Every year, I try to see all the Oscar nominees for Best Picture. And every year, I fail. Not for lack of trying — I just end up running out of time, or my friends have already seen some of the movies, or they’re not at the right theaters.

But even though I’ve never seen a given year’s full list of nominees, I look forward to the challenge every winter. Why? Probably because half of the movies are ones I wouldn’t go to see otherwise — and most of them turn out to be amazing.

I’m always surprised, honestly, that more high schoolers aren’t interested in the Oscars — not just in who wins, but also in seeing the films (and the actors in them) that are up for awards. I understand why the contest judges who judged last year’s Lance criticized our pre-Academy Award predictions for not including anything people wouldn’t rather read from professional critics, online. But I don’t understand why anyone would think the Oscar topic in itself wasn’t relevant to high schoolers.

Let’s take a look at the movies up for Best Picture this year. Sure, there are a few, like Philomena and Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, that might not be all that interesting to most high schoolers (although I would definitely argue they’re worth watching.)

But then you have Her, a somewhat futuristic story about a man who falls in love with his operating system, which you can either appreciate for its philosophical merits, or just watch and enjoy. And American Hustle, the gripping crime drama that has the added plus of including Jennifer Lawrence, who is, as always, wonderful. Then there’s Gravity, the visually fabulous story of two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) who try to get back to Earth after their space shuttle is irreparably damaged.

If none of those sound appealing, try The Wolf of Wall Street, which would have gotten an NC-17 rating but was bumped down to R when Paramount and director Martin Scorsese agreed to make some cuts. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a degenerate stockbroker . . . and let’s just say probably not many of us have seen so much sex and so many drugs in one movie before. (Hint: don’t see this one with your mom.)

And that’s not even the full list. Of course, many of these films are R-rated, making them technically off-limits for a lot of high schoolers, but if your parents are particular about that kind of thing, three of the Best Picture nominees — Captain Phillips, Gravity and Philomena — are PG-13. The cost of going to movies does really add up, so if you don’t feel like paying to go to all these movies, or aren’t able to, consider that a few of the titles are available to rent on iTunes, some are out on DVD (available through Netflix) and Captain Phillips is currently at Westwood Cinema, the $3 movie theater near 125^th and Center.

It’s a great time of year to see movies, and high school students should know that and take advantage of it. These films, actors and actresses don’t get nominated for nothing, and a lot of them really are worth seeing on the big screen if you can. Honestly, I’ve seldom been disappointed by an Oscar nominee.

So check out the list and try something new. Go with a date. Go with friends. Go with one of your parents. Or just get the DVD from Netflix. Whatever you choose, you’ll emerge a slightly more cultured person.

What are you waiting for? This weekend, grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy.

For the full list of 2014 Oscar nominees, click here.