Never in a single one of my 56 (almost 57) years have I seen all the films nominated for the Academy Awards Best Picture category.  Heck, most years I’m lucky to have seen one!

This year will be different.

What’s the use of having an empty nest if you don’t do things differently now that the kids are away, right?

When the Academy announced its nominees for 2011 earlier this week, a light went off in my head.  Heck, I’d already seen two of the films:  War Horse and The Descendants.  How difficult could it be to see the others before the Academy Awards show late in February? How many do they nominate anyway, five?

So I shot an email off to Candice and suggested we try to catch all the nominees before the show.  Candice – who would say my major failing as a human being is the fact that I seldom (read almost never) go to the movies – eagerly accepted. Okay, we’re on!  So let’s go to the Oscar website and make a plan to see the 3-4 movies still on my list.  No problem, right?

Wrong.

Nine?  Nine nominations?  Since when did they nominate NINE films for Best Picture.  Heck, what doesn’t get in?  I fully expect one of those slasher movies they are always advertising on ESPN to testosterone-fueled 18-to-25-year-old males to be on the list.

Oh well, a deal is a deal, and now that we’ve started I’m stoked!

We were going to see The Artist and Hugo this weekend, but I put a post on my Facebook page about our quest and noted that I was worried about finding a theatre that was still showing Moneyball.  A colleague (and baseball fan) quickly noted it was at the historic Avalon Theatre, and after finding out they had a “bargain” showing this afternoon at 1:45 we put it first on the list.

I loved Moneyball (I read Michael Lewis’ book when in first came out), and thought Brad Pitt and especially Jonah Hill were terrific.  I doubt the film – or War Horse or The Descendants – are of a quality to win Best Picture.  But what do I know…I still have six pictures to see!

So tomorrow, we’ll be at the historic AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring to watch The Artist.  And if you call us in the next few weeks and we don’t answer, chances are we’ll be “At the Movies!”

More to come…

DJB