The strike is over, so of course Hollywood throws a party. It’s the 80th Annual Academy Awards.
Here are some thoughts (oh who am I kidding – a LOT of thoughts) from the 2008 Academy Awards (after the jump):
- Even though I’ve been down Hollywood Blvd too many times to count and have been inside the Kodak Theatre, I totally do not recognize where they are doing all this red carpet stuff. I am amazed at how the Oscars crew has totally transformed this street and venue.
- I love Helen Mirren. She just said “whorehouse” on tv. (In her defense, she said it when describing her character in Love Ranch.)
- I still don’t like Hilary Swank.
- Time delays in audio feeds for the red carpet “journalists” is funny. The ladies may be all serious when “interviewing” celebs, but they just look like Barbies when they’re waiting for the audio cue for them to start talking.
- I LOVE Jon Stewart. He’s not as good as Billy Crystal. But still… “The fight is over. So tonight, welcome to the makeup sex.” And, he laughs at himself. A man after my own heart.
- I don’t like that they spend the first five minutes pointing out who’s here and what they’ve done. WE KNOW!!! We’ve already been bombarded by ads (especially in the trade magazines) and commercials reminding everyone of all the nominations. And enough with the political jokes! (Though in Jon’s defense, he is The Daily Show host.)
- Hee hee, Jon just chuckled at himself again. I love this guy!
- Elizabeth: The Golden Age won for best costume. I really wanted to see that movie, but never got around to it. Wow! And her acceptance speech is already over.
- I’m a nerd. I actually stopped fast-forwarding through the commercials and rewound one. Why? Because I recognized the ER ambulance bay from the lot. It was an ad for Diet Coke, by the way.
- Whew! Got goosebumps during that “80 Years of Oscars” montage.
- Ratatouille won best animated film. I really didn’t like that movie.
- Amy Adams is singing! Hmm… She shoulda been wearing her dress from the movie. And I want some animated animals with her. She looks so lonely on stage all by herself. And I think she’s a bit out of breath… I think Kristin Chenoweth will be a better performer.
- HA! I loved the “writer-less montage” for binoculars and periscopes and nightmares. Thank God the writers are back!!
- The choir that sang the song from August Rush came and took a tour of the WB studio last week. I only hope we compensated the tour for them. After all, they performed the Oscar-nominated song from our movie…
- I’m starting to feel just a little guilty for not having seen ANY of the movies nominated for the acting, directing, or best picture awards…
- I think we’ve just seen the first shocker of the night. Cate Blanchett was kind of a shoo-in for Best Supporting, but Tilda Swinton took home the award. Haven’t seen Michael Clayton (the movie she was nominated for), but she was amazing as the evil White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
- Yay! Kristin just sang! Man, she looks even shorter on that stage than she does in real life!
- Ha. Now the movies up for sound editing and sound mixing… Well, I’ve seen those. Yay! The Bourne Ultimatum won!
- “You rocked my life!” Who says Marion Cotillard, winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress, can’t speak American?
- I have seen just 30 of the 80 films that have won Academy Awards for Best Picture. And ten of those films won during my lifetime.
- I don’t get it. The Bourne Ultimatum wins three Oscars, yet can’t score a nom for Best Picture?!? Not cool.
- Okay, Falling Slowly from Once won best original song. I love the soundtrack, never saw the film. And really really nice that they brought the girl back out for her acceptance speech. Never thought they’d actually bring someone back to the stage.
- Cute. Cameron Diaz can make fun of herself. I like her.
- Uh oh… The Death Montage. Gonna be so sad to see Heath on there… Good job on fading quietly to a commercial after the last face in that reel. Classy. (Why wasn’t Roy Scheider in there?!? Oh wait, yeah, he passed away after the cutoff date. Lame!)
- Best Original Screenplay Oscar goes to Diablo Cody, writer of Juno (whose past profession probably helped her edge out the competition – she was a stripper. Is being a tour guide for the WB edgy enough to edge out my competition when I’m nominated??).
- And Daniel-Day Lewis wins the Oscar. He probably deserves it. I think I’ve only ever seen him in The Last of the Mohicans though. Woulda been nice to see George Clooney win it though. Maybe next year, George! (Dunno if Johnny Depp will ever actually win an Oscar. Maybe not until he’s in his 60s, or when he gets an honorary Oscar for a lifetime of damn good work.)
- Got goosebumps seeing the clip of Martin Scorsese being announced as the Best Director at last year’s ceremony for The Departed. I loved that movie. And the Coen brothers win again. It’s been a while though, since their last award. Eleven years, to be exact. They won screenwriting Oscars for Fargo.
- No Country for Old Men wins Best Picture.
And that’s all, folks!
Jon did a pretty good job, “they” (the ambiguous “they” who produce the Oscars) did a good job keeping the show moving, and still the classiest part of the evening was bringing Markéta Irglová out again for her acceptance speech.
What’d y’all think? Did you even watch the Oscars this year? Have any favorites you wanted to win?
Talk to me, people!
Once is freaking amazing! You need to see that movie ASAP. Marketa’s return to the stage was one of my favorite moments as well.
And Juno also kicks butt… I don’t think Diablo had to rely on her past profession to score that win.
I was hoping that movie would take a couple more awards, especially for Ellen Page as best actress. She was really great.
I was also hoping for Johnny Depp…I’d like to see his quirky acceptance speech.
Jon and I actually sat and watched the whole show. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever really watched the ENTIRE show like that. It was pretty good.
Katie
February 24th, 2008
Oh my darling – you are my movie buffest of movie buff friends and you haven’t seen any of the major noms AND you hated Ratatouille? Who are you?
You must see them. All. Well, okay, Atonement is a bit of a yawn except for McAvoy. But No Country, Juno… There Will Be Blood (which would have been robbed all night if it hadn’t lost to No Country, the only film that was superior to it)! You must!
And Once Once Once Once Once! See it! Love it! It’s fabulously good – if No Country and Blood hadn’t come out this year, I would have pegged it for a best picture nom.
As for Johnny – really deserved it for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Ed Wood, but if he wants an Oscar, he needs to take Oscar-y roles. That said, they should’ve created a category for him: actor able to carry a musical with his eyes rather than his voice. I guess they did by nominating him, but still – he was incredible, just not Oscar-style incredible, certainly not in a Daniel Day-Lewis year. Woe to the man who gives a good performance in a year Daniel Day-Lewis decides to crawl out of his Irish town and act in a film! Poor Tommy Lee…
But the real tragedy tonight, I think, was Casey Affleck. His performance in Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was bar none, but it just wasn’t his year up against Javier Bardem and his eccentric Anton Chugre from No Country. If you’re playing a guy who shoots Brad Pitt in the head, you can’t really expect to beat a guy who uses a pneumatic cow-killer to kill people.
linds
February 25th, 2008
Elizabeth and I loved the show as well. And I have to disagree with you — Ratatouille rocked!
I blogged on the Oscars myself — come on over and see….
Susanne
February 25th, 2008