Sunday, Feb 26^th, is the Academy Awards – my favorite television night of the year. My husband knows he is “on duty” and the kids know that they can’t “interrupt.” One year I threw a party, never again. I like to focus; I listen to every speech. I have 3 friends with whom I text throughout and 1 I speak to during commercials. The latter friend, Jason, and I have been ballot competing for over 20 years (yikes!). We both have such terrible memories we can’t remember who’s winning, though I’m pretty sure he is.

I’m sorry to admit that I’ve only seen 4 of the 9 Best Picture nominees. I don’t like to write about what I haven’t seen and I try to only promote what I highly recommend so, based on those parameters, I will tell you that I loved 2 of these films.

We took the whole family to see Hidden Figures. It is the first PG, non-children’s, movie we have gone to together. I really liked Zootopia, Moana and Finding Dory, but sometimes I want to go to a quality, “real” movie and not have to pay a babysitter. I used to go to the movies with my parents when I was a kid all the time. I’ve sadly realized that you can’t really do that anymore. But with Hidden Figures we could, we did and we all enjoyed it. The storytelling is important, the acting is terrific and the light that it shined on that time period is something everyone should see. I have told many people I would be thrilled if it won best picture.

And then I saw La La Land. I loooooooooved this movie. I know some people don’t get what all the fuss is about, but I do. I have been watching some “31 Days of Oscar” on TCM because I love catching up on movies that I haven’t seen or haven’t seen in a while. Plus, I grew up on musicals so I think I was in the right mindset for this movie. The colors are so bright, the dancing is whimsical and fun, the score takes you to another place; I loved it all. I think Emma Stone is a rock star – that girl can act! And sing, and dance…and she just seems so normal and nice, we’d for sure be best friends, just saying. It made my heart soar and ache – I loved it.

In another category, I really hope The Jungle Book wins for Visual Effects because that movie was amazing.

As for books, I loved, loved, loved Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld. (Her American Wife is on my all-time faves list from blog 1.) It’s a modern take on Pride and Prejudice with a little “Bachelor” thrown in. I laughed, I teared up and I didn’t want to put it down.

On the television front, I liked the first episode of “Big Little Lies” on HBO. It’s based on my 2^nd favorite Liane Moriarty book. My top 5 of hers are:

1. What Alice Forgot
2. Big Little Lies
3. Three Wishes
4. The Husband’s Secret
5. The Last Anniversary

On a side note, I just read that Jennifer Aniston is in talks to star in the big-screen adaptation of What Alice Forgot – THAT is exciting, I love Jen – I think we’d be best friends, too.

Reese Witherspoon looks phenomenal and has quite the meaty part. She’s a stay at home mom who gets to be funny, feisty, bitchy and nice – just like me!  Kidding (?).   I really appreciate the bevy of female actresses who are in it, and the men aren’t bad to look at either.

“Jane the Virgin” just threw me for quite a loop with the death of a main character. I’m assuming none of you watch this show but I really wish you would. It is so, so good and Gina Rodriguez is a wonderful actress.

On a serious note, I think everyone should watch season 3, episode 12 of “blackish.” I am not a politics girl. I wish our government was like “The West Wing,” my fear is that it’s closer to “House of Cards” and that the system is broken.  (I felt this way before the election.)  This episode gives a voice to all sides post-election and does it in a way that (hopefully) offends no one. I made my family watch it so they could see all perspectives. I thought it was fantastic.

Song of the blog:

I wanna crank this up everytime I hear it: “Bonfire” by The Hunna.

*click here*

Until next time…