2001-03-25
The Oscars, posted at 11:56
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com So, I just got done watching the Oscar's over at Erin's. While I should be in bed, since it's 2 hours past when I usually am asleep, I've decided to update since I'm wound up from the drive back from Erin's. It was certainly a boring telecast. I don't remember ever being so bored before watching the Oscars. It's an event I look forward to for months, and it's amazing how bored I was between the Best Supporting Actor Oscar and Bjork's performance. My thoughts on the awards: I'm okay with the Best Supporting Actress pick, Marcia Gay Harden. I had been rooting for Kate Hudson, since I loved "Almost Famous" and feel like it got the shaft for the Oscars. And I haven't seen "Pollock" - it hasn't even come to my area. But Harden seemed very happy, and Hudson's performance - while sweet and funny - is something she'll probably top again in her young career. Plus, I have a feeling I'll really love "Pollock" when I finally get to see it. Benicio del Toro was just fine in "Traffic," but it was sort of one of those performances that other people rave about that I find pretty good but not astonishing. It was nice that he won, especially with the Academy's notorious discrimination against minorities. Still, it was quite clear to me that the best supporting performance last year was Joaquin Pheonix's turn in "Gladiator". There's some solace to me that he is young and will doubtlessly have other excellent turns. In addition, Willem Dafoe's performance looks marvelous from afar (I haven't seen that film, either, as it also hasn't come to my area), and it's very tough to play real-life characters, which Dafoe was doing. I also think Fred Willard should have been nominated for his side-splitting work in "Best of Show". I'm okay with Julia Roberts winning for "Erin Brokovich". It was a great performance. Part of me wanted Laura Linney to take it away for her work in the superb "You Can Count on Me", but Julia won and I'm okay with it. I'm a big Joan Allen fan, but found "The Contender" a didactic, somewhat ridiculous film that didn't use her talents to full scale. I'm glad Russell Crowe won for "Gladiator". Tom Hanks was great in "Castaway," but the choice was clear for me. I wish "Erin Brokovich" had won for Best Picture. With "Gladiator", the Academy definitely picked a populist movie, but I don't think they picked the best populist film of the year. That would be "Erin Brokovich". "Traffic" (B+, engrossing but overally didactic) and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (B, great cinemotography and choreographed action scenes, but not much of a story) were both overrated, in my opinion, and "Chocolat" (a diverting trifle of a film that had no business in the category) never had a shot. "Gladiator" was a good film, but had plenty of weaknesses that I don't think "Erin Brakovich" had. If it were up to me, though, I'd have given it to the not-nominated "You Can Count on Me" (which also should have, by the way, won Best Original Screenplay over "Almost Famous"). Oh, and Bjork should have walked away with the Best Song Oscar, although I was pleasantly surprised with the Randy Newman song. Of course, predictably, Bob Dylan won the award with a typically somber ballad about aging.