Awards Show Hangover

After spending 30 minutes writing a very last minute prediction piece and about four hours watching the actual show (and waiting three days to absorb everything), I’ve decided to write my post-Oscar night feelings.

First, my picks.

I did okay for the most part.  I kicked ass predicting the non-major awards (costume, effects, etc…), but not so much on the majors.  I didn’t do horrible, though.

Here are the categories I blundered:

Adapted Screenplay    I thought for sure the Academy was going to give it to Borat.  But instead they ended up giving it to the movie I would have voted for.  I need to trust my instincts more (and that goes way beyond picking Academy Award Winners (basically I’m talking about women here, but that’s a different post for a different time!)). 

Best Supporting Actor In hindsight, it seemed stupid to think that Marky Mark was going to win it.  Of course it would go to an old pro like Alan Arkin for a blaringly eccentric yet touching performance in the underdog darling of 2006.   What was I thinking?!!

Best Director Not only did I err in my pick, but I erred (is this a word?  I hope so.)  big time in my paragraph about my pick.  I said that Scorsese had won before.  You don’t get much more erroneous than that.  I ran home after the show and edited that part of the post, hoping no one had read it yet.  But now I’m being a big man and admitting my mistake.  How noble is that?  For whatever reason, I just didn’t think The Departed was going to win as big as it did.  And I thought Scorsese would be overlooked.  Again, what the hell do I know?

Best Picture I should have picked with my heart on this one.  I thought The Departed was the best of the five nominees, but didn’t think the Academy would agree.  At a time when our nation is drowning in a bloody conflict that doesn’t make any sense yet is causing so much tragedy, I figured a war movie like Letters To Iwo Jima that depicts a similar war time confusion would have earned more votes.  This seemed like the year a movie about what war really is versus what a country’s media and political leaders want it to be would be the appropriate winner.  I was wrong again.  I guess this was the year of the poignant, ultraviolent gangster drama.

The Show Itself…

(SIDENOTE: Before I go on much further, let’s just take a moment to recognize the greatness of George Clooney.  Is there any man right now that every other man on Earth wants to be more than him?  He’s extremely good looking (I’m straight and I’m not afraid to say that he is hot), he’s funny, he’s smart, he’s filthy rich, and he makes great movies.   Are you kidding me right now?!  All hail George Clooney!!)

Not too bad, for an awards show.  I personally love Ellen Degeneres (and not just because I’m a major sympathizer for the homosexual plight).  Her lovably awkward pauses and confidence in being different have always made her a favorite of mine.  Maybe that’s because her delivery is strikingly similar to the way I talk to real people in real life (NOTE: Conversing with real people in real life in a way that would make a good stand up routine rarely makes people like you.  But that is a whole post in itself as well…).  Or maybe it’s because she’s just funny.  And unassuming.  I thought she did a great job.  The bits where she ambushed famous people in their seats were hilarious (although I was struck at how much of a senile old man Eastwood seemed.  Then he got up to present Ennio Morricone with much more bravado and I thought “That old fucker’s still got it!”  I love Clint Eastwood).  Her performance should have been appreciated by all regular people because her whole schtick was “regular girl fucking around with celebrities” which, afterall, is a dream of most regular people.  Who wouldn’t want to bust Di Caprio’s chops or ham it up with Jack Nicholson?  Ellen Degeneres is living the dream, I say. 

And how great were a) the Jerry Seinfeld stand up set and b) Robert Downey Jr. making fun of his long lasting drug addiction?  Masterful! 

And how funny was it that Melissa Etheridge won for her song from An Inconvient Truth?  Right after the Dreamgirls cast sang three songs from their movie that were nominated, no less!  That was a big upset, for sure.

I do have two favorite moments from that night…

Number one was the Will Ferrell/Jack Black song.  How could anyone not have found that hilarious?  There’s been a slight Jack Black backlash of late.  The intense originality attached to his explosive debut a few years ago has worn off a little bit, prompting some folks to claim “I hate Jack Black!”  Well that’s ridiculous.  The man is still funny.  Very funny, in fact.  And Will Ferrell is a comic anomaly, well on his way to being legendary.  Who has ever done it like him?  His whole body, his whole persona seems to have been engineered pre-birth by God to make millions of people laugh.  Next time you watch Will Ferrell, whether in a movie or on TV, concentrate on his eyes.  That’s where he sucks us in.  There’s something intrinsically alluring and comedic about his ocular cavities.  Trust me, watch his eyes sometime.  And the part of the song where the unsung and underrated John C. Reilly rises from the crowd was perfect.  That whole bit was genius.  And I cannot get enough jokes about how hot Helen Mirren is (made even more enjoyable by the fact that she seems to love it (what sixtysomething woman wouldn’t?)).  Great bit.

