2013 Oscar Winners

Here it is - in case you missed it last night...results from the 2013 Oscars.

Winners:

Best Motion Picture: Argo
Achievement in Directing: Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

Adapted Screenplay: Argo, Chris Terrio
Original Screenplay: Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino
Original Score: Life of Pi, Mychael Danna
Original Song: "Skyfall," Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth; Skyfall
Best Animated Feature Film: Brave
Best Animated Short Film: Paperman
Achievement in Cinematography: Life of Pi, Claudio Miranda
Achievement in Visual Effects: Life of Pi

Achievement in Costume Design: Anna Karenina, Jacqueline Durran
Achievement in Makeup & Hairstyling: Les Misérables
Best Live-Action Short Film: Curfew
Best Documentary Short Subject: Inocente
Best Documentary Feature: Searching for a Sugar Man
Best Foreign-Language Film: Amour (Austria)
Achievement in Sound Mixing: Les Misérables
Achievement in Sound Editing: Zero Dark Thirty & Skyfall
Achievement in Film Editing: Argo
Achievement in Production Direction: Lincoln

Go See: "Water For Elephants"

I think I'm still on my "high" of seeing this highly emotional film, "Water For Elephants", which was based on a #1 NY Times best-selling book, written by Sara Gruen. This is yet one in a million times that I had wished I had discovered the book before the film was made. Mental note to self: Read "The Help" written by Kathryn Stockett before seeing the movie which comes out this fall starring Emma Stone and Viola Davis.

I went into this film thinking it was going to be a charming, romantic film between the two main characters, Jacob (Edward Pattinson) and Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) but there was so much more to this story - drama, touch of comedy and yes, romance (more like a love triangle). There is also a bit of animal cruelty (assimilated, of course) so if you are an animal lover, you will have a hard time stomaching some of the scenes. And, there's always a bad guy in every romance story so who better to play than "Inglorious Basterds's" Christoph Waltz. Mr. Watlz is amazing at playing a bad guy and well, let me just say that karma comes back around for his character in this film.

I won't give anything away but at the beginning of the film, it does start out with an old Hollywood icon, Hal Holbrook reminiscing about his early days, regailing his tale to a young fellow circus guy. It reminded me of "Titanic" where you hope the narrating character doesn't keel over before she finishes her epic tale of forbidden love.

Spoiler alert! (Ok, so I lied!) I will tell you this - there is one female lead in this film and she steals the show, even right out from under Reese's feet. I will say that she is 42 years old, is about 8'8" and weighs 9,000 pounds. No, I'm not talking about a cast-off from "The Biggest Loser" but I will tell you that her name is - Tai. You can read more about her here.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, step right up and feast your eyes on this amazing trailer!