It’s always a struggle to see all the Oscar nominated films each year without leaving the North Fork. (Unless of course you have friends in SAG or the Academy who are willing to share their screeners. Tsk, tsk.)
Unfortunately, so many of the films don’t get a wide release until after the nominations are announced — which finally happened this morning — and even then you might need to plan a trip to Stony Brook or Holbrook to see them.
You should jump at any opportunity you have to see them here. This is our guide to the Oscar nominated films you can see this weekend without crossing Route 105. Click on the page links below to see which films are playing.
‘Ida’
Mattituck-Laurel Library
Friday — 1:30 p.m.
‘Ida’ is a film you might not have heard of until after you saw the list of nominees today, but it’s a multi-category nominee, earning nods in both the Foreign Language Film and Cinematography categories. The film, from Poland, is about “a young woman preparing to become a nun is sent from her convent home into the secular world to spend several days with her only relative,” according to a description on Oscars.com. The film was released on DVD in September, so you can also watch it in the comfort of your own home. Amazon Prime subscribers can stream it free by clicking here. Our recommendation, however, would be to see the film with some of your neighbors at the library Friday.
‘Wild’
Mattituck Cinemas
Thursday — 7:10 p.m.
‘Wild’ received two acting nominations, but you better hurry if you want to see it here. It’s playing at 7:10 p.m. tonight at Mattituck Cinemas but it’s not in the rotation beyond today. Star Reese Witherspoon, an Oscar winner for ‘Walk the Line,’ earned a best actress nomination. Meanwhile, Laura Dern earned a nod in the supporting category, her first nomination in more than 20 years. Based on the memoir of the same name, the movie is about “a young woman who attempts to reclaim control of her life by undertaking a thousand-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail,” according to Oscars.com.
‘American Sniper’
Mattituck Cinemas
Friday — 7 p.m., 9:45 p.m.
Saturday — 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m., 9:45 p.m.
Sunday — 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m.
‘American Sniper’ finally gets its wide release Friday and the film will be screened at Mattituck Cinemas. It earned nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor and Adapted Screenplay as well as three others. It marks star Bradley Cooper’s third consecutive nomination following ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ and ‘American Hustle.’ He’s very American. The movie is based on the true story of “Chris Kyle, one of the most skilled snipers in U.S. military history,” according to the description on Oscars.com. It was directed by Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood.
‘Selma’
Mattituck Cinemas
Thursday — 6:40 p.m.
Friday — 6:40 p.m., 9:30 p.m.
Saturday — 12:40 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 6:40 p.m., 9:30 p.m.
Sunday — 12:40 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 6:40 p.m.
‘Selma’ was among the most snubbed films this year after it failed to earn predicted nominations for its star David Oyelowo and director Ava Duvernay following backlash over the accuracy in which it depicts Martin Luther King Jr.’s relationship with former president Lyndon Johnson. Duvernay would have been the first black woman ever nominated for a directing Oscar. It also means no black actors were nominated this year for the first time since 1998. The film did, however, earn the coveted Best Picture nod and a nomination for Best Original Song for ‘Glory,’ performed by rapper Common, who plays a role in the film, and singer John Legend. It’s already playing at Mattituck and will remain in the rotation another week.
‘Unbroken’
Mattituck Cinemas
Thursday — 7 p.m.
Friday — 6:30 p.m.
Saturday — 6:30 p.m.
Sunday — 6:30 p.m.
Angelina Jolie’s ‘Unbroken,’ based on the non-fiction book of the same name, is another film that stumbled during awards season, but still earned minor nominations for Cinematography, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. Here’s the description from Oscar.com: “Young Louie Zamperini’s talent as a runner takes him to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but the Second World War cuts short his dream of competing four years later in Tokyo. Joining the fighting as a U.S. Navy bombardier, Zamperini soon finds himself facing hardships that will test the will and determination that have been the driving forces of his earlier life.”
‘Into the Woods’
Mattituck Cinemas
Thursday — 6:50 p.m.
Friday — 6:50 p.m., 9:20 p.m.
Saturday — 12:50 p.m., 3:50 p.m., 6:50 p.m., 9:20 p.m.
Sunday — 12:50 p.m., 3:50 p.m., 6:50 p.m.
It wouldn’t be the Oscars if Meryl Streep wasn’t nominated, or so it sometimes seems. She earned her record 19th nomination for ‘Into the Woods’ — this time in the supporting actress category. It’s her fourth nod in the past six years. The film, based on the Stephen Sondheim musical, was also nominated for Costume Design and Production Design. In the movie, “stories from familiar fairy tales intertwine as their characters take on tasks and challenges that will change their lives,” according to Oscar.com.
‘Boyhood’
There are several nominated films, particularly in the minor categories, available on DVD or streaming. Our pick from all those is the Best Picture favorite ‘Boyhood.’ It’s a classic for the way it was filmed, one week a year over a dozen years using the same actors, but it also tells an important story of how we grow in adolescence and how parents impact us as they find their own way through lives. The film was nominated for six Oscars, including best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette and Best SUpporting Actor for Ethan Hawke, who play the parents. Here’s how Oscar.com describes it: ” Over the course of 12 years, a young boy named Mason experiences the joys and difficulties of childhood. The child of divorced parents, both of whom are facing their own set of challenges, Mason, along with his sister Samantha, learns to navigate through a world in which the strengths and frailties of the adults around him have a profound impact on his own life.” You’ll find a few streaming options by clicking here.
