The Results of the Movie Watching Saga

We really should have started watching the SAG-Award nominations the moment they showed up on our porch. In all reality… we probably should have been watching way more TV shows all year to be able to vote with confidence. But… regardless, we are done. The SAG-Award votes had to be turned in by Friday, January 17th as the awards were being given out Sunday the 19th.

We were able to get through so many good films. I decided to only vote for the film categories. There were just so many television series to watch. We attempted to watch a few but after one episode it was difficult to judge someone’s acting for the entire series. So… instead of binging over a dozen series, I opted to vote just for film.

Now, just voting for film, we were still needing to watch sixteen films that were nominated for various categories. We tried our best to get through them all. Seeing as how we’d only really watched “Avengers Endgame” of all the nominations, we had many late nights. We opted not to watch a couple and ran out of time for the rest so the final count was eleven films out of sixteen. We were comfortable with that so we voted.

Here are my favorite movies that we we watched. Be warned that many of the movies have adult content, language, etc. As with any movie (especially before showing to children), check out the parental guidance on IMDB or other trusted review websites before watching-

“Harriet”

Now… if you haven’t seen “Harriet” go out and watch it. It is an amazing script with wonderful acting. The movie tells the true story of Harriet Tubman. I loved how Harriet’s devotion to God was expressed in the movie in such a pure and profound way. In a time when people seem afraid to make good, wholesome movies that talk about God, I was glad that the writers and directors of this movie were so unapologetic. This is one movie that I will be sure to watch with my children when they are a bit older (it did have some violence, adult themes, and period appropriate language).

“JoJo Rabbit”

I was very excited to watch this movie. In all reality, I was a bit curious how they were going to make a movie about WWII into a comedy, seeing as how it’s such a recent wound to so many people. The directors took a moderate approach to the humor, which I appreciated, and yet… I was a tad disappointed with as well. It was a tough line to walk. The beginning of the movie started off super funny, then it tapered off. It was largely physical humor, which I also felt could have been a bit more. That being said, it was a compelling storyline as it was told entirely in a child perspective. “JoJo Rabbit” was one that I was happy to have watched, but not one I would own. Be aware that there is some language. And on that subject… I am not a fan of children cussing in movies (this movie does have a child saying a word that I am shocked to hear from an adult). Come on directors… be respectful of childlike innocence and purity.

“Parasite”

What an interesting movie. This was the only foreign film that was submitted for the SAG awards. The cast won the nomination for outstanding performance and totally deserved it. They were amazing. The storyline was gripping and thought provoking. It follows a family of tightwads that work the system to their advantage. As a family they are tight knit and cunning as they weasel their way into working for an affluent household. Be aware that this movie is rated “R” for language, sexual content, and violence. I generally would not even watch a rated “R” movie. Please don’t judge me harshly. It was in a foreign language, so the language didn’t bother my auditory senses and we did fast forward (or close eyes during a scene or two). That being said, it was a thought provoking and plot twisting film.

“Ford v Ferrari”

Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in this film based on true events. Christian Bale was nominated for best lead actor and deserved the nomination. He was phenomenal. The story is about a couple of race car drivers who are on a team to build a faster race car for the Ford motor company. The hope is that they can beat Ferrari in a world famous race and save the face of the company. It highlights the real corporate drama, internal turmoil, family sacrifices, and passion of driver Ken Miles and designer Carroll Shelby. I love true, inspiring stories. This is definitely one to watch.

“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”

Alright… what to say about this one. I was not nearly as impressed with Tom Hank’s performance of Mr. Rogers as everyone else seemed to be. To me… I thought he made Mr. Rogers look like a bit of a fool. The lead, Matthew Rhys, was not that fun to watch. I thought his performance was a bit… fake. It was hard to stay engaged in the movie because I just couldn’t believe him. That being said, I did love learning a bit about Fred Rogers. More movies should be made of good people. This film was such a sweet tribute to him as a person of faith and love. He was portrayed as a kind, loving, thoughtful, God-fearing, person of integrity. I definitely want to show this movie to my kiddos. I’d love for them to see a behind the scenes of the inspiration for the show “Daniel Tiger.” Funny enough… I tried to show them the original “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” and they were a tad bored. It’s such a fast paced world we live in now.

I have determined that next year, we will start watching the nominations earlier. Maybe we will even attempt to vote on the television series. Who knows. This was such a fun experience that I got to share with my hubby. I’m excited to make a tradition of it.