Nicole's Personal Film Awards

In honor of the Oscars, I thought that I would share my own personal film awards. I thought about calling them The Gretas, but wasn't sure if that was too on the nose. I decided to do a combination of the traditional "above-the-line" Oscar categories and some more creative awards that are all my own. There are still a handful of 2019 films that I want to see ("Official Secrets" and "The Lighthouse" are at the top of my list), but I didn't want to hold off on posting these forever.


Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Laura Dern, Little Women
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Billie Lourd, Booksmart
Florence Pugh, Little Women (WINNER) 
Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Timothée Chalamet, Little Women
Chris Evans, Knives Out
Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
Rob Morgan, Just Mercy (WINNER)
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Ana de Armas, Knives Out
Awkwafina, The Farewell
Scarlett Johannson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women (WINNER)
Tessa Thompson, Little Woods

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet, The King
Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
Adam Driver, Marriage Story (WINNER)
Taron Egerton, Rocketman
George McKay, 1917

Best Adapted Screenplay
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Jojo Rabbit
Just Mercy
Little Women (WINNER)
The Two Popes

Best Original Screenplay
1917
Knives Out (WINNER)
Marriage Story
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
The Farewell

Film that Made Me Cry the Most
Avengers: Endgame
Frozen II
Just Mercy
Little Women (WINNER)
The Farewell

Film that Made Me Laugh the Most
Booksmart
Downton Abbey
Jojo Rabbit
Knives Out (WINNER)
Marriage Story

Actor Who Showed the Most Range Across Projects
Timothée Chalamet (The King, Little Women)
Laura Dern (Marriage Story, Little Women)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story, The Report, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)
Scarlett Johannson (Avengers: Endgame, Jojo Rabbit, Marriage Story) (WINNER)
Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Fighting with My Family, Little Women)

Best Overlooked Film
All is True
Blinded by the Light
Just Mercy (WINNER)
Little Woods
The King

Most Rewatchable Film
Blinded by the Light
Downton Abbey
Little Women
Spider-Man: Far from Home
Yesterday (WINNER)

Best Ensemble 
Downton Abbey
Jojo Rabbit
Hustlers
Knives Out
Little Women (WINNER)

Best Tiny Role
Alan Alda, Marriage Story
Noah Galvin, Booksmart
Jayne Houdyshell, Little Women
Keanu Reeves, Always Be My Maybe
Andrew Scott, 1917 (WINNER)

Best Design
1917
Downton Abbey
Knives Out
Little Women
Rocketman (WINNER)

Best Transformation
Taron Egerton, Rocketman (WINNER)
Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Renée Zellweger, Judy

Best Youth Performance (under 21 years old)
Dean Charles Chapman, 1917 (WINNER)
Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
Noah Jupe, Honey Boy
Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit
Eliza Scanlen, Little Women

Best Comic Book Movie
Avengers: Endgame (WINNER)
Captain Marvel
Spider-Man: Far from Home

Best Use of Music in a Film
1917
Blinded by the Light
Little Women
Rocketman (WINNER)
The Two Popes

Best Director
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Greta Gerwig, Little Women (WINNER)
Sam Mendes, 1917
Céline Sciamma, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Lulu Wang, The Farewell

Best Picture
1917
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women (WINNER)
Marriage Story
The Farewell

Obviously, I love "Little Women" quite a lot. What were your favorite films of 2019? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter. x

My Top Ten Shows of 2019

I saw forty-six shows in 2019, which exceeded my goal of thirty shows by far. Of course, it's not anywhere close to the amount of theatre that I saw in 2018, but New York prices are a lot higher than London prices. I saw a few West End Shows, a good number of Broadway shows, some off-Broadway and even off-off-Broadway (while reviewing for BroadwayWorld), a few US Tours, and some great theatre here in Raleigh, North Carolina.


I realized that my favorites this year are very musical heavy, with only one play featured. I did see quite a few plays, but they didn't leave as much as an impact as many of the musicals did.

And yes, I realize that I'm a bit late in sharing these as it's already February, but January seemed to fly by. Without further ado, here are my top ten shows I saw in 2019 in no particular order.

Company
The gender-swapped London revival of "Company" was without a doubt my favorite show that I saw all year. In fact, I saw it twice in a two week period because I loved it so much. I think "Company" has some of Sondheim's best songs in it ("Marry Me a Little" is my personal favorite) and this new production was so well-acted, well-designed, and well-directed by visionary Marianne Elliot. I loved the gender-swapped version so much and I think the show works so much better centered around a woman that I never want to see a traditional production again. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the production on Broadway this spring, though my heart belongs to the London cast.

The Lightning Thief - Review
I was obsessed with the Percy Jackson books in middle school, so when I found out the tour of the musical was coming to New York, I had to go. This plucky little show far exceeded my expectations. The album is full of bops (I especially love "Good Kid" and "My Grand Plan") and Chris McCarrell was the Percy Jackson of dreams. It almost feels unfair to compare this to the horrendous movie adaptation, but I'll just say that this is the adaptation of "The Lightning Thief" that I wanted for so long.

