by Ginger Marin
Well they must have done something right this time around because the award show was decent and watchable and they got rid of the interpretive dance – hooray.
But I really am sick and tired of everyone complaining and making jokes about the length of the show. It’s once a year; there are lots of awards and lots of recipients. Unless they’re gonna fast forward through each and every acceptance speech, it’s not going to get any shorter. And if they really want to affect the length, then get rid of all the commercials. I for one don’t mind the length if it’s moving along gracefully and Whoopi Goldberg never shows her face on the show again.
I do have one suggestion and that is that they get rid of the award for best foreign film. I’ve had my fill of lunatic directors who mutilate the English language and think they are being cute with their stupid acceptance speeches. This year’s award went to Pedro Almodovar for “All About My Mother” and his speech was so lame he had to be hauled off stage by presenter Antonio Banderas. Enough! I thought they learned their lesson from last year’s acceptance by that super-lamo Roberto Benigni. Benigni was much calmer this year as the presenter for Best Actress. Thank God. I vote they lose the best foreign film award entirely. American audiences never see the films anyway.
As usual, Billy Crystal’s comedic presentation of best film nominees with him being edited into actual footage was the best thing on the show. This is a well done segment that’s a keeper. On the other hand his singing of the titles wasn’t as good as in year’s past. I vote they forget this next time around (that will shorten things up.)
Matrix: This fantastic film took four tech awards. It deserved all of them. It’s a master film. I also thought it should have been nominated as one of the best pictures.
American Beauty: Best Film. No surprises here. A special film and a good marketing campaign blew it out of thw water. It was my pick too.
Kevin Spacey: Best Actor. I love the guy but my vote went to Russell Crowe for “The Insider” – the whole idea is for an actor to do an excellent job playing somebody so removed from him/herself that they must be honored. Crowe did that and more. Spacey has good marketing himself and he is extremely well respected in the business.
Hilary Swank: Best Actress. Well deserved, hands down. A most stunning performance. Thank God the Academy’s voters saw the light. Her star is gonna shine for a long time, I think.
Michael Caine: Best Supporting Actor. A wonderful performance and a respected actor. I thought some of the newcomers edged him out, though. A beautiful and humorous acceptance speech.
Angelina Jolie: Best Supporting Actress. I thought she was great and there was little doubt that she’d get it, despite the fact that playing crazies or drunks is usually easier than playing someone normal. I don’t know what the purpose of that Mortitia Adams outfit and hair was all about and I don’t care – thought she looked fairly awful.
Funniest Song Presentation: “Blame Canada” from the South Park movie. I don’t imagine they were laughing in Canada but the song, Robin Williams and the Royal Candian Rockettes were quite humorous.
Best Acknowledgment: to Polish director Andrzej Wajda for a life time of work. Long overdue.
Most Scattered Comments: Warren Beatty in accepting his honorary award. But that’s just how Warren is.
Worst Edited Presentation: A tribute to the past two million years of film and history with historical references by James Coburn in the presentation – then we get a jumble of films edited that aren’t even in keeping with the theme. “Saturday Night Fever”? Where did that fit in? it didn’t. Nor did many others. This lame tribute to film in general needs to go.
Worst Dress: Cloe Sevigny, the costar of “Boys Don’t Cry”. She’s doing the “Look at me, I really want to be a star and I’ll do anything” that young actresses do when they show up half-nude. Sevigny has been showing up with her breasts hanging out at all the awards. Button up, kid – you were all right in the movie, but your body is nothing to brag about. Somehow, though, I think you’ll go a long way on your nudity – because that’s how stupid people in this business are.
In closing, I’d like to berate the Academy for neglecting to nominate Milla Jovovich for “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc”. She did a magnificent job and should have been nominated for best actress, even over Meryl Streep and certainly over Janet McTeer. This was the single worst travesty of the 72nd Annual Academy Awards.