"He has no genitalia and he's holding a sword."
- Dustin Hoffman, 52nd Academy Awards, 1980
Sunday night's Academy Awards telecast went off without a hitch, and other than Tilda Swinton's Supporting Actress award for her work in "Michael Clayton", there weren't a lot of surprises. Tilda seemed a little surprised herself, and millions of casual movie-goers now know who Tilda Swinton is.
Speaking of millions of casual movie-goers, the same thought crosses my mind every year while I'm watching the Oscars. Why do they show us those Short Subject and Foreign Film awards at the beginning of the show? I haven't seen an animated short subject in a movie theater since I was five years old, and in most parts of the country, foreign film is the stuff that gets stuck to your teeth after drinking milk.
But we persevere through the awards like Art Direction, Make-up and Animated Short Subject so that we can get to the Tilda Swinton Awards - acting, directing and American-made movies. It's a long way to go, and I usually don't make it, and last night was no exception.
Generally, I get weary of listening to millionaire actors and producers pat themselves on the back and remind us what cushy jobs they have. It's tiring to me and it seems to go on forever - or at least until midnight. I gave up at 11:05, before I saw the Coen Brothers win their second award and the presentation of the Daniel Day-Lewis Award, which (like the Lombardi Trophy) the Best Actor Oscar should probably be re-named soon.
The Academy Awards is one of those events where the prelude is more interesting than the actual event. The fun is in predicting who will win. Once it starts, I grow weary of self-adulation and I start to think that it's just a bunch of people loving themselves. That's a little creepy. Figure that the population of a city decided to hold a big party, put it on TV and tell everyone watching what great work they did last year. It's a little like hosting your own birthday party. Once that feeling starts to sink in, I start thinking that a good night's sleep is my best option, which I encouraged in my post on Saturday.
In the back of my mind I knew how I was going to feel, but after a year, I forgot.
Now I have this to remind me. An electronic string around my finger.
5 comments:
Dull, though I do not think the dull musical numbers did not help
Oscar??? Was it on last night??
I was deep involved in a DVR of House! I really like that show but it gets a little trite with House always being right. I do however like the writing on the show.
I dont watch them.. I think the last one i watched was when Haley Barry won... and i only watched it to see if she would.
I can live without the musical numbers too.
"House" is a cool show - so I hear. I hesitate to watch it because I really need to spend less time in front of the TV.
You ain't missing much, K8tie.
i didn't watch this year. but i wish i got to see the jennifer garner/busey confrontation.
probably youtube it and find it huh?
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