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Oscar Wars, by Michael Schulman (2023)

Premise: A history of the Academy Awards told through the stories of several pivotal moments across the decades.

Review: This is a fascinating and generally successful piece of nonfiction. My only struggle with it is the decision to tell the story of the Oscars through long, in-depth vignettes, rather than through a traditional survey. (Cont.)

Thanks for the tag, @julieclair !

Favorites:
Rebecca
Sound of Music
And I can‘t decide between Shakespeare in Love and The King‘s Speech!

Want to see:
It Happened One Night
An American in Paris
Schindler‘s List (I learned & played the theme from the soundtrack in college, but I haven‘t seen the film!)

Didn‘t like:
The English Patient
Chicago
The Hurt Locker

https://www.listchallenges.com/academy-awards-for-best-picture
#tlt #ThreeListThursday

31 Oct-4 Nov 24 (audiobook)
A look at some of the more interesting stories, characters and controversies that have surrounded the Academy Awards over the course of its history including the Fontaine/deHavilland rivalry, Citizen Kane debacle, House of Unamerican Activities, #Oscarssowhite and Harvey Weinstein. Recommend to those with an interest.

My exact niche. Knew a good chunk going in but also learned a ton of BTS stuff. So fun reading the final chapter which was the “Moonlight” debacle.

#JubilantJuly #readathon midweek update

I stink at watching the time, so I‘m tracking by how far I get through the books. I finished Little Eyes on Monday - amazing book, review to come.

Making my way through Oscar Wars: I finished the 1930s chapter, which focuses on Frank Capra and Bette Davis, and the 1940s - WWII, Orson Welles, and the Olivia de Havilland-Joan Fontaine rivalry.

Last night for a little break I read 3 chapters of Benson Yu.

The last time I watched and talked about Psycho I noticed this very thing, and I am shocked to see it mentioned here because he's right: nobody ever brings this part up

I love: them
(And I love how much this author loves Some Like It Hot)

Even reading a 2 page description/discussion of It's A Wonderful Life life is enough to make me cry, sap that I am.

My reading slump unfortunately has continued into May, and I only finished 3 books last month (tagged included).

I really enjoyed this non-fiction deep dive into controversy throughout the history of the Oscars. It‘s not comprehensive, rather focusing on specific eras/stories. I was most fascinated by the coverage of Citizen Kane, Olivia de Havilland vs. Joan Fontaine, Sunset Blvd, Gregory Peck‘s presidency, and Weinstein campaign era.

Still working my way through this book, I have reached 1970 and learned that Candice Bergen's mother got very huffy about what she wore to the Oscars. I disagree, to my mind this is the Platonic ideal of 1970s Oscars regalia. 10/10, no notes. My only regret is that I cannot find a less blurry image.