Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons 

  
Oscar time is here again, and it is not without debate. Many feel that films like “She Said,” “The Woman King” and “Nope” were overlooked, while films like “Avatar” and “Maverick” were more hype than intellect. But no matter where your allegiance lies this year, the Oscars always prove to be a reflection of the times we are living in.

Many of the films this year tell stories of struggle, personal growth and overcoming our own demons. These feelings have never been truer for many people as we deal with world events that seem uncontrollable and force us to reevaluate our place in the world. This is exactly what directors want to achieve with their films, and it appears that the 2023 roster will be no exception.

The Academy Awards will be broadcast tomorrow, March 12, on ABC with Jimmy Kimmel as the show's host.

VMAIL Weekend did a quick poll of some optical industry movie fans and here are their predictions for Best Picture Oscar winners.






Rachel Hill
Owner
Personal Optical

I will choose “Top Gun Maverick.” I love the classic Ray-Ban sunwear selection. This increased sunglass sales and gave us a fun social media topic.





Jason Sharpe
President
Eye-Kraft Optical, Inc.

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” will be a pretty strong contender this year, although out of all the nominees it’s probably more cerebral pop than art. I thought it was great, thoughtful, well done and a fun experience.





Carrie Wilson
Owner
Optigal Consulting

“Elvis.” It was a great movie!!! The cast was all TCB and Austin Butler was a hunka hunka burning love in his portrayal.





Ron Kroll
Senior Sales Executive, Lab
Ocuco

“The Banshees of Inisherin.” Who doesn’t love a good Banshee!!





Mike Rybacki
Senior Director, Business Operations
ABB

“Maverick.” I grew up with Tom Cruise during my very important, influential early 1980 years (“Taps,” “Outsiders” and “Risky Business.” We are both native New Yorkers, he is a cool dude, but he has made some bad choices in Mimi Rogers and religion!





Neil Uher
Owner
Use My Frame

“The Fablemans” looks promising.



Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Here are a few articles to educate you about this year’s Oscar contenders as well as some trivia about past Academy Award winners.

Oscar’s 2023 Trivia: The Firsts, Facts and Potential Records Worth Knowing Ahead of This Year’s Show

Take this Academy Award Trivia Quiz from Dorky Geeky Nerdy Podcast

15 Fantastic Oscar Facts from Classic FM

24 Fascinating Facts About the Oscars from ReelRundown