78th Annual Academy Awards...

[LOCIfan]

Okay, I'm a bad LOCIfan. Bad, very bad. But I'm watching the Oscars tonight...

Here are my predictions on the Big 8:

Best Picture: Brokeback Mountain

Best Director: Ang Lee (for Brokeback Mountain)

Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (for Capote)

Best Actress: Felicity Huffman (for Transamerica)

Best Supporting Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal (for Brokeback Mountain)

Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz (for The Constant Gardener)

Best Original Screenplay: Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco (for Crash) -- though I'd be thrilled to see Woody Allen get it for Match Point...

Best Adapted Screenplay: Tony Kushner & Eric Roth (for Munich)

Anyway, here's a link to the categories/nominees: www.oscar.com/nominees/list.html

Post away, on anything -- dresses, speeches, who was robbed, whatever...

Enjoy!! And may TPTB in LOCIdom forgive my lapse in devotion!

[Patcat]

And, in the end, what does it matter and who cares?

I'm sorry--I'm cynical about the Oscars. How seriously can you take an award for film that was never given to Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, etc.? (Admittedly, they did receive special awards.)

I do think it's gracious of Robert Altman to accept his special award--but the Oscars need him a lot more than he needs an Oscar.

Patcat

[LOCIfan]

Well, sure, that's one take on it. And I get the cynical sentiment.

Still, as someone who's seen the ballot (my great-uncle -- now deceased -- was a member of the Academy and voted every year), and it still has an iconographic magic for me. Yes, there have been those who never won for specific performances, but that statue (and, yeah, it IS heavier than it looks -- 14 pounds) is such an icon and such a sleek symbol of artistic excellence, that I am still unabashedly mesmerized by it...

So, who cares? I do. You know, not as much as I care about world peace. But still. As a lifelong film fan, it's part of the celluloid magic for me... THE APARTMENT, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY, GONE WITH THE WIND, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, MIDNIGHT COWBOY, ON THE WATERFRONT, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, CASABLANCA, GHANDI, ALL ABOUT EVE, ANNIE HALL, UNFORGIVEN, and so many more great movies have had the title "Best Picture" bestowed upon them, and for a film buff such as myself, there's something ethereal about it.

[Cassie]

I like the Academy Award shows. I just don’t have the patience to sit through them. I will watch the post shows tonight, for the highlights.

My only real complaint about them, is maybe they should have a deadline for the movies that are being voted on. Like "Brokeback Mountain", came out in December of 2005, and it is fresh in everyone's mind. While a movie that came out in Jan of 2005, well our memory isn't as sharp on the performances of the stars. I am not saying that "Brokeback Mountain" should not win, but that they have more of an edge to win.

I did pop in and see Robert Altman’s acceptance speech.I thought it rather gracious of him to acknowledge that he is a recipient of a heart transplant going on 11 years from a woman in her late 30's.

[Cassie]

Now I got to check to see who won

[Patcat]

I need to apologize for my intense cynicism last night. It comes out every once in a while.

I was amazed that the show ended by 11:30 EST. For those who watched it, did it move quickly?

Pat

[LOCIfan]

No need for apologies, Patcat! I think lots of people share your view of the Oscars.

Cassie:

Here's a list of the winners:

Best Picture: CRASH

Best Director: ANG LEE (for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN)

Best Actor: PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN (for CAPOTE)

Best Actress: REESE WITHERSPOON (for WALK THE LINE)

Best Supporting Actor: GEORGE CLOONEY (for SYRIANA)

Best Supporting Actress: RACHEL WEISZ (for THE CONSTANT GARDNER)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, Brokeback Mountain

Best Original Screenplay: Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, Crash

Visual Effects: King Kong
Animated Feature: Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Short Film (Live Action): Six Shooter
Short Film (Animated): The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation
Costume Design: Memoirs of a Geisha
Make-Up: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Documentary Short Subject: A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin
Documentary Feature: March of the Penguins
Art DirectionOriginal Score: Gustavo Santaolalla, Brokeback Mountain
Sound Mixing: King Kong
Original Song: "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," Hustle & Flow
Sound Editing: King Kong
Foreign Language Film: Tsotsi, South Africa
Film Editing: Crash
Cinematography: Memoirs of a Geisha

[LOCIfan]

Cassie,
I know what you mean about films that're released later in the year being fresher in the voters' minds, although this year's Best Picture winner, Crash, was not only an Indie film with a relatively low budget (around $6.5 million, as opposed to the $60 million and up of lots of studio productions) but it was released last April!

