And the envelope, please...

I know most of you did not even bother.  I, on the other hand, got my snacks, ballot and family together to engage in my annual Oscar ritual.  Other family and friends checked in by phone or email to see what was happening.  Some still have the Oscar guilt that I instilled in them many years ago that they HAD to watch until the (bitter) end.  Then, there is the personal tie......

Today, I checked the local blogs and was very surprised at the nastiness flowing from them.  The venom was so vicious I felt someone had unleashed many "Snidely Whiplashes" on the web. Comments on clothes, couples, and the overall show were horrible. Honestly, why do these people even watch the Oscars anyway?  If you hate it that much, do something else.  Presenters were chastised for slipping up on a name or putting one in the wrong order.  The usual complaint about the show being too long prevailed although it didn't stop each self-appointed critic from watching and criticizing to the very end.  

No one seemed to have anything good to say and I wondered if I had watched the same show. Now, I have watched a lot of Oscar shows and even been to one so in my "expert" opinion, this show was clearly the best.  Why? For starters, Hugh Jackman!!  He is the consummate performer; a dancer, singer, stand-up and a lover.  Hugh was classy, sassy and just plain fun.  Ask that man back, please. The opening number was fantastic and the setting of the stage and the audience lit up the Kodak Theater like an old fashion movie musical set.  It was great theater.  Presenting the awards as if you were making a movie provided insight into the film making process. And then the change-up of having five previous winners acknowledge each of the nominated actors with compliments and gratitude high-lighted each performance.  The camera on the nominee's face showed the appreciation each one felt on hearing such glowing words spoken about them.  There was emotion on the stage and in the audience.  

There were a couple of missteps but come on, this is a live show after all. And it did run long, as usual but that had nothing to do with the show, the acceptance speeches, or the musical numbers.  The commercials which came after every award toward the end were brutal. You not only had to sit through them but, unlike the Super Bowl, they were boring or ones you have seen many times.  Ugh!!  That is commercial television folks....not the Oscar show itself.  If you could record it and see it later, fast-forwarding through the commercials, the show is probably of reasonable length and much more enjoyable. 

And the winners---Kate Winslet was deserving in both her part and her time but Meryl's time is overdue.  Sean Penn did not have to wait 25 years for his second acting accolade.  Meryl will be nominated next year too but she was the best this year in "Doubt."  No doubt about it.  Maybe she has to do what seems to win, play gay in a holocaust movie.  Remember someone said that to Winslet and guess what?? I did love Penelope Cruz both in the movie and on stage.  The best couple of the night.....Tina Fey and Steve Martin.

Best dress---Miley Cyrus was the picture of a princess at the ball.  She said it was heavy to wear and I bet it was.

Best moments---- were the actors on stage (legends all) honoring the next generation of talent.  Seeing Robert DiNero, Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine, etc was amazing and a new tradition that will be around for some time, I think.

Hugh Jackman owned the night along with Slumdog Millionaire (those children were adorable) and Milk.  But it really belonged to all of us who love movies--go see the winners and the losers because they are all remarkable.

P.S. The hat is covering "dreads" which are there for the movie, Jack Goes Boating that is being filmed as we speak.  As he said, he would rather deal with "hat jokes" than "hair jokes."