcoming February. Franco, although he has released no specific plans, is enthusiastic about his role in the event.

“I’m front and center, but… I feel confident,” said Franco.

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