On Sunday night, we hosted our second (annual) Oscars party, a tradition started by our friend Wai Kiu in Sacramento. Kelvin is a huge movie buff and, given that I was pretty sleep-deprived from a long week of OB, really carried the party :) We did some of the same things as last year -- recommended that guests dress up in costume from a, not necessarily an Oscar-winner 2012-2013 movies, played Oscars trivia, competed over the Oscars ballots, and ate pizza, movie popcorn, and other snacks.
This year, we added a few twists---
1. A bowtie for Pepper (yes, we realize she's a girl doggie but it was just too cute).
2. A red carpet that awaited our guests! (Thanks, Amazon!)
3. A backdrop for guest picture-taking (thanks, Lisa!).
Pre-party pictures...
I dressed (in low-key fashion as characterizes most of my "dressing up"-- in leggings and workout gear!) as Tiffany, the unstable widow (played by Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence) from Silver Linings Playbook, a very entertaining film about two bipolar people, each of whom think the other is crazier than the other, and who work to compete in a dance competition at the end of the movie (the film really is better, and less weird, than it sounds!).
Kelvin went as Pat (Jr.), the male lead in the same movie (played by Bradley Cooper) who goes jogging regularly in a grey hoodie covered by a trash bag :).
Scott also showed up in the same costume-- love it!
Pat, squared!
Lisa dressed as "the shower scene" from Hitchcock...
... and won our Oscar for "best costume"
More curtain fun:
Scott & Lisa Mandy & Sam
From Django Unchained ---
Jose
Elise, from The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Josh, Bond from Skyfall
From The Hunger Games:
Rob & Alyssa Jenna & Sean
Here are scenes from our living room (with people intently studying their ballots):
I thought Seth McFarlane was a great host of this year's Oscars. K and I had seen many of the (great) films in 2012 nominated this year which also made the awards pretty interesting to watch.
We LOVED Argo, a movie directed by Ben Affleck and which is based on the true story of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis in which the CIA, collaborating with a Hollywood movie team, conceives and executes an elaborate plot to get 6 escaped American captives, sheltered by the Canadian ambassador, out of the country safely. Not only because I'm a child of diplomats (my parents personally knew two of the six "captives"!) was it good--- it was one of the most suspenseful movies I have ever watched! It was really disappointing that Ben Affleck was snubbed from the "Best Director" nomination, but he deserves so much credit for the film winning "Best Picture." If you haven't already, SEE THIS AMAZING MOVIE!
We also enjoyed Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis was phenomenal as always in this film and wholly deserved the "Best Actor" Oscar), Les Miserables (I love musicals and was really impressed with all the actors' voices [except Russell Crowe's]), and, obviously, Silver Linings Playbook. I am looking forward to seeing Life of Pi (after reading the book many years ago) and Zero Dark Thirty, at some point.
I must say that one of the highlights of this year's Oscars was seeing Jennifer Lawrence win the "Best Actress" Oscar. She was phenomenal in Silver Linings Playbook as well as the Hunger Games, which wasn't nominated for anything but which was also a well done movie, and true to the book.
She is so humble, funny, and so very "normal." How horrifying it would have been to trip going up to the Oscars stage to receive her award (as she did and which is something I would totally do in a situation like that when all eyes are on you), but how amazing to handle it as she did. You can see some of her many endearing qualities in this You Tube video. LOVE this actress and can't wait to see more from her!
It seemed that everyone had fun at the party.
Josh came away (for the second year in a row!) with the Oscar for most # trivia questions answered correctly.
Alyssa came home with the grand prize... she guessed the most (19/24) winners of all the Oscar categories. Congrats!
What were your favorite Oscars moments?
We can't wait for Oscars 2014!