Burn This 
Sometimes I think about how I met Adam Driver at the stage door of this play and want to pinch myself. "Burn This" is a really fascinating four-person show and while the play itself wasn't my favorite, the production was amazing. The whole cast was great, but Driver was really magnetic and I totally understand why he was nominated for a Tony for it.

Beetlejuice 
This was definitely my biggest surprise of the year. I went to its very first performance in New York and it blew me away. It has one of the best and most original scores I've heard on Broadway in a while and it's one of the few movie to musical adaptations where I think the musical actually improves upon the movie. Plus, Alex Brightman and Sophia Ann Caruso are both otherworldly.

My Fair Lady - Review
I ended up seeing this show three times because I fell so head over heels for it. I loved "My Fair Lady" as a kid, but was disappointed by its sexism as an adult. Well, this beautifully designed production definitely subtly updates it for a modern audience and Laura Benanti's strong Eliza is the stuff of dreams. Plus, Harry Hadden-Paton's Henry Higgins broke my heart while never losing what makes him the antagonist of this show.

In the Green 
I love a show based on a historical figure, I love a show that takes risks, and I love a show written by a woman. So "In the Green" was pretty much a perfect fit for me. This was the last show I saw in New York before I moved and it was such a perfect match for the intimate theatre at the Lincoln Center. Powerhouse Grace McLean is doing really exciting and fresh things both narratively and musically.

Hadestown - Video
Apparently I just love shows about Greek mythology? "Hadestown" is not just one of the best shows I saw in 2019, but one of the best shows I've ever seen. It's a gorgeous and moving story about Orpheus and Eurydice, Hades and Persephone. The music by Anais Mitchell is absolute perfection and the direction by Rachel Chavkin is every bit as incredible as you would expect from the woman who directed "Great Comet." Plus, Amber Gray's Persephone might be my favorite Supporting Actress performance I've ever seen.

Oklahoma - Video
If you'd told me last year that a production of "Oklahoma" would be one of my favorite shows of 2019, I would have laughed. But the recent revival completely reinvented the show, illuminating all of the faults of the characters and how the show can speak to Trump's America. The performances from the whole cast were incredible, but Patrick Vaill's Jud was truly something special. And they served cornbread and vegan chili at intermission! It doesn't get much better than that.

The Bridges of Madison County - Review
I actually didn't know much about "The Bridges of Madison County" going into it, although I knew that my mom (who went with me) liked the movie. The production by Theatre Raleigh directed by Lauren Kennedy was stunning. It absolutely blew me away both in its interesting exploration of difficult topics and the gorgeous songs crafted by Jason Robert Brown. The costumes were great and the whole cast (especially Janine DiVita) were spectacular.

Ragtime - Review
"Ragtime" has been one of my favorite shows since I saw it at Elon University my freshman year. It was very exciting to get to see it done by a local theatre company with a fellow Elon alum as Coalhouse Walker Jr. The production was a really interesting updated version that showcased how relevant it is to our country's politics right now.

What are your favorite shows you saw in 2019? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter. x

My 2019 Oscar Predictions


Can you believe that the Oscars are this Sunday? With this shorter season and the earlier ceremony date, it's felt like time has just flown by. I'm very excited to watch them, especially as some of my favorite people (Taika Waititi! Mark Ruffalo! Oscar Isaac!) are presenting. How do you all feel about not having a host again this year?

You'll be able to find my full predictions, along with the rest of the team's on the Next Best Picture post, but I wanted to share them here as well. If you want to hear why I've chosen these, you can check out our predictions podcast. I'm definitely not sure that I'm right....but these are what I've gone with.

Best Picture
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Parasite

Best Director
Prediction: Sam Mendes, 1917
Alternate: Bong Joon-ho, Parasite

Best Actor
Prediction: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Alternate: Adam Driver, Marriage Story

Best Actress
Prediction: Renée Zellwegger, Judy
Alternate: Saoirse Ronan, Little Women

Best Supporting Actor
Prediction: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Alternate: Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Best Supporting Actress
Prediction: Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Alternate: Florence Pugh, Little Women

Best Adapted Screenplay
Prediction: Little Women
Alternate: Jojo Rabbit

Best Original Screenplay
Prediction: Parasite
Alternate: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Cinematography
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Joker

Best Costume Design
Prediction: Little Women
Alternate: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Film Editing
Prediction: Ford v Ferrari
Alternate: Parasite

Best Makeup and Hairstyling 
Prediction: Bombshell
Alternate: 1917

Best Production Design
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Sound Editing
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Ford v. Ferrari

Best Sound Mixing
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Ford v. Ferrari

Best Visual Effects
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Avengers: Endgame

Best Score
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Joker

Best Original Song
Prediction: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again," Rocketman
Alternate: "Stand Up," Harriet

Best Documentary Feature
Prediction: American Factory
Alternate: For Sama

Best Animated Feature
Prediction: Toy Story 4
Alternate: Klaus

Best International Film
Prediction: Parasite
Alternate: Pain & Glory

Best Animated Short
Prediction: Hair Love
Alternate: Kitbull

Best Documentary Short
Prediction: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone
Alternate: St Louis Superman

Best Live-Action Short
Prediction: The Neighbors' Window
Alternate: Nefta Football Club

Let me know what you think will win the Oscars in the comments below or on Twitter. x
Blogger Template Created by pipdig