I love this time of year because the Oscar buzz sends the film industry into hyper drive. First comes the speculation between the Golden Globes and the Oscar nomination announcements. Who will win? Who will be snubbed without a mention? This year, the noticeable lack of diversity among the list of nominees sent social media users reeling.
Award season also means you clear the schedule to have an informed opinion about the proceedings – at least it does in our house and for our friends’ who host 2 a day screenings for 4 weeks.
As I watched many of this year’s nominations, including The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and American Sniper, the same message seeped through.
If you are brilliant, stick to your dream. A supportive woman will come along, give you the energy and inspiration you need, to keep going.
Or at least that’s the Hollywood distilled version of the stories of these exceptional men.
Maybe like me you will be inspired by Alan Turing’s vision of the earliest computer. And appalled at his evisceration by the British court in thanks for his service.
Or the passion of Stephen Hawking to persist in answering the major questions of physics (and father 3 children) despite his body’s abject deterioration.
Chris Kyle’s single mindedness in protecting his men at arms as “the Legend” sniper in Iraq is a parable about focus.
Yes, these it would be nice if women’s stories were told in equal measure. Why not make a biopic about Marie Curie, for example, the only person to ever win TWO Nobel prizes?
The list could go on. For now, we’ll make do with these brilliant men. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
Which film are you rooting for this year?
