Germany and the Oscars

Two of my favorite things!

1. GERMANY.

With the passing of President Hinckley I have been sad, but my faith regarding the future of the church stands tall. Mark and I both don't understand what all the fuss is about and I am sure President Hinckley is watching and wondering as well. With the passing of the prophet, the most appropriate way to react is by remembering his life and feeling joy that he will return to his loving wife and to the Lord again. I don't understand why so many people are "hysterical" and "lost" in this matter. We are raised in the church to gain testimonies about the organization of the Gospel and we should stand tall in faith that when a prophet dies everything will fall into place for the church to prosper and grow.

With that said, today was the press conference with the announcement of our new prophet and counselors. Mark texted me about ten minutes ago regarding the announcement and it looks like President Monson will be our prophet (as we already knew) with President Eyring and President Uchdorf as his counselors.

Which brings me to my first topic. Germany. It seems to me that the Germans are prevailing once again in the world -- only this time in a more righteous manner. A German for the pope, head of the Catholic church and a German in the presidency of the Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints. It makes me happy to see German people achieve respectable positions again. I think it's time that the guilt from WWII be dropped.

2. THE OSCARS!

This marks the fourth year now where I have devoted the months of January and February to watching all of the Oscar nominated films. (Okay, I don't watch all of them, but I get a pretty good grasp on Best Picture, Best Director, Lead Actress, Lead Actor, Supporting Actress & Supporting Actor).

This time it's been really fun because Mark and I have decided to tackle these movies together. It's so nice to know that I am marrying a smart boy who can appreciate film for its artistic value. I fully understand and support people who choose not to watch rated "R" films, but it's been a choice of mine to evaluate each film individually before I see it. For example; American Pie movies are not "R" movies that I will watch, whereas Saving Private Ryan is certainly a film I will see. Anyway, that's enough justification. What I am trying to say is; it's just nice that Mark is the same way.

A few weeks ago we kicked off our Oscars extravaganza by watching Sweeny Todd, which was so classic for Tim Burton film. It was dark and gruesome, yet so beautiful at the same time. It was violent and I loved that the blood squirted out in a very theatrical manner. By doing so, it really preserved the theatrical element of the musical. Johnny Depp has been nominated for Best Actor, which was the only nomination the movie received. Mark is mad about that and thinks the film got robbed by the Academy.

The weekend before last Mark and I saw a double feature (okay, we paid for one movie and snuck into another one like we were thirteen again). We saw Michael Clayton and Juno. Michael Clayton has been nominated for many different categories. I can definitely see a few wins for this film, although I never would have nominated it for Best Picture. Juno on the other hand has been my favorite film of the year! I wasn't sure about making Mark come with me to watch a movie about teen pregnancy. I knew the movie was presented in the eyes of a teenage girl and worried that Mark would find no connection. I was so wrong. He loved it. And I loved it. I think we're both rooting for this film to win Best Picture and Ellen Page should surely win Best Actress (although, I'm sure it won't win seeing as Little Miss Sunshine was snubbed last year).

This past weekend we saw There Will Be Blood. Mark and I had mixed feelings on the film. We both agreed that it was too long (approx. three hours) and we both agreed that Daniel Day-Lewis deserves to win the Oscar for Best Actor. He was an absolute lunatic and only an experienced and devoted actor could tackle such a role. As a whole, I liked the movie. Probably wouldn't see it again though. I think Mark might bomb the Oscars if the film wins Best Picture (or knowing Mark, he'd probably egg it).

Wow, that was lengthy. Perhaps we should spend more time studying for classes instead of watching mindless films...NOT. Anyway, I'll keep everyone updated. And go see Juno!