oscar nominated films

Next Sunday, February 26, the 89th Academy Awards will be televised.

And, oh, I'm so woefully unprepared.

The Academy Awards are my Super Bowl. I look forward to them every year. I don't host a party for the annual awarding of the Oscars, but my movie-loving husband and I do spend the evening in front of the television cheering on our favorites of the films and their makers — actors, directors, and otherwise — of the nominated pictures we've seen.

Which is where the "woefully unprepared" part comes in. We haven't seen all the contenders this year. Not even half of them.

Which stinks. I consider myself a prolific movie watcher, yet this past year I've been more of a pathetic movie watcher.

I'm giving myself this week to catch up on watching the contenders I've missed. And I'm letting you in on the plan just in case you, too, need a week to watch a few more films before the big night.

For your consideration, the contenders in the top categories:

And the ones I've seen:

• HELL OR HIGH WATER

• JACKIE

• LA LA LAND

• ARRIVAL

Gah! I have a lot of catching up to do. In a week.

So if you see very little of me here or on social media or elsewhere this coming week, you can bet it's because I'm sitting in front of the big screen — big screen TV — whittling down the list of contenders I've yet to see.

As long as I can find at least a few of those films streaming on services to which I already subscribe, that is. Because you can also bet I'm not paying to purchase any to play through OnDemand or elsewhere. It's the crazy cost of going to the movies nowadays that crimped my movie-going style and created my need to catch up in the first place.

Wish me luck!

Today's question:

Which of the contenders have you seen and which will you be cheering for?