The 81st Annual Academy Awards have come to an end, and for the most part,
it was a classy telecast fueled by the considerable talent (and natural charm)
of host Hugh Jackman. Jackman brought the house down with a terrifically clever
opening musical number that recapped the cinematic high points of 2008. The tune
even made humorous, playful mention of the puzzling exclusion of The
Dark Knight. The entire piece was lot of fun - particularly when Jackman
pulled Anne Hathaway from the crowd and all but forced her to duet on a cheeky
Frost/Nixon interlude. It reminded me a bit of the tunes Billy Crystal used to
do back in the day. Granted, Jackman is a true song-and-dance man, thus taking
this number to a higher level. In an eager attempt to best his epic opening,
Jackman engaged in an even more ambitious musical number during the telecast's
mid-section: a massive homage to the re-birth of the movie musical. While
visually dazzling and overflowing with musical talent (i.e. Beyonce,
Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens), it lacked the all-out fun of the opening number.
It was also no match for the nominated song segment which soared thanks to high
energy Bollywood inspired numbers from Slumdog Millionaire and a wonderful
rendition of Down to Earth by John Legend.
Perhaps the most welcome addition to the Oscar telecast was the fashion in
which the acting categories unfolded. Each nominee was given a brief
introduction by a past nominee. The only gripe I had about this new technique
was the fact that none of the nominees were given an Oscar clip. Generally
speaking, I like the clips. It's a reminder of why these performers have been
nominated in the first place and, in some rare cases, why they shouldn't have
been nominated at all.
As classy as the telecast was, it wasn't without its free-flowing comical
moments. One of the best? A bit with Seth Rogen and James Franco as their
stoned Pineapple Express alter egos, Dale Denton and Saul Silver. Observing
these slackers laugh aloud as they watched scenes from the uber-depressing
Stephen Daldry film, The Reader, nearly caused me to fall off the couch in
hysterics. And the look on Franco's face as he watched himself kissing Sean
Penn in a scene from Milk was even funnier. Then, just as things looked as if
they couldn't get any more hilarious, famed cinematographer Janusz Kaminski
shows up and opts to get wasted with Denton and Silver on their couch.
UNFORGETTABLE!!!!! The only thing funnier during the entire telecast was seeing
the look on Philip Seymour Hoffman's face when Alan Arkin introduced him as
Seymour Philip Hoffman. Oops!
As for the award winners themselves, there really were no big surprises. If
I had to pick a disappointing category it would be Best Actor. I absolutely
loved Sean Penn in Milk. In fact, after that movie was over, I was convinced
that the intense thespian was actually gay. Still, I was rooting for Mickey
Rourke for his amazing work in The Wrestler. At least I can take comfort in
knowing that Rourke is back. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the
near future. Beyond the Best Actor category, I was disappointed that
Frost/Nixon was shut out.
I was immensely pleased with Heath Ledger's win. He deserved it. Had he not
passed away, he still would have deserved it. His mother, father, and sister
graciously accepted the award on his behalf.
Cheers to a luminous Kate Winslet for not only winning for her amazing work
in The Reader, but for acknowledging many of the folks who helped her
throughout her career-including one Peter Jackson who gave her an early shot at
stardom in the outstanding Heavenly Creatures.
I could hear simultaneous gasps across the state of Utah as Dustin Lance
Black made his acceptance speech after winning the Oscar for Best Original
Screenplay for Milk. Take a chill pill people! Were you really that surprised
by his comments? He's a gay man who grew up in the Mormon Church. What did you
expect? At any rate, he was classy and subdued in his comments and didn't come
off as bitter or whiny, and the moment in which he stated, "God loves us
all," it was hard to not be moved.
Of course, the big winner of the evening was Slumdog Millionaire, and I
couldn't be happier for Danny Boyle. What a brilliantly diverse career this man
has amassed - Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Shallow Grave, and Millions. Now he
can add an Oscar to his list of achievements. A true success story. When Boyle
and crew went up to accept their much deserved award for Best Picture, they
brought the cast - children and all - with them. A fitting tribute to one of
the best films of 2008.
All in all, a very strong Oscar telecast. Not the best I've ever seen, but
certainly a classy turn by all involved. Jackman was solid, and if they invite
him back next year, I'll certainly tune in.
On a final note, at the end of the telecast, viewers were treated to a
montage of films we can expect to see represented at next year's telecast.
Included; a brief but exciting look at Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in Guy
Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. Yes, 2009 looks to be another great year for movies.
Here's a list of the major category winners. For the entire list, log on to zboneman.com;
Best motion picture of the year:
Slumdog Millionaire
Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Sean Penn (Milk)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Best animated feature film of the year:
WALL-E
Achievement in directing:
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best documentary feature:
Man on a Wire
Adapted screenplay:
Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
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