Oscar Reactions 2011

Strange that year after year I watch the Academy Awards – I even get a little excited for them – expecting… Well, I don’t expect much but maybe there’s some hope in me that this year will be less boring than last. Or at least shorter. I understand of course that the Academy has a very passionate sense of self-importance to maintain, but would a two hour telecast really dampen any of the prestige? Would it kill them to cut the filler and streamline the thing? At one point, Anne Hathaway introduced Hilary Swank who introduced Kathryn Bigelow who then announced the nominees for Best Director. Was that necessary?

Hathaway and co-host James Franco had some funny moments but like many other hosts in recent years, they disappeared for stretches of time and had me wondering why the Academy even bothers with hosts if all they do is reintroduce the ceremony after a commercial break? Why not cut every other piece of fluff in the show and allow the hosts to let loose and act like real MCs? Still, I liked that they poked fun at their “younger demographic” appeal and they seemed to be having fun.

The acceptance speeches are another problem. The Academy apparently asks the nominees each year to refrain from long-winded “Thank you” speeches, a piece of advice that is continually ignored. David Seidler, who won Best Original Screenplay for The King’s Speech, was an exception, if only because he appeared to have put thought and effort into his speech.

Looking back at my predictions from last month, I guessed a pitiful 12 out of 24 correct. Over the last few weeks I conceded that my initial projection of The Social Network taking the top prizes was not going to pan out, but I missed a lot more categories than those. I was happy though to see Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s unconventional and affecting score for The Social Network win.

For me, The King’s Speech was not the year’s best film, but I rather liked Steven Spielberg’s gentle reminder before announcing the winner that many a great film failed to score the most votes in their respective year.

So that’s that. The movie industry can return to business as usual until next winter. Though if studios and journalists didn’t build up an unreasonable level excitement for the Oscars months prior to the ceremony, I can’t imagine how I’d ever be able to sit through the damn thing.

- Steve Avigliano, 2/28/11