Awards season is a scary and stressful time. There’s no doubt that the nominees on the red carpet will go through some crazy emotions and we, diehard fans, often feel the need to yell, scream or cheer at our screens, right along with them.
From the day the nominations are released to the post-Oscars opinions articles, film buffs go through quite the emotional roller coaster. Here's how we feel on the day of the Oscars:
Fear
The Oscar nominations are announced in mid-January and the hours leading up to the press release are filled with crinkled foreheads, over-bitten nails and obsessive Rotten Tomatoes research.
We refresh the Google news results for “Oscars 2015” and wait until a live video or summary article is posted so we can quickly skim all of our favorites.
Frustration
Upon reading the official nominees, every film buff mutters (or yells) some variation of: “BUT WHAT ABOUT__!!!”
Whether you think David Oyelowo was snubbed or "Birdman" took up way too much of the spotlight, there’s bound to be at least one thing you would change about the all-too-small list of nominees.
Outspokenness
Okay, this isn’t really an emotion, but there’s no better way to describe that post-nominations phase, when every film buff just wants to talk about his or her feelings.
We read articles, call our friends and reach out to anyone willing to listen so that we can complain about how "The Grand Budapest Hotel" is definitely not Wes Anderson’s best, and isn’t it annoying that mainstream Hollywood is just now acknowledging his talent?
This is also when we almost get sick of saying the sentence: “If ___ doesn’t win, I swear to God…”
Anxiety
Once we’re done voicing opinions about the films we’ve seen, it’s time to take out that list of noms and head to the theater.
The few weeks leading up to the ceremony are filled with the stress of having to choose which films to prioritize, figuring out how much money we’re about to spend on tickets and wondering why Netflix can’t just do us all a big favor and let us stream every “Best Picture” nominee.
Excitement
Once we've seen all the movies and we’ve settled on the couch with a group of our quietest friends, it’s time to celebrate the love of our lives.
The first few minutes of the Oscars broadcast is meant to remind us of why we are so in love with motion pictures.
We reminisce all the magic of filmmaking and how much these films, which we love, have formed our lives.
The host takes the stage and we see a room full of nearly every film genius ever and, for a second, it’s nice to just be whisked away by the beautiful world of storytelling.
Anger
Our love for the industry quickly fades upon the announcement of the first big category when we realize how ridiculous it is to try to compare two incredibly different cinematography styles and we are ready to defend our favorite Director/DP duos to the death.
Sure, the winner was a beautiful movie but our pick was one of the best films of all time! This is also known as the Kanye West phase and luckily, it doesn’t last too long.
Apathy
Once the Kanye in us is, at last, escorted back to his seat, we feel defeated. We start viewing awards as trivial because comparing two pieces of art is as impossible as hating a Hitchcock film.
We realize that the Oscars is really just a political game wherein not everyone can win.
It will be okay, we decide. And, our favorite nominees have already enjoyed the reward of fame and fortune — what’s a gold statue anyway?
We sit quietly and try to identify all of the audience members until it’s time for Best Picture.
Curiosity
The day after the Oscars tends to be even more interesting than the event itself, just for all of the reactions.
Every film buff has his or her go-to critics and sites, and it’s gratifying to realize that everyone else went through the exact same journey.
We read up on opinions, re-watch highlights of the show and attempt to understand the formula for how Best Picture films are picked.
Love
Once it’s all said and done, our opinions have been voiced and we’ve made peace with all of the under-appreciated pictures, we again remind ourselves why we suffer through this emotional turmoil.
Entertainment is escapism; we fall in love with different worlds and those experiences are so powerful that we feel connected to people we’ve only actually seen in pixels. And really, there’s nothing cooler than that.
