Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Lupita Nyong'o: Oscar winner is the face of gratitude


I mostly dozed through the 86th Academy Awards in my favorite easy chair, but I'm glad I was awake for that special moment when Lupita Nyong'o won her Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in the film "12 Years A Slave," which also won the best picture award.

The naps came as the film "Gravity" gathered Oscar after Oscar for best film editing, visual effects, cinematography, original score and several others. I think the film deserved them all, as it is one great piece of work, especially for someone who likes technology. But when it was time for best actress, it was time to wake up. If you haven't seen "12 Years a Slave," it's worth the effort to get to the nearest theater or movie rental kiosk. The dramatic film by Director Steve McQueen, with screenwriting by John Ridley, deals with a part of slavery not widely known to most people – the fact that a free African-American living the good life in New York during that time period could be thrust into slavery and treated like an animal. It happened to Solomon Northup in 1841, where he spent 12 years on a cotton plantation in Louisiana.

That where Nyong'o, the star of the 2014 Oscars in my book, comes into play with powerful acting and humbling emotions for "just a piece of soap" in one of the many scenes that couldn't be ignored be the Academy judges. The Mexico-born actress, who was raised in Nairobi, Kenya, seemed to have used every ounce of her Yale University drama acting skills to bring the story of Patsey, a slave who was said to have picked 500 pounds of cotton a day.

There were a lot of stars taking the walk to the stage to receive their Oscar that night – Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto for "Dallas Buyers Club," Cate Blanchett for "Blue Jasmine" – but none did it as graceful as Nyong'o. With her flowing "Nairobi Blue" dress clutched in each hand, Nyong'o took to the stage in a way that left few dry eyes in audience. It was the most gratifying acceptance of an Oscar that I had ever witnessed. During her speech Nyong'o spoke from the heart in a poetic way that left me teary-eyed.

I'm sure we have not seen the last of Nyong'o. I think her future is bright and in her own words, her "dreams are valid."

The world has discovered Lupita Nyong'o.

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