Number two was the Ennio Morricone lifetime achievement award.  Ennio Morricone is one of my two favorite motion picture score composers of all time (the other being John Williams).  As dorky as this may sound, I listen to the soundtrack for The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly on a regular basis.  You can hear his influence in hundreds of movie scores year after year after year.  The man is a genius, and it was good to a) find out he was still alive (I thought for sure he was dead), b)see him recognized for his greatness, and c) see that he can still write music.  Sure it was lame that Celine Deion sang his song, but it was still refreshing to hear that Morricone sound for quite possibly the last time.  Add to all of that the fact that Clint Eastwood introduced him and stood on stage next to him for that charmingly awkward speech and translation, and we’ve got a classic Oscar moment on our hands.  Brilliant.

My complaints are short.  Too many self praising montage things.  Too many annoying acceptance speeches.  Too many shots of celebrities way too close to their faces (where you can tell they were irritated).  How funny would it have been if Mark Whalberg threw a Good Vibrations beat down on one of the camera guys?  Now that would have been a classic Oscar moment. 

All in all, the show was entertaining…for an awards show.

Oscar Night

In roughly four hours, millions of people will watch hundreds of celebrities pile into an extravagant building in Hollywood (in clothing worth more than most viewers’ children) to hand out and receive awards that really don’t mean that much.  We’ll sit through numerous lengthy tribute montages, awkwardly read presenter jokes, and acceptance speeches that sound like they’re coming from someone who just cured cancer.

All hail the Acadamy Awards!

I hate award shows.  I hate how much we’re supposed to worship celebrities.  I hate the patting of one’s own back that goes on there.  I hate the pre-show.  I hate the Oscars!

There are two things I do like, though…

1) The comedy.  John Stewart did a great job last year.  The bits were funny.  Particularly the homosexuality in film history piece.  Very good.

2) Predicting the winners.  No matter how arrogant the event may be, I love predicting the winners.  It is the main reason I watch anymore.  For whatever reason, I really enjoy trying to anticipate what the voters are thinking.  In that sense, the event is a sporting event. 

That I like.

Here are my predictions for the 2007 Academy Awards.  I will be giving a) my prediction for what will win and b) what I would have voted for.  And I will only be picking the major awards. 

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Nominees: Borat, The Departed, Little Children, Children Of Men, Notes On A Scandal

Who will win: Borat 

Bold prediction, I know.  But I have a feeling Hollywood really wants to give Borat an award.

My vote: The Departed

I loved Children Of Men, and am sad to see it only nominated for one of the majors, but The Departed is such a near flawless piece of writing that I couldn’t justify voting for anything else.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Nominees: Little Miss Sunshine, Letters From Iwo Jima, The Queen, Babel, Pan’s Labyrinth

Who will win: Little Miss Sunshine

This pick may also seem bold, but original screenplay is usually where smaller, more independent movies are rewarded.  Particularly those also nominated for best picture but have no chance of winning.  The underdogs usually get thrown a bone in this category.  Remember Matt and Ben in 1998?  Exactly.

My vote: Litte Miss Sunshine

It is one of the best picture nominees that may end up in my all time top 10.  It deserves it.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees: Adrianna Barrazza (Babel), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Cate Blanchett (Notes On A Scandal), Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), Rinko Kikuchi (Babel) 

Who will win: Jennifer Hudson

Dreamgirls will win ALL of the music awards and this one.  Since Hudson was such a surprise powerhouse in this film, the Academy will give her the nod.  Plus, Hollywood secretly wants to see the return domination of musical movies.  They have an agenda here.

My vote: Abigail Breslin

First of all, she’s brilliant in this movie.  She’s moving emotionally without being too overly cutesy.  She does something that in my opinion is mind boggling for a kid her age: nuance.  How subtle can a kid be?  I was eating Oreos and avoiding showers when I was her age!  I would also like to see her win because the Academy always tempts us with an interesting youngster nominee (like Haley Joel Osment) without ever giving them the award (not since Tatem O’Neal anyway).  I say give the kid the statue!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

The nominees: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls), Mark Whalberg (The Departed), Dijmon Hounsou (Blood Diamond), Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children), Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)

Who will win: Mark Whalberg

Why do all of the truly interesting performances always end up in this category?  This is my favorite award because it’s the most unpredictable and my favorite performers are usually nominated.  Whalberg was superb.  Absolutely original and on the money every time he appeared on screen.  But so was Arkin!  Ahhhh!  So hard to pick this one, but I think Marky Mark will get the nod.

