Writings of Recovery

And The Oscar Goes to HP

When my oldest son was around 15, he developed a love for filmmaking. I have always enjoyed movies and we started a mother son tradition of trying to watch all the nominated movies and then watching the awards together. It has become a time of year that I treasure because it is a way to connect with him.

Some of the years have been a rough year for quality film, in my opinion. However, this has been a great year. I have appreciated who the Academy has nominated and as a result, I have watched some fantastic films I would never have watched otherwise.

This year, I ugly cried during a movie in a way I have never done before. I am so glad I was not at the theater or with someone else because I am certain I would never have been able to go there emotionally had there been witnesses. When the power of film does more than entertain; it also has the potential to heal, to hold space for the opportunity for healing. When film is a vehicle for greater understanding, growth, and transformation. What a gift a good film can be.

Here are the nominees for this year’s awards…

Best Original Screenplay…
For writing a story I never would have chosen, using a script I was constantly editing and overwriting, and placing me in scenes that demanded more courage from me than I thought I had. Yet somehow the script keeps unfolding with better character development than I could have authored myself.

And the Oscar goes to…HP.

Best Documentary Feature…

For raw unedited footage of my life. No filters. No flattering lighting. Just truth. Exposing.humbling.freeing.

And the Oscar goes to…HP.

Best Film Editing…

For cutting away what no longer serves me. For trimming relationships, beliefs, and identities that no longer fit. For leaving things on the cutting room floor.

And the Oscar goes to…HP.

Best Supporting Actor/Actress…

For holding space in every scene. Always present. A steady co-star when I forget my lines.

And the Oscar goes to…HP.

Best actor/actress in a leading role…

For teaching me how to step into my own leading role. For reminding me I am not meant to live as an extra in someone else’s story.

And the Oscar goes to…HP.

Best Sound Design

For the still, small voice that breaks through the noise. The whisper that says, stay. Speak. Let go. Trust. Forgive.

And the Oscar goes to…HP.

Best Cinematography

For the daily gifting of light and shadow. For the sunrise spilling across the horizon without asking for a selfie. The stillness of a placid lake reflecting a sky that looks too perfect to be real. For the cathedral of trees and trail, where carpets of moss invite soul rest and refreshment and the air feels sacred. For reminding me that beauty is not rare-it is all around me- I just need to notice.

And the Oscar goes to…HP.

Best Production Design

For designing a world where grief and beauty can coincide. Where waves keep waving and trees stand guard for centuries. Where light shines every morning – whether I embrace it or not.

And the Oscar goes to…HP.

Best Picture

For the masterpiece of redemption. For taking what felt like loss and turning it into transformation. For the kind of beauty that can only be seen after an ugly cry.

And the Oscar goes to…HP.