OSCAR RACE 2008
commentary by Nathaniel R

 

all Oscar 2008 postings

Let's Put on a Show
(Oscar Night in Review)

What's that line from The Age of Innocence? Something about audiences 'wanting to get away from amusement even more quickly than they want to get to it.' Excuse me If I've stolen it before. But isn't that the way many of us feel after Oscar night has come and gone. It's like [pantomimes wiping hands] 'That's that! Done. On to next year"


Hugh's opening number. A faux shoestring charm offensive

But I do want to say a few things about what turned out to be a surprisingly fun wrap to the lengthy awards season. This particular season was at turns satisfying (mostly on the acting / awards show side) and unimaginatively monotonous (The world was Slumdogging it from Toronto onwards). I squawked earlier on these pages about the continual leaks that they were going to be messing with the Oscar format. I worried that they didn't care enough about Oscar's true fans, the millions who still tune in every year eager to see favorite annual traditions reenacted. Who wants Christmas without a tree or Thanksgiving without the turkey? If Oscar is your favorite holiday (it's mine. duh) you want the traditions.

But thankfully the traditions weren't completely overthrown. For instance they didn't ditch the technical prizes for a different broadcast as I always fear they will. I don't know about you but I WANT TO KNOW what Michael O'Connor the costume designer looks like. I want to see how awkward the documentarians and crafts people are when they're suddenly forced onscreen rather than behind it. No, thankfully the tweaks were more like reimaginings. Just enough to be fresh and interesting.

The worst new idea
Singing over the "In Memoriam". No offense to Queen Latifah who is hard to dislike but the point of this segment is for us to honor the people who've passed from this mortal coil. If Queen Latifah didn't die last week I'm not sure why I was looking at her. I'm especially not sure why I was looking at her instead of Cyd Charisse as the tribute began. Not respectful. Cyd Charisse is the bee's knees (and ankles and calves and thighs and buttocks... those legs go on forever)

The three best new ideas they had.
01 A show man / movie star rather than a comedian as host.
Monologues can be really fun but they're also time killers. And if you have a comedian as host -- well it feels too Vegas forced. It can also feel like the night is about their particular brand of humor and not about the movies. With an actual star hosting the night felt more like it was about the movies. He's part of the movies. With Hugh Jackman's charisma and song and dance providing warmth and spectacle the comedic "banter" during the presentations didn't feel as much like overkill either (because we weren't already tired of it) and some of the banter was genuinely funny (SHOCK!) and by 'some of' I specifically mean Steve Martin and Tina Fey. Bring them back again next year.

02 Their "storytelling" structure worked. As the awards moved from script to pre production creatives to post production in the awards (with the acting scattered throughout for casual fans) it proved both educational, thematically fun and relatively swift. I'm surprised to be saying this but it felt a bit like that aborted AFI Awards broadcast in that the show actually seemed to know in its bones what it was about: celebrating the cinema and all the ways people contribute to its magic. You wouldn't think this central theme would be easy to lose but it is. Just look at many past broadcasts.

03 The acting award presentations. I'm not sure if the major switcheroo here -- more on that in a minute -- would work as a new tradition but it was definitely an interesting One Night Only happening.

Random Highlights

Things they still need to rethink
Steven Spielberg as annual presenter. I don't want to to come off as mean spirited but give me a break with this guy. Yes, he's a legend who has made many great movies. But that town is FULL of legends, many of whom have contributed greatly to our cinematic enjoyment and are never offered these honors. Give someone else a go at it. Some of them would probably love to do it before they end up in the In Memoriam section! And if the decision is solely a crass one... if it's all about face / name recognition there are other directors the public knows that you can use: Tarantino, Shyamalan, Tim Burton not to mention acting legends that are still kicking. I mean Elizabeth Taylor was a loopy one at the Golden Globes presenting Gladiator its best picture win (2000) but everyone who watched that show still remembers her appearance.

The montages. Outside of awards shows I live for montages. At the Oscars I groan. Because they always eat into the time that could be spent doing what they are there to do: Give prizes to people and listen to their speeches and play clips of the actual nominated movies and performances. And even when the montages try to stay on topic they make really weird decisions: mixing Braveheart (one of the most homophobic Oscar winners ever) into Milk's reel? It was almost funny for entirely perverse reasons. But still...

Maybe firing their music branch? I kid, I kid. But they don't make good choices (The Wrestler snub will sting until next year's equally egregious snub, whatever it may be) and if the Academy producers don't care about the category -- 90 second medleys, seriously? -- why should we?

Beyoncé. She's great at what she does. What she does need not include Oscars. Classic songs are often classic because they have great melodies. They don't really need new notes. But if you must have a famous singer perform see the Spielberg comments above (in other words: there are MANY famous singers to choose from). This is Beyoncé's third Oscar performance in 5 years (unless I'm counting wrong) and I don't really think of her as a movie star. Sorry, I don't. How about spreading the wealth?


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