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The awards show was long, but interesting. It was wonderful to see Ang Lee win for Best Director. It was also rewarding to see Philip Seymour Hoffman recognized for Capote. It was quite jarring to see him talk in his normal voice - making his ability to pull off Capote all the more remarkable.
It was disappointing that Brokeback Mountain did not win best picture. However, Crash was an excellent movie and also was deserving. No complaints here.
George Clooney stole the show with his defense of liberal values. He addressed the question whether Hollywood was out of touch by pointing out that the industry had addressed questions of civil rights and AIDS when the rest of America was afraid of them. "I'm proud to be part of this Academy," he said to applause, "proud to be part of the community, and proud to be out of touch."
However, before we take this all too seriously, remember the words of Louis B. Mayer, the head of the studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who started the awards ceremony: "I found that the best way to handle (movieemakers) was to hang medals all over them. If I got them cups and awards they'd kill themselves to produce what I wanted."
10 Comments:
The Kodak complex is a few minutes from my house. And it's not the enticement of acclaim that always drives writers and actors, but something important to say as well.
Those movies, put gay, lesbian and transgender issues front and center in American cinema (which might tip toe towards markets in the heartland) but, WILL get there.
Clooney was right, about Hattie McDaniel and about Hollywood bringing certain stories home.
It's not all light and shadow and fantasy, sometimes there are very real and strong human stories that MUST be seen.
And the other great power and freedom we have here in this country, no one goes to the movies with a gun to their head. We have a choice in what we see, and the Hollywood market watchers work with that too.
No, what IS important is that stories about gay people, real and imagined, got the visibility, sympathy, realism and applause that was long overdue.
posted by Regan, at
3/06/2006 11:16 AM
Loke Ang Lee for couples years, so excited to see him be the first Asian best director in Oscar... If Brokeback Mountain could be the best Film at the same time, it would be awesome...
Oh yeah..I HATED that stupid 'song'. It's SUPPOSED to be hard out there for a pimp. It's even harder for his 'girls'. Three 6 mafia winning over former nominee and an American icon, Dolly Parton. Who can really sing and write great songs. Yikes....
posted by Regan, at
3/06/2006 12:17 PM
I enjoyed the oscars, and yes, I hated that song to, hard for a pimp, I am happy for what Brokeback won but was really hopeing they would have got a few more,but still I feel that with all the clips and comments thoughout the oscars it probably peeked the interest of some people who have not yet seen it, still Capote won an Oscar, which is still good for the 3 gay themed films,It would have been great if Huffman would have won for TransAmerica
I actually liked the song from "Crash" best, but I found that weird background dance distracting. I'd have preferred having Kathleen York on a bare stage, like they gave Dolly Parton. I wonder why she was alone? I guess it was hard to come up with an interpretive ballet for a movie about a pre-op transexual with a teenage son who's a prostitute. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't have TRIED! :)
posted by Bill S, at
3/07/2006 5:03 PM
I am REALLY disappointed that the Academy went with Crash and not Brokeback. I feel Brokeback was a much greater achievement in filmaking and storytelling, and I feel like members of the Academy got scared to give a gay themed film the big prize. Yes, it's wonderful that it won the three it did- but the director/film split has only happened eight or nine times, and with a film that earned as many noms as Brokeback did, this should not have been a year with a split. Shame on them.
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