Watching the Oscars
March 8th 2010
Some quick thoughts as the 50 degree Ohio skies try to melt the entrenched ice and snow around our property.
I grew up loving to watch to these on late nights with my mom in b&w in Akron, OH, so every movie looked like Casablanca. There was no E! or ET! to provide red carpet glamour.
My favorite oscar memory was when the Oscars were programmed against the NCAA Final Four and Elliot Gould came out toward the end to tell the rest of them the score (before ESPN, internet, any kind of mobile device–you just had to change the channel back and forth—but not possible for the audience.). He took great pleasure in tweaking his audience of non-sports fans this Really Important News.
- I don’t necessarily agree with Ebert that Martin and Baldwin were unfunny but do agree that they each would have been a better host than both of them were.
- Always good to see some awkward moments:
- Cameron Diaz calls Steve Carrell “Jude,” because of excessive dependence on uncorrected teleprompter.
- James Taylor sings over opening of In Memoriam segment so camera stays on him and we miss Patrick Swayze; Farah Fawcett is forgotten altogether
- Zimbabwe film win sets up verbal duel between Director and former Producer over what the film is about and who should be celebrated (“Prudence” — eponymous movie title was in the audience in a wheelchair for goodness sake!)
- Glad to see Jeff Bridges win and thank his mom and dad, but after the 1245th “dude abides” comment it’s gnawing not clever.
- Pointless and mindlessly made: “tribute” to horror movies; none of my top ten were there as far as I could tell.
- Surprised by the backlash against James Cameron in the voting; how much was honoring Bigelow and her film, how much was envy?
- I like the way so many presentors went out of their way to say it was their family and children that made it all worth while and possible.
- Glad Tom Hanks came out at the end and basically said, “let’s get this over with.”
- Even with its own category, Fantastic Mr. Fox did not have a chance.
- Was Kathryn Bigelow hyperventilating?
- Glad The Cove won; double-blow to SeaWorld, losing the worker last week and now this film blaming them for creating the culture that makes dolphins and whales unsafe.
- Lose the dancing tribute to top films—hard to distinguish what goes with what!
- I didn’t miss the five spotlighted song nominees (could you bear that many Randy Newman songs?), but did think the 5×5 intros for each actors/actress was excessive and awkward. (“I just met you on the set; you’re as great as Meryl!”).
- Funniest intro to top actor: Tim Robbins for Morgan Freeman.
- Most awkward intro to top actor: Julianne Moore for Colin Ferth
- Favorite winner’s acceptance: Michael Giacchino, score for Up, “my parents never told me this was a waste of time. . .”