I was surprised that voters split Best Director and Best Film. But felt both Brokeback/Lee and Crash were deserving films. My only real beef was with Reese Witherspoon beating out Felicity Huffman, whose performance in Transamerica was just such a great piece of acting.

My favorite win of the night was song: "It's Hard Out There For a Pimp". For a good couple of weeks after I saw HUSTLE & FLOW, I'd find myself humming this tune. Gotta love a song about how rough it is for an "honest" pimp to make the rent!

Dresses: I thought J-Lo's green dress was gorgeous and that Michelle Williams' saffron gown was stunning. I didn't particularly like Charlize Theron's dress -- too angular and then that big bow was sort of incongruous with the whole rest of the look. Oh well, it's not as though she can really look bad in anything.

[Techguy]

locifan said:

My favorite win of the night was song: "It's Hard Out There For a Pimp". For a good couple of weeks after I saw HUSTLE & FLOW, I'd find myself humming this tune. Gotta love a song about how rough it is for an "honest" pimp to make the rent!

They sure don't make Best Songs like they used to.

Sorry, but something laced with F-bombs and N-words that have to be edited out for network TV, and B****** that become witches on-air, just doesn't qualify as a song in my book, much less an Academy Award winning one.

[Cassie]

Hi Locifan,
Never in a million years did I think "Crash" would win Best Picture. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was a good story on racism and fate. I wish Joaquin Phoenix had won best actor, only because he is the matching bookend to Reese Whiterspoon's performance in "I Walk the Line". (yeah, yeah I know I can't help it. I'm a Johnny Cash fan ) However I am thrilled that Philp Seymour Hoffman won for "Capote" even though I didn't see this film yet. He was awesome in "Cold Mountain".

As for the gowns, I agree that JLo looked absolutely radiant in her green gown. I liked Reese W's gown too, but what I really liked about it. Was the fact that she was bragging that it was an original "Christian Dior" gown, and it was hers, all hers She bought it at thrift shop in France. and it belonged to her

[Cassie]

Oh and thanks for the info on all of the wins

"March of the Penguins" is absolutely adorable
and I am thrilled to see it won something too

[trisha]

So, what did you all think of Jon Stewart? I've seen some people say he was great, others think he played it too safe, and others think he was a total flop.

I think he had some really great moments, but I can't help but think that he was playing it safe. Also, some very good jokes were not well received by the audience at all. To me, it spoke well of Jon, and poorly of Hollywood for being stuck up and severe on a night that's supposed to be fun. Those Oscar ads were fantastic, and those pompus idiots could hardly manage crack a smile over them.

[Patcat]

Well, I thought David Letterman was a terrific host a few years back, but he obviously didn't suck up to the powers that be.

Patcat

[janetcatbird]

Wow am I late. I liked the opening sequence of the past hosts turning down the gig, which is just pure Jon Stewart self-deprecation. I was a little worried during his opening monologue, part of it was him being nervous, part of it was the audience not responding, but once he settled in I thought it went well. His inter-award comments and quips were generally good. Not sure I want to see him right next year, but give him a break and then bring him back.

I had read interviews where he said basically that this was the movie people's big night and he didn't want to be the one to ruin it for them, so he wasn't going to try and detract. Besides, watch "The Daily Show" and you'll see how pop-culture/movie savvy they are, with the classics at least it seems to be "We tease because we love".

I've never really watched before, so I can't compare to previous years, but it did flow well and fast. I like montages, but I was glad they didn't do any more. I was just happy that a couple of my monkey men made appearances: Peter Lorre (squeal!) had 2 bits in the film noir section, and Van Heflin got a couple closeups--from "Shane", no lines unfortunately--in the classic western Hoyay montage.

--Catbird

[LOCIfan]

You're not that late, catbird! I watch every Oscars show, and I thought this one was terrific in terms of the entertainment stuff that could be planned (you know, only a certain amount of an awards show can be planned, because of all those pesky speeches). Jon Stewart did a great job as host, I thought. And the show moved along at a good clip. And there were some lovely speeches.

And, yeah, I noticed the Peter Lorre abundance too! (Not so much the Van Heflin, but that's a personal preference...)