Since I had already seen 2013's winner Argo (which I enjoyed), I decided to watch one of the nominees from that year that I missed. Beasts of the Southern Wild was my pick because I remembered seeing an interview with the young actress Quvenzhané Wallis, who plays Hushpuppy and garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her work. While I saw the interview six years ago, Wallis' mature demeanor and vibrant energy stuck with me, and I've always been meaning to see Beasts of the Southern Wild; I've even checked it out from the library and brought it home for a week only to have the film go unwatched as work piles up and time runs out.
This film is definitely one that requires closer watching. I guess I would categorize it as magical realism, as there are beasts in the film that return to life after Antarctic ice melts and releases them into the sea. The beasts travel north to the Bathtub, which is in southern Louisiana. If the beasts weren't in the film, I would say the film is a family drama, centered around Hushpuppy and her daddy Wink (played by Dwight Henry). They have an unusual relationship where Hushpuppy has a lot of independence at a young age because Wink wants her to survive on her own. His love can be difficult to see because he's so hard on her, but the end of the film, I saw it. And wow, that scene brought me to tears. I can't find it online, so you'll just have to watch the film to see it.
While the beasts may sound strange (and they are), they provide an interesting metaphor, one I'm still trying to work out. I'm thinking that Beasts of the Southern Wild is a film that requires multiple viewings, but with only three away from my goal of watching all the Best Picture winners, a rewatching is going to have to wait.
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