There’s nothing like a good book or movie to take your mind off the everyday static and transport you to another place and time. It’s great to sit down and watch a movie uninterrupted.
That feeling is shared by millions of Americans. Many of them are willing to go to their local theater, shell out some big dollars, buy some overpriced junk food and listen to cell phones, someone’s conversation two rows over, babies crying and suffer heat in the summer and cold in the winter, just to watch their favorite movie.
So why after spending our money, in whichever way we so choose, to see the best movies of the year (so the Academy says), are we subjected to the Academy Awards show, year after year? It’s three of the most painful hours of television you could watch. Or is it four now? My God, it’s worse than Oprah or Sean Hannity.
The ironic thing is here’s this Academy, smack dab in the middle of the movie capital of the universe, representing the best of the best and they have the best Hollywood folks putting together this show to honor the best of the best and each year it’s this dismal, hopeless mish-mash of antics, strange performances, unrehearsed presenters and thank you speeches that make you beg for bamboo shoots under your fingernails instead.
Youtube explodes Sunday night and Monday morning with clips of the worst presenters and thank you speeches. That’s tough to choose too.
The event usually starts with the buzz a few months prior to the meltdown about who is going to host. Will it be Billy Crystal again? Whoopee? Chris Rock?
This year it was Hugh Jackman. There was a winning pick.
Alright, he’s a Tony winner and has some hosting on his resume but, Hugh Jackman? In his defense he really didn’t have to do that much and it could have been Jack Nicholson talking.
The next disappointment is the nominees being announced in January. Most of the time the Academy gets it right but so often they leave out some really good performances, music or screenplay. And there’s the politics of it. It still irks me Denzel Washington didn’t win for The Hurricane but did win for Training Day. That was bass-ackwards.
Then there are the speeches. Comedian Mo Rocha did a nice piece on Sunday Morning giving advice about what to say and not to say. Don’t thank your agent, he said. He’ll get a much bigger paycheck because you’re now an award winner and he didn’t do the work, you did. God and Jesus get thanked a lot and from some people whose religious nature I really question.
Rocha also said if you’re going to make a political statement, go big, like Marlon Brando did by refusing the award for best actor in Godfather in 1972.
Every year we get a Sean Penn rant. Two years ago he was whining about Chris Rock making a remark about Jude Law. This year he was whining about California voting the wrong way on gay rights. It’s the academy awards. Say thank you, Sean, and sit down.
Speaking of politics, when they ran the “In Memorium” tribute to show biz people who died during 2008, did Charleton Heston get a scattering of applause? He was one of the greats in his time but his politics and support of NRA issues seems to have put him on the outs with Hollywood.
It’s another year before Hollywood comes up with another three-ring circus sure to disappoint. The Golden Globes did it right last year when they just announced the winners without a show because of the writers’ strike.
Short and sweet. Just like I like my thank you speeches.