And the Ernie goes to...

The 1st Annual Old Shoebox Excellence in Cinema Awards!

Jan 16, 2025

Last January, I declared 2024 “The Year of Movies!” I decided that, if I was going to sit down at a screen to watch media, it could only be a movie. I also challenged myself to see 100 movies over the course of the year. Honestly, it ruled.

Over the course of the year, I managed to watch 114 titles: ninety-four were released between 1902 and 2023, and twenty were released in 2024. I watched dumb comedies, classic dramas, international films, cookie-cutter holiday romcoms, short films, documentaries, and anything else that time and whimsy allowed. You can see the full list of movies I watched here, and you may want to give the list a look because every one of them was considered for the world’s newest and most exclusive award ceremony…

Hello and welcome to a magical evening of celebration. Tonight marks the inaugural Old Shoebox Excellence in Cinema Awards, and we are thrilled to have you with us on this momentous occasion. Unfortunately, we don’t have an elaborate opening number planned, but here is Hugh Jackman’s phenomenal opening to the 81st Oscars ceremony in 2009.

For this ceremony, most awards will consider all movies that I (Erin) watched this year (and before you ask, no, I didn’t get a chance to see The Substance). A few rules to note: A film may only win in a maximum of two categories, and Some Like It Hot is not eligible to win in any category because it just wouldn’t be fair. In fact, the official position of The Old Shoebox is that Some Like It Hot is the greatest film of all time and perpetually holds the GOAT Award until the unlikely event that it is dethroned by a superior film.

…But truly everyone here tonight is a winner!

Best Villain

I love a good villain, don’t you? There were a few that stood out this past year: Raymond Massey as Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Nimra Bucha as Raheela in Polite Society (2023), Christopher Abbot as Alfie Blessington in Poor Things (2023)… But no character infuriated me more than Muriel Lang. And so the Ernie for Best Villain goes to…

Rosie Perez for her role as Muriel Lang in It Could Happen to You (1994)

It was supposed to be a fluffy rom-com with low emotional stakes! I was not expecting Rosie Perez to bring on the venom to this degree. It Could Happen to You is the story of a man (Nicholas Cage) who jokingly promises to split his lottery winnings with a waitress (Bridget Fonda) who is having a bad day. When he does win the lottery, he believes he should make good on the promise. His wife is understandably upset about this, but the degree to which she goes scorched-earth is bonkers, and Rosie Perez delivers on the performance.

I Dub Thee… a Classic!

I had originally included a category called The It’s-Called-a-Classic-for-a-Reason Award, which would go to a known classic that I watched for the first time last year, but where is the fun in telling you something you already know? (The Scarlet Pimpernel would have won, BTW.) Instead, I would much rather aim the spotlight at one of the many great, overlooked films that deserve to be called “classics.”

Two fierce contenders put up a hell of a fight before bowing to the winner in this category. The Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) was a unique and haunting piece of storytelling that I’m sure I will return to on some rainy day. Storm Center (1956) was an exemplary cautionary tail about the dangers of book banning (with the great Bette Davis in the lead, no less). Ultimately though, the Ernie goes to…

Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)

Both Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough gave award-worthy performances in this tense yet eerily quiet drama about a kidnapping plot fueled by grief. This movie hit me hard, and I will not be forgetting it soon. Congratulations, Séance on a Wet Afternoon! I dub thee a classic!

Best Nostalgia Bomb

Being a top notch Nostalgia Bomb isn’t an easy feat. The film can’t just be a pile of references; It has to be able to stand on it’s own two legs. It should be enjoyable to audience members regardless of whether or not the nostalgia piece resonates with them. Additionally, whether it’s an homage or a parody, the film needs to evoke feelings of nostalgia, not just a jogged memory. ANYWAY, there were three standouts:

Hubie Halloween (2020) was a pretty cute Halloween movie. It also contained roughly 1,000,000,000 Easter eggs for fans of 90s-era Adam Sandler movies, and none of them felt forced. The Ben Stiller cameo was a stroke of genius.

I Saw the TV Glow (2024) was an amazing film on a number of levels, only one of which was the nostalgia factor. Jane Schoenbrun (writer/director) uses homages to 90s television to tell a beautiful and poignant allegorical story. As a huge fan of The Adventures of Pete and Pete (1992 to 1996), I was geeking out the entire time.

But the winner of the Ernie for Best Nostalgia Bomb goes to…

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)

If you haven’t seen this masterpiece yet, I probably sound ridiculous right now. This movie is the real deal though. The premise is that Chip and Dale reunite decades after the cancelation of the 1989-1990 television show, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, in order to investigate a series of kidnappings targeting toons. And how could the filmmakers execute on this premise so flawlessly? By setting it (canonically) in the Who Framed Roger Rabbit universe!

