Every year, my mom and I would settle in on the couch and watch the Oscars. We’d ooh and aah over the exquisite gowns the movie stars were wearing.
Some of the outfits were way over the top, like the year Cher wore a huge headdress. Elizabeth Taylor showed off her diamonds and her shoulders, and Audrey Hepburn always wore classy and tasteful gowns.
Usually, we’d seen all the movies nominated for awards, so we always had a film or star we were rooting for to take home the gold statue.
In the past few years as streaming services dominate the process, more than likely, I haven’t seen the nominated movies. From this year’s list, it looks like the most I’ve missed is misery and anguish.
That’s not what I look for in a movie. Yes, I know movies that shine the light on discrimination and true suffering are worthwhile and need to be made and seen. Movies also reflect what’s going on in society.
But when doom and gloom are mostly all that’s offered, and the news is nothing but bad to worse, having movies that uplift is even more important.
Back in the 50s, movie stars were America’s royalty. We knew little of their personal lives other than what their publicists wanted us to know. Feel-good movies like “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “Father of the Bride” made us smile and laugh.
We had stars like the swashbuckling Erroll Flynn and the gorgeous Grace Kelly. They lit up the screen with class and beauty. The movie “Imitation of Life” was one of the first films to introduce me to looking at life through the eyes of people of color.
The 1960s reflected turbulent times. Popular movies were “Easy Rider” and “Midnight Cowboy.” The stars were grungy guys, not good-looking stars like Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier and Rock Hudson.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” opened the door to talks about how we look at people from different classes. The movie showed viewers that discrimination crosses both color and cultural barriers.
The 60s also gave us a break with fun musicals like “Mary Poppins” and “My Fair Lady.”
But then there’s “Psycho,” a movie that still scares the life out of me. The music alone is terrifying.
The 1970s weren’t much better. “Apocalypse Now” and “The Deer Hunter” reminded us of the futility of the war in Vietnam and its effects on the soldiers who served. “Deliverance” remains the only movie I’ve ever walked out of because of a few scenes that sickened me.
“All the President’s Men” was a reminder of the corruption in Washington, D.C., but “Rocky” reminded us that one person can overcome the odds and come out a champion, even if he or she doesn’t win the fight.
I guess we got tired of the dreadfulness in films, and in the 80s, hope and laughs returned to the cinemas. We still quote lines from the slapstick film “Airplane.” The beautifully acted and costumed “Moonstruck” remains one of my all-time favorite movies almost 40 years later.
“The Breakfast Club” allowed adults to see teens as young people trying to figure out life. “Field of Dreams” still makes me cry and is a movie most fathers and sons should watch together some time in their life.
Then we took a turn back to grim reality in the 1990’s. “Schindler’s List,” like “Saving Private Ryan,” is a film I could only watch once. The horrors people inflicted on others because of their culture and religion is still sickening.
The movie “Philadelphia” reminded us that it wasn’t just people of a different religion we feared. It was people whose lifestyle was different than ours.
The 2000s started off a bit more hopeful with “The Pursuit of Happyness” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” Both were stories of underdogs who beat the system to find they could achieve their dreams.
In the last 20 years, we’ve had some great fantasy films. Marvel gave us “Iron Man,” “The Hulk” and “The Avengers” to name a few, and “Spiderman” was a fun story that remains popular.
“Wicked” reminds us of the power of friendship between women and “Hidden Figures” reminded us that greatness comes from all genders and races.
Next year, even though I’ll probably miss most of the nominated films, I’ll still tune in to the Oscars. I want to see the gowns, the pageantry and the glitz and the glamor that American royalty, Hollywood, has to offer.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.