GFU Oscar-Lover Predicts "The Shape of Water" as Best Film

Reported by Mollisande Williams

George Fox University (GFU) junior Lauren Meadow’s love of the Oscars began with some Chinese food and a red carpet. What began as a gathering of family and friends to watch the Oscars soon became a yearly tradition for Meadows that developed her love of films.

After the nominations are announced, Meadows begins her month of preparation spent watching films from the Best Film category. While Meadows has not yet been able to cross off the entire list, she already has a film in mind with the potential to win.

“The Shape of Water,” directed by Guillermo del Toro, is a fantasy-drama focused on the relationship between a mute janitor and an amphibious creature held captive at a top-secret research facility in the 1960s.

Released in 2017, the film has racked up countless nominations and awards from various competitions. In the upcoming Oscars alone, “The Shape of Water” is leading with thirteen nominations.

Meadows is no expert, but she thinks “The Shape of Water” has a pretty good chance at winning Best Film, since it is leading the race. 

“If you’ve seen the director’s other films, they’re just like ‘Shape of Water’ where they’re whimsical, kind of creepy, and overall good stories,” she said. Meadows thinks this factor adds to the film’s je ne sais quoi element. 

The premise of a mute and lonely woman falling in love with a forbidden, secretive creature at her work is a storyline that might seem strange at first. 

But mid-way through watching, “You get so attached to the characters. Their development is so well done. So that paired with the cinematography, the sound, and the acting makes it all together a really solid film and I could definitely see it winning best film,” Meadows said. 

Tune in to the Oscars on March 4 to see if her prediction is right.