The film gave its audience a chance to relive the excitement of a beloved Saturday morning cartoon, nod knowingly along with the filmmakers about 90s CGI and 60s stop-motion animation, and delight in some extended worldbuilding we didn’t even know we needed.

But does it stand alone? I am pleased to report that, yes, it does. It has a good story, solid jokes, and just enough exposition. My 12 year old niece (who did not grow up with the show) will back me up on this.

In Memoriam

The Redbox (2002-2024)

I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we didn’t often use the Redbox, but we firmly believed it would be there when we needed it. When I first heard about death of the Redbox (at the cold hands of those heartless bastards at Chicken Soup for the Soul), I was taken aback. I immediately thought of all of the movies I would never ever have watched if they hadn’t been the best possible option in the Redbox that day. Farewell, Redbox. Truly, no one will ever replace you.

Best Supporting Actor (through 2023)

Yes, I did unintentionally nominate two different portrayals of Renfield for Best Supporting Actor. What of it? Both Klaus Kinski in Count Dracula (1970) and Dwight Frye in Dracula (1931) gave outstanding performance and rarely do they get the credit they deserve. I also thought that Paul Walter Hauser was incredible as Shawn in I, Tonya (2017), and that movie didn’t even have Dracula in it! But, as amazing as these three performances were. The Ernie for Best Supporting Actor (through 2023) goes to…

Aaron Ruell for his role as Kip in Napoleon Dynamite.

Ruell masterfully complements Jon Heder’s performance in the titular role. The character is simultaneously intentionally ridiculous and intentionally subtle. He understood the assignment: bring flavor and humor to the scene, but never make it about you. He was perfect in this movie, and it’s about time he gets celebrated for it.

Best Supporting Actor (2024)

I did love Kevin Bacon as John Labat in Maxxxine (and I thank him for making 6 Degrees marginally easier), and I was very impressed with the Arleigh and Emmett Snowden for their shared role as Son in Nightbitch, but the choice was clear. The 2024 Ernie for Best Supporting Actor goes to…

Richard Roundtree for his role as Ben in Thelma

Roundtree passed away in late October of 2023, three months before Thelma would premier at Sundance. (I’m happy to report that he did get to see his own performance at an earlier cast/crew screening.)

Yes, it was cute to see the man famous for playing Shaft portray a soft spoken character described as “fussy,” but the novelty of his character being against-type has little to do with how spectacular his performance was. He portrayed Ben with such warmth and depth of character that he felt to me like someone I had met before, making the scenes where he advocated for himself or expressed grief over his late wife so powerful. He was also a solid straight-man, which elevated the comedy throughout. I’m very glad the world has this performance.

Best Supporting Actress (through 2023)

It was hard to nail this one down, and for quite a while, I had Ingrid Torelli penciled in as the winner for her role as Lilly in Late Night with the Devil (2023) (that kid was spooky as all get out), and there were too many others to go into great detail: Rachel Griffiths for Muriel’s Wedding (1994), Sybille Schmitz for Vampyr (1933), and like at least five others. But then one performance left the others in the dust. The Ernie for Best Supporting Actress (through 2023) goes to…

Allison Janney for her portrayal of LaVona in I, Tonya (2018)

Yikes. I can’t speak to the accuracy of the portrayal, because consuming media about the real LaVona would have made me far too angry. Janney was very real though, and she was the kind of unstoppable force that takes command of every scene she was in. I’m not saying anything here that the Academy and BAFTA didn’t already say, but dang though.

Best Supporting Actress (2024)

Dudes, I only had one nominee in this category. I watched twenty movies released in 2024, and no one compared. The 2024 Ernie for Best Supporting Actress goes to…

Tilda Swinton for her role as Elizabeth in Problemista.

First of all, Swinton never disappoints. This character was something special though. Her character was just the worst in both overt and very subtle ways. Still, she brought such realness and depth to the character that I (a person who has worked multiple customer service jobs and dealt with dozens of Elizabeths) was able to love her for her strength and commiserate with her for her losses. Bravo.

Best Actor (through 2023)

My year of movies was filled to the brim with award-worthy performances from everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Nicolas Cage. It’s quite the list! But I’m going to cut to the chase, because my birthday this year tipped the scale! The Ernie for Best Actor (through 2023) goes to…

Cary Grant for his role as Mortimer Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Cary. Grant. Does not. Mess. Around.