My vote: Jackie Earle Haley

I really did think that Arkin and Marky Mark were better, but how great would it be if the kid who played Kelly Leak in the original Bad News Bears won an Oscar?!  Answer: truly great.  Seriously, he does a wonderful job in this role.  But so does Whalberg.  And Arkin.  So hard to choose!  Best category, hands down.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

The nominees: Kate Winslett (Little Children), Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada), Penelope Cruz (Volver), Judi Dench (Notes On A Scandal), Helen Mirren (The Queen)

Who will win: Helen Mirren

This is almost a lock.  Although Streep may sneak in there for the win.  The best performance in one of the best movies of the year, Mirren deserves it and will probably get it.

My vote: Helen Mirren

The little things in her demeanor, expressions, and voice suck you into engrossing story of The Queen.  Without a strong performance in the character, the movie bombs.  Helen Mirren blasts it out of the park.  As much as I love Kate Winslett, and loved her in Little Children, Helen Mirren transcends expectation.  And for that alone, she should win.

Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role

The nominees: Leonardo Di Caprio (Blood Diamond), Will Smith (The Pursuit Of Happyness), Forest Whitaker (Last King of Scotland), Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), Peter O’Toole (Venus)

Who will win: Forest Whitaker

This is horrifyingly difficult to predict.  Horrifyingly.  First, why didn’t Leo get nominated for The Departed?  And has he become a man’s man lately or what?!  Second, there is a very good chance Peter O’Toole will win this.  Sure, he’s a great actor, but he’s also really old.  He’s one of the last icons of the “golden age” of movies alive and still working.  The Academy loves rewarding those guys.  But I don’t think they can ignore the power of Forest Whitaker.  He’s incredible in this movie.  He should win.  Hollywood can finally pay him back for not nominating him for his role in Fast Times At Ridgemont High.  Too late, I say!

My vote: Forest Whitaker

See above paragraph…

Best Achievement in Directing

The nominees: Martin Scorsese (The Departed), Clint Eastwood (Letters From Iwo Jima), Paul Greengrass (United 93), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel), Stephen Frears (The Queen)

Who will win: Clint Eastwood

This is also extremely hard to predict.  Eastwood won this award two years ago, which could prevent him from winning this year.  Scorsese has never one, thus upping his chances.  Hollywood seems to love Inarritu (too much, if you ask me) and could easily give it to him.  It’s very much up in the air, but my gut says Eastwood could get it.  Chances of me being wrong on this one: 90%.  Should be interesting.

My vote: Paul Greengrass

United 93 is the movie that, when they heard abou it’s release, most people thought “A movie about that?  It’s too soon, it’s just too soon.”  Well, it might have been too soon.  But the movie is great.  And it’s great because of Greengrass.  He used non-famous actors who looked like real people to depict a very real event in human history.  The movie is a very in your face realistic representation of that day that effectively conveys the horror of the passengers on United 93 and the confusion of the traffic controllers on the ground (the most powerful aspect of the film).  He deserves to be recognized for properly memorializing this moment in time we will never stop thinking about in our real lives.  Mark my words.  Five or six years from now, United 93 will be one of the most appreciated movies in the cinematic hearts of nearly all of America.  And don’t get me wrong, there is a chance the Academy will give him the nod tonight.

Best Motion Picture of the Year

The nominees: The Queen, Letters From Iwo Jima, The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine, Babel

Who will win: Letters From Iwo Jima

I’ve been staring at the nominees for the past five minutes, trying desperately to get a feeling of who will win this one.  It’s tough to figure out what the voters will decide on.  They seem to love Babel, but will that really win?  The Queen has a very good chance, but may be too out there for voters.  Little Miss Sunshine has no shot (although it should).  I’m leaning slightly toward Letters From Iwo Jima.  It’s the best war movie since Platoon, and definietly one of the most original.  The courage it took to make a movie depicting an event that has become a center of American patriotism from the persective of America’s enemies is remarkable.  Rarely do you see a war movie that accurately paints the vague, grey area concept of war.  This is one of those movies, and if it does win it deserves it.  But…who knows?!  Hollywood does love  Babel!

My vote: The Departed

This is the most enthralling gangster movie I have ever seen.  And I have said this in the past about The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino, and The Sopranos (I know, not a movie, but it still counts).  Scorsese keeps re-inventing the genre in such inventive ways.  The way he orchestrates camera motions, bad ass performances, music, and mood in his violent epics is absolutely breath taking.  Nicholson, Damon, Whalberg, Baldwin, and Di Caprio are at their career best.  The dialogue shoots back and forth like one of those jaw dropping ping pong championship matches where those Asian guys hit the ball at about 1000 mph.  This film is truly amazing and is the best of 2006.  Little Miss Sunshine is a very close second, but doesn’t quite add up.   

There you go.  Those are my predictions.  We’ll see what happens…