Hurray for Hollywood, and Bollywood and Australia too! It’s that time of the year again. The Oscars, with first time host from down under, Hugh Jackman, will be broadcast at 8 PM EST on ABC this Sunday evening (February 22, 2009). Competition for Best Picture is particularly fierce this year. Will it be The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or Frost/Nixon or Milk or The Reader or Slumdog Millionaire? Which ever film wins, you can count on the Westport Library to have plenty of copies of it and the other contenders available for loan when the movie is released on DVD.
How we determine the number of copies available to loan is a question frequently asked of the AV staff. At present, the library has a ratio of 1 copy for every 8 holds. For popular movies, we purchase a first come first serve one night loan (Express) copy and 3 day loan copies. All this is accomplished within budget constraints.
In the meantime, I would like to wear my heart on my sleeve and write about my pick in three categories. I will be routing for Frank Langella to walk away with the Best Actor trophy for Frost/Nixon. Mr. Langella inhabits every role and has been a favorite since he sprang to life as Dracula. Finally, here was the Dracula I imagined when my Victorian Literature class read the original novel. Bella Lagosi just wasn’t that guy. And, my pick for Best Picture is certainly influenced by my spouse who is a fan of Slumdog Millionaire’s British born Director Danny Boyle. Also in honor of my husband may I predict Martin McDonagh, the Irish Playwright for Best Writing (Original Screenplay)will win for the film In Bruges. (I even impressed my skeptical spouse when he found out the library had copies of the movie prior to the nomination announcement.)
So, what are your choices? You can pick up a copy of the official ballot in the library or link to it here.
