Is Highland Park Home to a Future Oscar Winner?

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The Academy Awards can make a superstar out of an unknown. Take Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who each won an Oscar for "Best Original Screenplay" for the film Goodwill Hunting in 1998. From then on, the childhood buddies became household names. In fact, the Affleck-produced film Argo is up for seven awards at this year's 85th annual Oscars, airing at 6 p.m. Sunday on ABC. A Star is Born Every community, no matter how big or small, has star potential. Oscar winner Marlon Brando once lived in Libertyville and attended Libertyville Township High School, according to his obituary in the Chicago Tribune.  Actors Vince Vaughn and Lauren Holly are from Lake Forest. Beloved Brady Bunch dad Robert Reed was born in Highland Park. Highland Park has …

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2013 Oscar Nominations: Which Film Should Win Best Picture?

Django Unchained, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi and Les Misérables were among the nine films nominated for the 85th Academy Awards.

The Academy Awards announced the 2013 Oscar nominees Thursday morning. Patch wants to know, which movie do you think should win the Oscars for Best Picture? Do you agree with the Oscar nominees? Who would you have included or scratched off the list? Tell us in the comments section below. Can't make up your mind? Watch the movie trailers above.  For a full list of the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards, visit: Oscar.go.com

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Tribune Critics Predict Oscar Wins

Michael Phillips, Nina Metz talked 2012 Academy Award nominations Wednesday in Highland Park.

The Chicago Tribune's film critics Michael Phillips and Nina Metz predicted big Oscar wins for "The Artist" and "Midnight In Paris" at the Highland Park Public Library on Wednesday night. The critics discussed the Academy Awards, which will be shown this Sunday evening, during an hourlong presentation that included film clips and questions from the audience. The event also included a red carpet entrance and chocolate Oscars given out to raffle winners. "The two most nominated movies this year… are blatantly about the movies, the early decades of the industry," Phillips said, referring to "The Artist" and "Hugo," two of the nine Best Picture nominated films. Both movies are set in the early 20th century and include early filmmaking in their…

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Tribune Critics To Give Oscar Predictions

Michael Phillips, Nina Metz discuss nominated films.

Do you think the silent film "The Artist" should win Best Picture? Are you hoping Woody Allen snags a Best Director Oscar for "Midnight in Paris" at this year's Academy Awards? Are you wondering about what you consider this year's awards snub? If you answered emphatically to any of the above questions, then you need to head over to Highland Park Public Library Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Chicago Tribune's film critics Michael Phillips and Nina Metz will give their Oscar predictions and show film clips from the award-nominated films.  Phillips gave a similar presentation last year at the library, where he wrongly predicted "The Social Network" would win Best Picture. It lost to "The King's Speech." To be fair, Phillips anticipated a bad year …

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Tribune Film Critic Predicts Wins for 'Social Network'

Michael Phillips predicted the Facebook film would win big last week in Highland Park.

The Chicago Tribune's film critic gave his Oscar predictions during an hourlong event last Wednesday at the Highland Park Public Library.  "It's a pleasure just to be nominated to come here," joked Michael Phillips, the Tribune's film critic and former host of "At the Movies" as he began his "A Night at the Oscars" event.  Phillips showed clips of the movies nominated for the major awards like Best Picture, Director, Actor and Actress. He paused throughout to explain which he thought would win and why, sharing tidbits of movie trivia along the way. "(David) Fincher beats the acting out of the actors," Phillips said about The Social Network director. According to Phillips, the opening scene of the film, where Best Actor nominee Jesse …

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Get Out: Talk Academy Awards with the Tribune's Film Critic

Michael Phillips discusses the Oscar contenders at the library tonight.

What: A Night At the Oscars Where/When: The Highland Park Public Library; Wednesday at 7 p.m. Why Go: Will Natalie Portman win Best Actress for her role in Black Swan? Should she? Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips will discuss this year’s Academy Awards nominations, offering predictions for this year's winners as well as what movies he thinks were overlooked by the Academy.

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