Oscar Double Feature

A yearly tradition for me is to do an Oscar Double Feature, where I pick two movies up for big awards and go see them back to back. Some of these have been chronicled on my blog: 2010, 2011. This year I decided to do my Double Feature earlier than usual, so that I would have seen the movies before the Golden Globes as well (which are tonight).

I really wanted to see Silver Linings Playbook, but it wasn't playing nearby. Instead of going to see Les Mis instead (which I wasn't super stoked to see), I decided to drive 45 minutes away to a theater where it was showing. This is the same theater I drove to see The Descendants and Mr. George Clooney last year :) They were showing Lincoln and Silver Linings with 15 minutes in between which seemed perfect. (PS there are some spoilers for each movie)

When I got to the theater, I was very grateful that the guy at the ticket counter made no comments about my buying single tickets to two different movies, even though he probably thought it was very odd. I got my ICEE and popcorn and headed in.

Lincoln was very well done. The 2 1/2 hours definitely didn't drag on. The acting was all superb. I loved Sally Field as Mrs. Lincoln and, of course, Daniel Day-Lewis as the man himself was wonderful. I liked seeing Joseph Gordon Levitt pop up as Robert Lincoln and the little kid playing Tad was great.

I was happily surprised at some of the lighter moments in the film. It was by no means a comedy, but there were definitely some times when I laughed, which I thought was great for a 2 1/2 hour, mostly very serious movie.

I also learned a lot! Going in I'd thought it would be more a biography of Lincoln's whole life, instead of focused on mostly just the passing of the 13th amendment. When the amendment finally passed, I'll admitted, I got some tears in my eyes. I loved watching how the grown men, elected officials, were wildly celebrating :) Overall it was an excellent movie that I would recommend for everyone.

After the movie ended, I left right away, hit the bathroom, refilled my ICEE and added butter to the second half of popcorn. Luckily I'd already gotten my ticket, because that showing of Silver Linings sold out! When I got to the theater, there was a worker helping people find seats in the crowded theater. It wasn't too tough to find one empty seat though :)

Silver Linings Playbook

Another great movie!!!!!!!! Again, the acting was excellent. Jennifer Lawrence was phenomenal and she continues to make me so happy that she was cast as Katniss. I mean, our Katniss, might win an Oscar. Take that Kristen Stewart. Bradley Cooper was great as well. At first I wasn't sure I could root for him as my leading man, but as the movie went on I found him more and more likable, which is not at all a rip on Cooper, I think he played it well and that's the journey you were supposed to take with him.

The whole time I was watching the movie, I was anticipating a sad ending. I'm not sure why, maybe because often, critically acclaimed movies tend to not end happily? Even at the very end, when you know they both love each other, when she's running down the street, I was thinking, she's going to get hit by a car!!! But I was pleasantly surprised that we did get a happy ending :) 

Both movies were great and I was very pleased with my choices. Momma and Daddy both asked which movie I would choose if I had to pick one. It's tough because they are so different, but if I absolutely had to choose one, I'd probably go with Silver Linings, probably because I'm a sucker for a good romance :)