Oscars at the Tropic (Rhoades)

Front Row at the Movies

Oscars at the Tropic Delivers a Red Carpet View

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

For those people who haven’t been invited to Vanity Fair’s lavish Hollywood Oscar party on March 2nd, go to the Tropic Cinema. Each year, Key West’s independent movie theater celebrates the Academy Awards with its own Red Carpet event.

This is the 86nd Oscar ceremony brought to us by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. The Tropic’s party starts off at 7 p.m. with a live simulcast of the Red Carpet parade at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater. There will be cocktails (first drink free) and hors d’ouevres in the Sussman Lounge. And all your friends, chattering about the night’s nominees.

At 8:30 p.m. the Academy Awards presentation can be viewed in the comfort of the Carper Theater. A cash bar and sweets will be available in the Lounge.

Tickets are $35 for members, $40 for non-members. And Oscar ballets are $5 each.

This year nine films are up for Best Picture: “American Hustle,” “Captain Phillips,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” Gravity,” “Her,” “Nebraska,” “Philomena,” “12 Years a Slave,” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” All have been shown on the Tropic’s four screens.

Best Actor nominees are Christian Bale, Bruce Dern, Leonardo DiCaprio, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Matthew McConaughey. And Best Actress nods went to Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Judi Dench, and Meryl Streep.

While “American Hustle” is the frontrunner in my crystal ball, don’t count out Streep. The Academy may just want to prove wrong her last year’s statement that you wouldn’t likely see her up there on the podium again.

How good is my crystal ball? We’ll just have to watch the big screen to see who takes home all those golden statuettes.

srhoades@aol.com