Pulse

Sunday night, Hollywood and all its glamour is on display for the 84th annual Academy Awards with Billy Crystal returning as host.
This might be the first year in a long time I have caught most of the work nominated for best picture. One I didn’t see, “The Artist,” has picked up a lot of hardware from other awards in the industry including three Golden Globes and extensive recognition from critics and film festivals. The black and white, silent film is one of the frontrunners this year.

The weekend before Valentine’s Day had one romantic offering in theaters, “The Vow.” Poor Channing Tatum (“Dear John”) has lady problems again, much like every romantic drama he’s in.

This time around he’s madly in love with his wife, Paige (Rachel McAdams, “Midnight in Paris”), who doesn’t remember him after suffering a brain injury in a car accident. Instead, her memory goes back to a time before she met him and a life she had abandoned years before but can’t remember why.

The arts, specifically music, brought Brian and Susan Froedge together.

They knew each other professionally when Brian, band director at North Hardin High School, began his career in band directing and Susan came back from college to help during band camp.

After she began teaching at Radcliff Middle School, they began dating. Susan said the late Chuck Campbell, who was band director at NHHS, liked to take credit for being their matchmaker.

Vying for several Oscars, “The Descendants” finally made its way to local theaters. Among its nominations are Best Picture, Actor, Director and Adapted Screenplay.

It’s the story of Matt King, played by George Clooney (“Ides of March”). King suffers hit after hit after hit in his life as his world collapses around him. But with a family decision looming and two daughters to care for, life must go on.

That’s really what the core of this story is about. It’s about life.