Oscar 2009 Musings
Well I stay awake for the 81st edition of the Oscars and that was no mean feat.
I went over my picks and I did pretty well. I didn't have Penn for Milk but I hadn't thought of the implications about Prop 8 also none of the Slumdog cast was up for any acting awards which is fine since it was such an ensemble movie. I am glad that Kate Winslet was recognized for her work in the Reader which was a brilliant performance. Peter was 17 for 24 for picking awards.
Overall I watched the show and wondered what the people who put it together were thinking. It had no focus which is truly amazing since it is an awards show. Jackman did well with the material he was given. I liked the opening sketch and someone get Anne Hathaway in a really good musical. I knew she could sing but I didn't know she could SING. Also unlike say Stewart or Crystal, Jackman stuck to the script and didn't add some of the off hand things that become so memorable the next day. At more than one point either Peter or I said, "Hugh it's the Oscars not the Tonys." Also having the teen heartthrobs through out was an interesting idea but I don't think it added the younger viewer to the audience.
Peter is predicting some of the worst numbers ever for this one which considering last years numbers is not a good thing. I don't want to see the Oscars shuffle off to AMC or Bravo like the Miss America pageant was shuffled off to cable. But there are so many awards shows now on both broadcast and cable to be watched that the Oscars may have become old hat. I have a feeling the Tonys will leave broadcast TV before the Oscars.
A lot of the awards just proved the prejudices that exist in the Academy for certain forms of films. Animation just can't get a break. After "Beauty and the Beast" was nominated for best film, a new category was created so that wouldn't happen again. WALL-E was up for a number of awards and didn't even get one for sound, which is a shame since the first hour or so of that film is nothing but a sound construct.
I could do a whole entry on whether the Oscars are still relevant any more but they are awards given by peers to peers so to that group of people they are. To the rest of the world, it seems like another awards show.
Next year I will watch the films and keep up on the relevant information and sit down to watch who wins. Because it is the Oscars and even at its most boring, it is still pretty interesting.
I am grateful I stayed awake for the whole broadcast.
I went over my picks and I did pretty well. I didn't have Penn for Milk but I hadn't thought of the implications about Prop 8 also none of the Slumdog cast was up for any acting awards which is fine since it was such an ensemble movie. I am glad that Kate Winslet was recognized for her work in the Reader which was a brilliant performance. Peter was 17 for 24 for picking awards.
Overall I watched the show and wondered what the people who put it together were thinking. It had no focus which is truly amazing since it is an awards show. Jackman did well with the material he was given. I liked the opening sketch and someone get Anne Hathaway in a really good musical. I knew she could sing but I didn't know she could SING. Also unlike say Stewart or Crystal, Jackman stuck to the script and didn't add some of the off hand things that become so memorable the next day. At more than one point either Peter or I said, "Hugh it's the Oscars not the Tonys." Also having the teen heartthrobs through out was an interesting idea but I don't think it added the younger viewer to the audience.
Peter is predicting some of the worst numbers ever for this one which considering last years numbers is not a good thing. I don't want to see the Oscars shuffle off to AMC or Bravo like the Miss America pageant was shuffled off to cable. But there are so many awards shows now on both broadcast and cable to be watched that the Oscars may have become old hat. I have a feeling the Tonys will leave broadcast TV before the Oscars.
A lot of the awards just proved the prejudices that exist in the Academy for certain forms of films. Animation just can't get a break. After "Beauty and the Beast" was nominated for best film, a new category was created so that wouldn't happen again. WALL-E was up for a number of awards and didn't even get one for sound, which is a shame since the first hour or so of that film is nothing but a sound construct.
I could do a whole entry on whether the Oscars are still relevant any more but they are awards given by peers to peers so to that group of people they are. To the rest of the world, it seems like another awards show.
Next year I will watch the films and keep up on the relevant information and sit down to watch who wins. Because it is the Oscars and even at its most boring, it is still pretty interesting.
I am grateful I stayed awake for the whole broadcast.