On the red carpet

Oscar season always enchants me. I am one of those "red-carpet interview, Barbara Walter's special, pre-Oscar, post-Oscar and everything in between Oscar" kind of viewers. If it wouldn't freak my hubby out too much, I'm sure I'd be sitting here right now in a ball gown getting my hair coiffed and my makeup applied so that I could watch the ceremony in full regalia. For me, the Oscars offer a welcome break from harsh reality and allow us to focus instead on the frivolity of Hollywood, and more importantly, on the escapist art of movie-making.

While I no doubt adore this awards season, I have also become disenfranchised with the typical winners at these events. So often, the award goes not to the best performance, but to the film with the most press, the most controversial role, or to an actor who "earned" it with his or her previous unrecognized performances.

I would imagine that my very favorite roles and films will go unrewarded this year. To me, the standout acting came from Carey Mulligan as Jenny in An Education and Colin Firth as George in A Single Man. While this year certainly produced many powerhouse films like Avatar and The Hurt Locker, I gravitate towards the quieter more introspective roles that Mulligan and Firth embodied in their respective films.

So, for those of you who plan to cozy into your couch and watch this annual display of pomp and circumstance, enjoy the evening and celebrate the joy of movies.