Oscar 2021 Wins and the Power of Connection

Watching the Oscar's has been a long tradition of mine even before I lived in Hollywood as it gives us a pulse on the world of global cinema and the world we live in. It is not a surprise that the Oscar picks this year as well as the winners reflect stories of troubled individuals trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel. 2021 continues a world of uncertainty for many people around the world where families are still living apart, shutdowns are still a reality of life and the strife has in a sense translated to the silver screen. For example, Nomadland, which won best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress depicts the story of a working nomad and widow, delicately and heart wrenchingly portrayed by Frances McDormand, that has lost her community, her sense of purpose and her home of several decades. McDormand's character represents a forgotten demographic of the elderly population in the United States, who are effectively homeless and migrate between low paid jobs across the country and live in RV parks in order to survive. This Oscar winner is a painful reminder how very deeply essential connections, family and loved ones are in our lives.

Minari, a family drama and 2021 Oscar favorite, is a look at the struggle of a Korean immigrant family in Arkansas to create a new and successful life for themselves. Again the Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actress, Youn-Yuh Jung, who plays the delightful and unconventional grandmother in this drama, underlines the power of family in an imperfect world filled with adversity.

The Father, garnering Anthony Hopkins his second Oscar win as Best Actor, tells a story of a loved father who is slowly losing his mind. The nuanced, brilliant portrayal of Hopkins alongside his on-screen daughter portrayed by Olivia Coleman, further underlines the power of connection and love and how life can be painful with the loss of these. Well being, true connection and appreciating what we have are the lessons learned by these three stories and hopefully ones that can translate to 2021.