Westerly Sun Column | We're Screening Oscar-Nominated Films in March

Between the Winter Olympics, the 24/7 news cycle, and the 2nd season of The Pitt (I love that show), there’s no shortage of things to watch on television at the moment. Awards season is also well underway, with the 98th Academy Awards airing on March 15th. As usual, there is a long list of movies that have been nominated – some of them breaking records – and you may want to watch a few of them before then. While we’re still waiting for a few to come out on DVD, many are currently available at the library.

One of the films at the forefront of this year’s awards ceremony is “Sinners”, the supernatural horror film directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan. The movie earned a record-breaking 16 nominations this year, including one for Best Picture. Coogler and Jordan have a long history, having previously worked together on “Creed”, “Creed III”, “Fruitvale Station”, and “Black Panther”, all of which are available for checkout through our consortium. With “Sinners”, you can have quite the movie marathon! 

There are a range of actors up for awards this year, from first-time nominees like Teyana Taylor to old pros such as Sean Penn and Leonardo DiCaprio (all of whom were nominated for their roles in “One Battle after Another”). Jacob Elordi and Elle Fanning both received their first Oscar nods this year – for “Frankenstein” and “Sentimental Value”, respectively – though the two actors are far from new to the acting scene. Unfortunately, neither of these films have been released on DVD yet, but you can watch Elordi in acclaimed movies like “Saltburn” (2023) and Fanning in “20th Century Women” (2016) to get a glimpse of their talent.

If you missed them in theatres, it can be difficult figuring out HOW to watch the Oscar nominees, especially if you don’t subscribe to all of the streaming options. We’re taking just a bit of the guesswork out of it for you, by screening four of the popular nominees at the library during our “Oscar Movie Matinee” series in March! From 1-3:30 pm on the first two Mondays and Fridays of the month, you are invited to join us in the Auditorium for a free showing of the films. Visit our website or Facebook page for the full details of which films are being shown! Of course, if you prefer to watch the films in the privacy of your own homes, we totally understand that, too. Many of the DVDs are currently available for checkout at the library, and you can add your name to the holds list for those that are still awaiting their physical release.

By Cassie Skobrak, Adult Services Librarian