The Oscars are about movies. Movies have a great impact on society. They universally visualize emotions, create personal epiphanies, are platforms for connection, and illuminate humanity.
Movies are magic. They can transport people to a magical wizarding world like "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," and the beautiful Costume Design from winner Colleen Atwood enhances the viewing experience.
Movies lend to all the senses, not only sight but also sound. They wouldn’t be as exciting without the realistic or other worldly sound effects and seamless sound editing. Like "Arrival’s" winner Sylvain Bellemare for Sound Editing, and "Hacksaw Ridge’s" Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie, and Peter Grace for Sound Mixing.
As for music, movies would not be the same without their poignant and memorable soundtracks. The Original Score from "La La Land" amplified the theme of melancholy and hope through the music soundtrack.
You can escape into an surreal jungle and experience entertainment through images like from the Visual Effects for "The Jungle Book" by Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon.
I love that movies allow great writing to shine, like Best Original Screenplay for “Manchester by the Sea” Kenneth Lonergan's emotional and raw writing.
Great actresses like Emma Stone, who won Best Actress in a Leading Role for "La La Land," embody and bring to life a fictional character whose basic struggle resonates with all the dreamers out there.
Animated Short Films like "Piper," by Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer, brilliantly delight viewers with a powerful, good feeling story in a matter of minutes.
Who has the creative power to bring an old Hollywood vibe into a modern setting? Production Design winners for "La La Land" David Wasco (Production Design); Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (Set Decoration).
Movies about tolerance aimed at younger audiences can be moving for all, even in an animal world as an Animated Feature Film like "Zootopia" by Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer.
The innovative style of "La La Land" came to life through people like Director Damien Chazelle and Linus Sandgren won Cinematography for its stunning visuals.
Movies breathe life into real people’s stories. As Viola Davis said in her Actress in a Supporting Role speech for "Fences," these touching stories are about ordinary people and deserve to be shared and celebrated. They let you live other lives and connect in a personal and profound way to beautiful stories.
The Oscars are about fashion, influential statements, and other aspects. But at the heart, this awards show is about the film industry and most importantly, the stories movies tell through their cinematic power.
