28 Days of Ronald Reagan – Day 16

Sometimes when I’m faced with an atheist, I am tempted to invite him to the greatest gourmet dinner that one could ever serve, and when we have finished eating that magnificent dinner, to ask him if he believes there’s a cook.

Ronald Wilson Reagan
February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004
40th President of the United States

February 6, 2011 marks the Centennial of Ronald Reagan’s birth.  Reagan was unquestionably the greatest President of my lifetime, and in my opinion, the greatest President of the 20th Century.  For the month of February, 2011, we present “28 Days of Ronald Reagan” featuring a daily tribute.  We’ll include his wit, and his wisdom and some of our favorite stories.

My New Goal


I have a new goal.

Over the weekend I caught part of the 31 Days of Oscar on Turner Classic Movies (TCM).  For the first time in over 20 years I stayed up to watch Gone With the Wind.  The South still lost.  Rhett still left.

Then on TNT last night, I caught The Shawshank Redemption.  It’s the perfect Valentine’s Day movie. After all, he really didn’t kill his wife.  But, seriously, it’s one of my favorite movies, so I found myself wondering what year it won the Academy Award.

It didn’t.  It was nominated for a host of awards in 1994, but was overshadowed by Forrest Gump.  Now, I haven’t seen Forrest Gump in a number of years, but I thought, really?  Maybe the powers that be at the Academy sought to remedy that when a few years later Shakespeare in Love, admittedly a good film…for a chick flick…beat out Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture.

But, I digress.

I started wondering how many Best Picture Winners I’ve actually seen.  So I went to the Academy and checked the list.  Of the 82 films that have won the distinction of year’s Best Picture, I’ve seen thirty.

Thirty.  Three-zero.

That’s a sad little number.

So my new goal, and no it has no time limit, is to see all of the Best Picture winners from the beginning.  I’ll have to re-up my Netflix membership, and some of them may be hard to find.

Some of them may also be hard to watch.  I’m pretty sure I’ve already slept through Dances with Wolves and The Last Emperor.  But I’ll try them again.

And maybe, when I’m through with this list, I’ll go back for Best Director, or Best Actor…or something.

Time to go…the popcorn’s ready.