We had a little movie night for my birthday in October. A handful of friends and family came over, and we hit play once the baby was in bed. I did not remember this film being so outrageously funny, and Cary Grant (the would-be straight-man in an ensemble of outlandish characters) was the one getting laugh after laugh. All he had to do was pause for a moment and then change the angle of head, and the whole room was cackling. His timing, his delivery, his physicality were all incomparable.

If you haven’t already seen this movie, track it down (and don’t let anyone trick you into watching it colorized). You won’t be disappointed.

Best Actor (2024)

2024 was a great year for lead performances! In spite of some technical issues with Monkey Man (Stephen and I both got motion sick), Dev Patel was fantastic, and John David Washington was a powerhouse in The Piano Lesson. For a while, I had penciled in Hugh Grant as the winner for his role as Mr. Reed in Heretic. It was a hell of a rebranding, and a great performance, but it didn’t stick with me the way another performance did. There was another film that I watched months and months ago, and I am still haunted by it. The 2024 Ernie for Best Actor goes to…

Justice Smith for his role as Owen in I Saw the TV Glow

That performance shook me. The silent panic and helplessness of the character was palpable. Smith was able to convey so SO much with such subtlety. His performance was heartbreaking, and I can’t wait to see what he does next!

Best Actress (through 2023)

Again, a LOT of great performances on my screen this past year: Margot Robbie in I, Tonya (2018). Kim Stanley in Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964). Mia Goth really killed it (pun intended) in Pearl (2022), but horror movies never seem to get the recognition they deserve. Today is their day though, because the Ernie for Best Actress (through 2023) goes to…

JoBeth Williams for her role as Diane Freeling in Poltergeist (1982)

First of all, Diane Freeling might be the best mom in all of cinema. Excellent writing and directing share the credit, but Williams’ performance seals the deal. She delivers an incredible range of complex emotions experienced by a mother in crisis so convincingly that it registers to the audience (or at least to me) like truth rather than performance.

Williams plays a woman that is shaken to her animal core with fear by things we could never understand. She also plays a woman that is determined protect her family from harm and provide them with a sense of security. The brilliance of her performance is that she demonstrates both of these things simultaneously, and she demonstrates the toll that that level of cognitive dissonance would take on a person, AND she does so in a multitude of unique and nuanced ways throughout the film.

Best Actress (2024)

In Nightbitch, Amy Adams (in the role of Mother) showed both range and vulnerability. Her performance captured some of the most complicated and hard to articulate aspects of motherhood. Danielle Deadwyler gave an immensely emotional performance as Berniece in The Piano Lesson. Over and over again, she revealed new layers of the character’s strength and conviction as well as the grief and anger with which she was continuously, silently grappling. The presence of both of these performances loomed large. They were impossible to ignore, and they made selecting the third performance as the winner a very tough decision. After a long consideration, however, the 2024 Ernie for Best Actress goes to…

June Squibb for her portrayal of Thelma Post in Thelma

In this film, Squibb (then age 93) plays a 93 year old woman who is victimized by a scammer and is determined to take care of the problem herself.

First of all, I have yet to find a person who has walked away from this movie without saying, “She reminded me so much of my grandma/great grandma/great aunt.” We all saw someone we loved reflected in the fine details of her performance. Sweetness, sharpness, wit, and tenacity shined through her performance with real authenticity, and I think she tapped into our memories of other people from the Greatest Generation that were important to us.

Secondly (and more importantly), the thing that separates Thelma from practically every other grandmother you’ve ever seen in a movie is that she was a fully-realized person. Grandmother, mother, and senior citizen were only a few of the identities that make up the character of Thelma Post. She was a vibrant, curious person whose actions were determined by a lifetime of lived experience. Squibb’s performance elevated the part of Thelma from cute elderly lady on a cute adventure to very real feeling human being that the audience desperately wants to see succeed.

Best Picture (through 2023)

Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) were both strong contenders in this category, but you have already (sweetly) heard me go on at length about both. I was also completely delighted by The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) and mesmerized by Werner Herzog’s documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010). But after much deliberation, the Ernie for Best Picture (through 2023) goes to…

The Seventh Seal (1957)

This Ingmar Bergman masterpiece is considered a classic for a reason. The visionary art design resulted in some of the most iconic imagery in film history. The film revolves around the inevitability of death, and its existential narrative is a beautiful and brutally honest blend of cruelty and kindness. This was magnified exponentially by the small ensemble of wonderfully rich characters.

