It’s Award Season Again!

January 14, 2013

For film lovers, the months between January and March mean one thing: award season. This is the time when stars don their Versace gowns and Armani suits to entertain the world with their excess. The exciting part of this year’s awards, however, is that several of the frontrunners are based on books. Lincoln, Les Miserables, and Silver Linings Playbook were all novels before they traveled to the big screen.

Perhaps the most acclaimed of these films is Lincoln, based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. The book tells of the story of Lincoln’s relationship with three of his cabinet members. Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field practically have awards in hand for their performances of Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln.

Les Miserables, taken from the historic novel and musical of the same name, has some great expectations for acting as well. Anne Hathaway as Fantine and Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean have both been heralded for their performances, and the movie is expected to continue to do well at the box office.

The lesser-known Silver Linings Playbook has earned Jennifer Lawrence her second Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Known best for her portrayal as Katniss of The Hunger Games fame, Lawrence stars with Bradley Cooper in the film about a man returning home after being released from a mental institution. The movie is based on the book of the same name by Matthew Quick.

If you haven’t caught any of these films in theaters, I recommend checking them out before the big Oscar night, February 24th. Or better yet, check the books out first. MCPL has copies of all three novels in our collection. Place your holds now!

Jamie Crawford
Platte City Branch