Last night the Academy of Motion Pictures handed out it’s annual honors of the best in film, otherwise known as the Oscars. For an official list you can visit the Academy’s homepage.
For more extensive coverage you can also visit Entertainment Weekly, People, E! Online, TV Guide, USA Today or MSN.
So let’s get down to business and talk Oscar. First off, fashion. There were definite hits and misses on the red carpet last night. Miley Cyrus in a gown that looked like it had been attacked by a BeDazzler (sorry Zuhair Murad), Marisa Tomei who looked like she was wearing a huge napkin by Versace Atelier, Jessica Biel who was onstage for less than five minutes with an awful choice from Prada that looked like it had something folded over at the top, Sarah Jessica Parker was not styling in Dior Haute Couture, and Reese Witherspoon who was a hot mess.
Winners in the fashion spotlight, Kate Winslet in dark blue from Yves St. Laurent, Anne Hathaway in Armani, Amy Adams in gorgeous red Caroline Herrara that I would love to have a knock-off of (though I could have done without the necklace), and Natalie Portman in pink by Rodarte.
Onto the actual telecast. Hugh Jackman as host started out strong with a lively musical number. I was enamored of the props that were supposed to look homemade and the way he deftly handled the Best Picture nominees. Not as good as Billy Crystal, but okay. But then the later number to celebrate the fact that musicals were supposedly “back”? ICK. It was lame and heavy handed and just a waste of time. Everyone complains that the Oscars go on too long and this was one of the reasons why.
I did like the way the more technical (aka boring) Oscars were handled and it made them seem less boring. But did we really need the montages of films from last year. The animation and action were okay, but comedy and romance? Whoever decided that Queen Latifah should sing during the In Memorium section and that the camera should focus on her rather than the dearly departed needs to be shot. I love me some Queen L, but to not keep the focus on those who left us last year was disrespectful.
Having five former winners of each award highlight the nominees in the acting categories might have been a good idea on paper, but it kind of failed in execution. Yes, I liked that they highlighted each nominees achievements, but it came across as kind of schmaltzy and cloying which is best left for the acceptance speeches.
My personal highlights: Penelope Cruz asking if anyone has fainted, Steve Martin and Tina Fey presenting Screenwriting awards (can they host next year?), Heath Ledger’s family accepting his posthumous award on behalf of his daughter (I had tears in my eyes), the little French man who was the subject of documentary winner “Man on Wire”, Paul Newman at the end of the In Memorium section, Eddie Murphy presenting a humanitarian Oscar to Jerry Lewis, Kate Winslet keeping it calm and collected and her shout out to her dad, Kate Winslet’s dad, Robert DeNiro gently mocking Sean Penn (and including Spicolli in the list of Penn’s roles), Sean Penn asking for equality for gays, everyone involved with Slumdog Millionare up on stage when it won.
Why no oscar coverage on uk tv?….not even highlights tomorrow…?