For as long as he can remember, the Rev. Shawn Clerkin has tuned in to the Academy Awards. This year the associate professor of theater is offering his own picks for the big event, which will air at 7 p.m. Sunday on ABC.
At the top of the list is “Argo,” a thriller centered around the 1980 Iran hostage crisis.
“I was on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end,” he said of the film, nominated for best picture.
He said he’s also hoping Anne Hathaway walks away with an Oscar for her supporting role in “Les Misérables.”
“When she was singing, I couldn’t breathe,” he said.
Daniel Day-Lewis, Jennifer Lawrence, Christoph Waltz and David O. Russell are other nominees Clerkin said he believes will take home titles in the top categories.
Clerkin studied theatre and communication arts at Gannon before going on to earn his master’s in theatre directing at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has produced more than 70 shows at Gannon’s Schuster Theatre.
“I love visual narrative storytelling,” he said.
Clerkin said he most enjoys films that make him think.
“When I walk out of a film, I want to have something I didn’t walk in with,” he said.
Best Picture
“Argo” “
Actor in a Leading Role
Daniel Day-Lewis
Actress in a Leading Role
Jennifer Lawrence
Actor in a Supporting Role
Christoph Waltz
Actress in a Supporting Role
Anne Hathaway
Directing
“Silver Linings Playbook,” David O. Russell
