The Oscars will be airing their 90th awards ceremony Sunday, March 4. This year’s host is late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who is returning to the Oscars for the second time in a row. However, with the increasingly diverse reactions people have toward award shows recently, it was a mystery whether or not UVU students would even tune in.
Hannah Peay, sophomore computer science major, explained how she actually looked forward to both the Oscar awards as well as the red carpet pre-show. She hopes that actress Saoirse Ronan and director Greta Gerwig of Lady Bird win because she liked their skills, and Gerwig was the only nominated female director.
Sophomore computer science major Kyle Wandelt explained that while he typically only gets the highlights after the Oscars has aired, he’s considering watching just to see if the movie he’s rooting for wins Best Picture.
“I’m rooting for Dunkirk,” said Wandelt. “I’m all Christopher Nolan. I think he’s done some of the best movies ever. I just like [how] he does movies that are original. Look at Inception and Interstellar, there’s never been a movie really like [them] before. And like the way he did [Dunkirk] with the different timelines all matching up — I love it.”
While some students were excited for the Oscars and its subsequent winners, others didn’t care about catching the show, but were mildly interested in finding some movie recommendations from the winners list.
Heidi Petersen, sophomore computer science major said, “I actually don’t have TV, I only have Netflix. So maybe I’ll watch some of it [on YouTube] just to find out what good movies are out there. If it’s good, then they should win, and then I’ll watch it.”
It is also hard for some students to ignore the increasing political movements and politically charged speeches that have become the norm during Hollywood award shows.
“This year is very interesting, because of the #metoo movement. Like at the Golden Globes they all wore black … And like All the Money in the World, Kevin Spacey was in it, and they completely refilmed every scene and put Christopher Palmer in it. Which I think is a big statement within itself because they’re like, ‘we’re not going to tolerate that’,” Peay said.
On the other hand, there are a few students who find the politics to be a reason not to watch.
“I’m perfectly okay with giving [actors] recognition, and letting them have their little moment in the sun,” said English major Adam Martinez. “The part where I check out, is when it does turn political because, frankly, I [watch] these things for the entertainment value. And while I am interested in their perspectives on the industry, I don’t see why Hollywood is a good political appendage for any movement.”
