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The 94th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will honor the best films released between March 1 and December 31, 2021. It will take place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on March 27 and will be hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes. The event will be televised live on ABC starting at 8pm that evening, but before then, catch up on some of the nominated films by checking out the DVDs at the library!

 

King Richard

This film that follows the life of Richard Williams, the father and coach of famed tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, is nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role for Will Smith, who plays Richard, and Actress in a Supporting Role for Aunjanue Ellis who plays Oracene Price, the mother of the Williams sisters.

 

Belfast

Nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture, Belfast follows a young boy’s childhood in the capital of Northern Ireland at the beginning of “The Troubles” in 1969. The film is straight from director Kenneth Branagh’s own experiences. A nine-year-old boy must chart a path towards adulthood through a world that has suddenly turned upside down. His stable and loving community and everything he thought he understood about life is changed forever but joy, laughter, music, and the formative magic of the movies remain.

 

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

This movie is nominated for both Actress in a Leading Role and Makeup and Hairstyling. Jessica Chastain plays the title character in this intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. In the 1970s and 80s, Tammy Faye and her husband, Jim Bakker, rose from humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park, and were revered for their message of love, acceptance, and prosperity. Tammy Faye was legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life. However, it wasn’t long before financial improprieties, scheming rivals, and scandal toppled their carefully constructed empire.

 

Encanto

Nominated for Animated Feature Film and Music (Original Score), Encanto has been praised for its representation, including its portrayal of Afro-Latinos, Colombian culture, and physically strong women. It is centered around the Madrigals, an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a charmed place called the Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift – every child except Mirabel. However, she soon may be the family’s last hope when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is now in danger.

 

Spencer

Kristen Stewart is nominated for the Actress in a Leading Role award for her portrayal of Princess Diana in this film, which spans a 72 hour period of the royal’s life over Christmas 1991.

The marriage between Diana and Prince Charles has long since grown cold. Though rumors of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at the queen’s estate. Diana knows the game, but this year, things will be profoundly different.

 

Dune 

Nominated in an impressive ten categories including Best Picture, Dune is the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, primarily covering the first half of the book. Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive.

 

Jen Pace Dickenson is the youth services librarian for Polk County Public Libraries. For information about the library’s resources, programs, and other services, visit polklibrary.org or call 828-894-8721.