Newspaper, movie theater kick off annual Oscar contest
In his job as manager of Carmike Cinema 6 at the Uniontown Mall, Paul Guthrie probably screens as many as 80 to 100 movies each year. But when it comes time for this year’s 77th annual Academy Awards contest, Guthrie is reluctant to look into his crystal ball to predict which films and stars could be headed on the road to gold.
“I really haven’t thought much about this year’s Oscars,” he said. “But I do know one thing. There is always a lot of interest in the Academy Awards contest.”
Guthrie may not be prepared to pick the winners this year, but he is hoping that Herald-Standard readers will take the time to select their favorite films and stars, as the newspaper and Carmike Cinemas kick off the 27th annual Academy Awards contest.
The popular contest normally attracts hundreds of entries each year, and Guthrie said he expects at least 200 or 300 readers to enter the competition.
The winners of this year’s Academy Awards contest will be announced on Sunday, Feb. 27, marking the second year in a row that the telecast will be held one month earlier.
Although the winning movies, stars and directors can be difficult to predict, Guthrie said he expects this year’s contest to be a little bit easier.
“I figure it will be easier this year because there really weren’t a whole lot of great movies out there in 2004,” he said. “I can’t even think of one movie that really grabbed my attention this year.”
In some cases, Guthrie said it is difficult for readers to pick the winning films and stars because some of the movies that were nominated for awards were not released in smaller markets like Fayette County.
“The movies are usually released out West and in New York City before they open up nationwide,” he said. “Some of the movies never even make it to Uniontown, so that makes it more difficult for movie fans to predict which ones are going to win.”
Like most Fayette County movie fans, Guthrie said he enjoys watching action/drama movies and comedies.
“I like the action movies and comedies, and I’ve noticed that those movies seem to do fairly well in this area,” he said. “I get to see my fair share of them because we are supposed to screen them to make sure everything is all right before we show them.
“But there are certain movies that I won’t watch,” he added. “I don’t watch anything that has a lot of singing and dancing in it. I’m just not into musicals.”
Guthrie, who has been working at Carmike Cinemas for eight years, including three at the Laurel Mall and five at the Uniontown Mall, said he has noticed that the same people seem to frequent movies.
“There are certain people who are interested in movies, and they are the ones who are always coming to see the movies,” he said. “We see the same people all of the time. I probably recognize the faces of several hundred people. I have even gotten to know some of them, but most of the time I’m really busy just trying to take care of things and get people in and out of the theater.”
Guthrie said the regular movie goers are the ones who usually enter the Academy Awards contest each year.
In the Academy Awards contest, Guthrie said Herald-Standard readers must select all of the winners in each of the six categories to become eligible to win the contest.
If more than one person selects the winners, the theater has a random drawing to decide the winner.
In the past, there have been occasions when no one has picked all of the winners.
When that happens, the winner is the person who only missed one category. If all the entrants missed one category, then the person who only missed two wins the contest.
On Sunday, Feb. 27, the winners will be announced in the televised Academy Awards show, where the Oscars will be presented.
Since the Oscar contest first began in 1978, Herald-Standard readers have had the chance to win free movie passes and cash prizes for correctly picking the winners.
Carmike Cinemas will provide free movies passes, and the Herald-Standard will offer cash prizes to winners. Carmike employees also will tabulate the winning entries.
The prizes are as follows:
– First place, a $100 check and 20 “trip tickets,” each good for one single movie admission at either the Cinema 6 at the Uniontown Mall or the Cinema IV at the Laurel Mall.
– Second place, a $50 check and 14 “trip tickets” that can be used at the two theaters.
– Third place, a $25 check and eight “trip tickets” that can be used at the two theaters.
Guthrie explained that the movie theater dropped the number of “trip tickets” that will be awarded as prizes this year. The new movie passes also include a $1 service charge on each of them, which is a change from previous years.
If there is a tie in the contest, which has occurred in the past, a tie-breaking lottery will take place at Cinema 6.
The decisions of the judges are final. The rules of this year’s contest are as follows:
– The number of entries is limited to two per household. Those who enter more than two per household will have all of their entries disqualified.
– Full-size photocopies of the entry form are acceptable as contest entries. However, handwritten or differently sized photocopies are not acceptable and will be disqualified.
– Entries can also be dropped off at collection boxes at the Herald-Standard offices in Uniontown, Brownsville and Connellsville. Entries can be mailed to the Herald-Standard/Carmike Cinemas Academy Awards Contest in care of Carmike Cinema 6, Uniontown Mall, Uniontown, Pa. 15401. Entries can also be mailed to the Herald-Standard, 8-18 E. Church St., Uniontown, Pa. 15401, but the envelope must be clearly labeled “Academy Awards Contest.”
– Mailed entries must be postmarked no later than Saturday, Feb. 26, which is one day before the Academy Award winners will be announced on television. Entries postmarked after Feb. 26 will be disqualified.
– Dropped off entries at all locations must be received by noon Friday, Feb. 25, two days before the Academy Award winners will be announced on television. Entries dropped off after that deadline will be disqualified. In an optional and non-competitive category, entrants also have the opportunity to list their favorite movie of 2004.
The winners and their immediate family members will be treated to a movie party at the Cinema 6.
At that party, winners will have their photograph taken for publication in the Herald-Standard. The winners will have a chance to watch a movie of their choice free of charge. They will receive a free soft drink and large popcorn.
The six categories in this year’s Academy Awards contest and the Oscar nominees in each category are:
Best Picture
“The Aviator,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Finding Neverland,” “Ray” and Sideways.”
Best Actor
Clint Eastwood, “Million Dollar Baby;” Jamie Foxx, “Ray;” Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Aviator;” Johnny Depp, “Finding Neverland;” and Don Cheadle, “Hotel Rwanda.”
Best Actress
Hilary Swank, “Million Dollar Baby;” Annette Bening, “Being Julia;” Catalina Sandino Moreno, “Maria Full of Grace;” Imelda Staunton, “Vera Drake;” and Kate Winslet, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”
Best Supporting Actor
Jamie Foxx, “Collateral;” Alan Alda, “The Aviator;” Morgan Freeman, “Million Dollar Baby;” Thomas Haden Church, “Sideways;” and Clive Owen, “Closer.”
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, “The Aviator;” Laura Linney, “Kinsey;” Virginia Madsen, “Sideways;” Sophie Okonedo, “Hotel Rwanda;” and Natalie Portman, “Closer.”
Best Director
Martin Scorsese, “The Aviator;” Clint Eastwood, “Million Dollar Baby;” Taylor Hackford, “Ray;” Mike Leigh, “Vera Drake;” and Alexander Payne, “Sideways.”