The Academy Awards. This was the first Oscar telecast I’d seen in a while. I attribute that to the fact that for the first time in the past four years, I don’t live in the heart of Hollywood. For much of the world, Oscar time means glitz and glamor and movie stars (oh my). For local residents, Oscar time means traffic delays and circling helicopters. Usually, it was like this. But this year, I sat down and waded through the telecast.
I promised myself I wouldn’t do this, but –sigh!– there will be blog. Here are a few thoughts, in two penny increments.
No one was really less deserving than the Coen Brothers. It’s not, of course, that their film wasn’t good. But of all the assembled talent, they probably found it the most amusing.
And speaking of the Coens, the biggest disappointment of the evening was the failure of film editor Roderick Jaynes to snag the Oscar for his editing work on No Country For Old Men. I’ve been a huge Jaynes fan since he raked the Coens over the coals in a column for The Guardian. I would love to have seen him accept.
Diablo Cody over Tony Gilroy? Wha–??
Atonement’s only win was Dario Marianelli’s score. he beat out the excellent, minimal work done by James Newton Howard, which was my pick, but only because, thanks to his use of pre-existing works and a controversial Academy ruling, Jonny Greenwood wasn’t eligible for his stellar music for The Will Be Blood.
The continuing decline of the Best Song category was in full display. Luckily (and predictably) Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova clinched it over the three insipid selections from Enchanted. The night’s best moment came when Jon Stewart, who was obviously taken by the couple’s enthusiasm, brought Irglova back out for a chance to deliver the speech that commercials had prevented her from delivering first time round. That was cool.
Seriously, Diablo Cody over Tony Gilroy?
Guess we have to wait till next year to honor the late, great Roy Scheider.
Fashion round-up for the evening: the men wore ties. The women wore dresses.
I felt that the show could have gone on longer.
I bet the Oscar weighs a lot.
I think cheese is a fine snack.