For years, I put this one off. I imagined that it would be three hours long, impossibly bleak, and excruciatingly artsy. At the very least, I had expected Ingmar Bergman to torture me with the horrors of human suffering (because I had watched Cries and Whispers in college). Not so! The Seventh Seal (1957) is 93 lovely minutes long, and (while it is 100% a film about mortality) I found it uplifting on multiple levels. It has my highest recommendation.

Best Picture (2024)

This is it, folks! The moment you’ve all been waiting for! Who will win The Old Shoebox Excellence in Cinema award for Best Picture of 2024? Who will take home that coveted Ernie?

Six films have the distinction of being nominated this year. Each one is the product of extraordinary vision, exemplary craftsmanship, and impeccable collaborative storytelling. The nominees are…

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Challengers
          Written by Justin Kuritzkes
          Directed by Luca Guadagnino

I Saw the TV Glow
          Written and Directed by Jane Schoenbrun

Night Bitch
          Written by Marielle Heller and Rachel Yoder
          Directed by Marielle Heller

The Piano Lesson
          Written by Virgil Williams, Malcolm Washington, and August Wilson
          Directed by Malcolm Washington

Problemista
          Written and Directed by Julio Torres

Thelma
          Written and Directed by Josh Margolin

Without further adieu… The Ernie for Best Picture goes to…

What’s this??? Distinguished guests, never has this happened before in Ernie history! We have a tie!!! The award for Best Picture will go to both The Piano Lesson and Thelma!

It is very rare in life to stumble upon a perfect piece of art, a work for which you have no criticism and can simply bask in the precise emotional state that the artist intended. Somehow, two movies that fit that description came out in 2024, and I happened to watch both of them. I have toiled over this silly decision since New Year’s Eve. I’ve gone back and forth, and each time I would commit to one, I would feel sad to not celebrate the other. They were both beautiful and important films, but in very different ways.

The Piano Lesson was based on the play of the same name by August Wilson. It tells the story of a Black family in the 1930s trying to determine the fate of a cherished family heirloom. Does the piano need to stay in the family, or should it be sold in order to buy land? Which choice best honors the family? The film elegantly handles themes like generational trauma, unprocessed grief, and the weight of oppression faced by Black Americans.

It was a gorgeously told story and a visually beautiful film. Every aspect of it was artfully crafted: the music, the lighting, the conversational flow of dialogue. What’s more, the social importance of this film is undeniable. I’m thrilled that it exists in the world, and I’m thrilled that I have had the opportunity to see it. The story of this family is very different from my own, and it did me good to spend time with them and see the world from their perspective.

Thelma was written and directed by Josh Margolin (his directorial debut?!?!), and is based on his actual grandmother, Thelma Post, and an actual scam call she received. The ensuing adventure is his own creation, but it’s a remarkable portrait of how he sees her. The titular character, 93 year old Thelma Post, loses $10,000 to a scam caller. When Thelma learns that her mistake has made her family question her mental state, she embarks on a quest to retrieve the money herself.

Films that revolve around senior citizens are few and far between, and the ones that do are usually about getting older, instead of about being older. If they are on an adventure, they have a younger person there to keep them safe. The most recent exception to this that I can come up with was About Schmidt (2002) in which Jack Nicholson goes on an adventure after losing his wife… played by June Squibb 23 years ago! The point is, most movies give senior citizens a past and a bit of a present, but they are never shown as a full person, and they are certainly never given a future. This movie is different. These characters are not there to teach younger characters lessons. They are real, whole people taking control of their own lives with dignity and grace.

As a moviegoing experience, Thelma is impeccable. It somehow manages to maintain two distinctly different vibes throughout: It was a sweet, feel-good comedy, and it was a riveting action movie. When I initially heard the description, I was expecting a much cheesier film, but this is a truly clever script and thoughtfully crafted film. Both pieces work, and no sacrifices are made in the process. It was genuinely funny and genuinely suspenseful. It at no point felt forced or like it was punching down in any way. It is consistently delightful from beginning to end, and frankly, I have no notes.

Guests, that concludes tonight’s ceremony! Thank you so much for joining us. It was a beautiful evening, and every one of you is a star!

Just One More Treasures for the Road

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(Keeping this brief, since this was a LONG one.) On January 3, Brenton Wood passed away at the age of 83. If you don’t know him already, Wood was an R&B singer from the 60s who had a handful of hits. The one you’re most likely to recognize is “Gimme Little Sign” (Spotify) (YouTube). I recommend giving him a listen. His music is super catchy, very laid back, and a lot of fun. My personal favorite is “Oogum Boogum Song” (Spotify) (YouTube).

Thanks, gang! Until we meet again!