Canacademy

Today's Oscar nominations proved rewarding for several Canadians, including Sarah Polley for writing Away From Her. Adapting an Alice Munro work, casting Gordon Pinsent and shooting in the winter cold ticks nearly all the boxes on the icons of Canada list. How could she go unheralded?

She should get a nod for acting eventually as she consistently does good work, bringing a genuineness to all her roles. See Go or My Life Without Me. Most importantly, see Dawn of the Dead. When the trailer was released, I was psyched to see the movie largely because the thought of Sarah Polley in a zombie flick seemed so improbable. Wouldn't she be too fragile? Too serious? I took to calling her Sarah Polley, Action Hero, partly in jest and partly in hopeful admiration. She didn't disappoint. Sarah Polley, Action Hero is out of control badass. That performance sealed the deal. She can play anything believably. And as horror flicks go, Dawn of the Dead is a fine addition to the zombie oeuvre (as is last year's Planet Terror). Overlaying the chaotic opening credits with Johnny Cash's The Man Comes Around sets the perfect tone.

Even though I miss Sarah Polley, Action Hero, her branching out into other realms of the movie industry can only be a good thing for the future of intelligent film. Come to think of it, Sarah Polley, Oscar Winner has a nice ring to it too.