As the Movie Talk people will go crazy arguing over who should and should not have won, this thread is for the actual television program, not the merit of the winners themselves.

To start, what was Chris Connelly doing in the pregame? Have these people not seen how bad Unscripted is?

And I know everyone seems to hate Whoopi, but I think she's great (even though she bombed the last time she hosted). So far, I think she's doing a great job ... so far. The Tom Cruise intro was pretty cool too.

das

Das, I believe this is the first time I've ever disagreed with you. But I personally think Whoopi is as bad, if not worse, than her previous stint on the Oscars. Her "humor" is so stale and flat, it's beyond embarrassing. And I cannot believe she's repeating the same dilalogue and routine from her previous hosting duties. "I'm cracking myself up" and coming out in those unfunny costumes from the Oscar nominated Best Pictures. Oy! Thankfully, she's not on the show as much as she was the last time. Maybe even the producers knew somewhere along the way what a poor choice they made. Again.

About the show in general, I think it's one of the most boring and awkward Oscar shows I've ever seen. What the hell was with that montage of people talking about the movies? Who cares! Showing that Josh Hartnett guy every time "Black Hawk Down" or "Pearl Harbor" won those technical awards. Glenn Close and Donald Sutherland looking stiffer than usual. Didn't think that was possible. John Williams and his orchestra attempting to play Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Relax" when Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson walked out to present an award. Hilarious. And last, but not least, enough with the gazillion film motages and tributes. This show could be 2 hours shorter without all that useless filler.

First time producer/director in a new venue. Kinks abound.

Keep in mind that my assessment of Whoopi was based on the first 15 minutes when I posted.

das

Well, I'll go ahead and say that it's embarassing the way they've handled the "race card" all night. How can anyone expect any measure of equality when you only interview black actors about Sidney Poitier? Why does it have to be black & white? Why can't they celebrate his accomplishments and not his color?

das

Yes, Opie won!

Will this thing ever end?? At least Halley Barry and Whoppi are over. There are some good moments, but it is really dragging now. Ron Howard was short, simple, and to the point

Well since this was a tv special....

1st off the production seemed liked something out of
a tv show. Glenn Close bobbled thru her tv announcers job
as well the channel 5 weather girl locally on valium.

2nd if these are the best actors. Why does everyone read
off the tele-prompter like a 3rd grader....

3rd Ron "opie" Howard as best director was just a wrong.
Everyone who watched all 5 movies knows this. Period.

4th Not going to discuss the best actors as I know better.
But if I was a certains lawyers winner...Thank you.

5th. This is the last time time I watch the academy Awards...
(I have said this everytime for 20 years, but I really mean it)

Finally....Jennifer Connelly...Do not read from a piece of paper
and not look up once during your acceptence speech.
This was your chance to shine girl, and you blew it.....

Of course. This is a well-documented fact. Oh wait ... no it's not ... it's an opinion ...

das

I'm much more nicer than you guys in my thoughts. I actually thought it was ok. The "films" they showed kinda sucked, except for the In Memory one, but they show one like that every year.

I thought Whoopi was not bad, but not that good, either. I think Billy Crystal, or even Steve Martin were more suited to host.

They shouldn't have made Glenn Close and Donald Sutherland do some of their announcements outside. I didn't get it, why shove them outside every now and then? I think if they didn't have to go outside, they wouldn't have stumbled those times backstage.

I noticed that everything seemed black or white. I was kind of annoyed, except for that Bolivian(?) guy who won for Best Foriegn film, it was forgotten that there are other races out there. At least last year there was "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"...

Was anyone else shocked at how incredibly skinny she was? I remember her in her late teens and early 20's as being a slender but healthy looking girl with quite a curvaceous and nice body. That is *all* gone now. I saw a replay of her walk up to the stage and she was almost flat-chested. I'm not kidding. Has she has breast reduction surgery? Even if you diet like mad, you're not going to lose *that* much breast mass. I don't mean to sound like a total perve but I was extremely surprised by her appearance.

I didn't think the Whoopster was so bad. Sure, some of the jokes were too inside and lame anyway, but she is a likable host and was kept to a minimum. Anything is better than Billy Crystal.

Donald Sutherland and Glenn Close looked like a pair of reanimated corpses.

Honk!

no comments on the length of the telecast, scheduled for 3hrs, it came in at 4 hrs and about 20 minutes or so.


Awesome production not!!!!

Some quick best/worst thoughts:

Best:

Woody Allen
Randy Newman
Halle Berry winning
Sidney Poitier
The first half of Robert Redford's speech
Ron Howard

Worst:

Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Halle Berry's speech
The second half of Robert Redford's speech
Glenn Close and Donald Sutherland


das

Maybe Uma borrowed them?

That was... awkward. She looked like she was reading a report on Canada to her third grade class.

From interviews I've seen, I think Jennifer Connelly is just an incredibly private person and is very uncomfortable in the spotlight. She was really shaking before getting up on stage, and you could see Crowe whisper something to her to calm her down. When she won the Golden Globe she was REALLY nervous. I think it was easier to distance herself from what was happening by sinking into the written speech.

das

O.K., I *knew* someone was going to mention Uma's juggs MAN! Is she pregnant again? I mean, she's always been, um, healthy. But not THAT healthy.

Anyway, I think Connelly did o.k. She's probably not used to standing in front of that many people. Save for the Golden Globes. Which is 1/4 of the number of people in the room. She was visiably nervous.

I'm a little shocked no one has mentioned "Amelie" losing Best Foreign film. I thought for sure it would have won. And should have. Another Oscar robbed.

Originally posted by Daytripper
O.K., I *knew* someone was going to mention Uma's juggs MAN! Is she pregnant again? I mean, she's always been, um, healthy. But not THAT healthy.

Where's David Letterman when you need him?

I'm a little shocked no one has mentioned "Amelie" losing Best Foreign film. I thought for sure it would have won. And should have. Another Oscar robbed.

I dunno ... No Man's Land is a pretty compelling film.

das

I watched the entire show.
It was way too long. I couldn't believe they were showing clips of celebrities discussing their favorite films at 12:20 when they still had Best Actor, Best Director and Best Picture left. WTF ? Are they nuts ?

Whoopi sucked as usual. Can't they get anyone else besides her ? Maybe it was because she's black. It seemed a little too planned that on the night they were honoring Sidney Portier, Halle Berry and Denzel Washington win too.

As long as the person awarded was the best then it shouldn't matter what color they are. It seemed that they went out of there way to make it a black and white thing.
Every time Whoopi made one of her endless black jokes they would only show Will Smith, Denzel or Halle Berry laughing. During Sidney Portier's tribute only black people made comments about him. During Robert Redford's only white people.
Whoopi commented on this too.

Julia Roberts made an ass out of herself as usual. Her 2 stupid comments:
"I kissed Sidney Portier tonight" and "my life is good" as she read Denzel's name for winning best actor. It came across to me as phony.

Halle Berry's speech was ridiculous. Who does she think she is ? She just another millionare that won an award from her peers for being in a movie. She should have won another best actress award for her speech. Get over yourself, your not that important.
She should have took a lesson from Denzel, that's the way to make an acceptence speech. I'm glad he won, he's one of my favorite actors.

I think Russel Crowe was a victim of winning last year and this year being a year to award the black performers.
Jennifer Conelly wins Best Actress, Ron Howard wins Best Director and the film wins Best Picture but he doesn't win Best Actor. He was great in that role.

I thought Woody Allen was great as well as the movie clips filmed in NY.

Not worth staying up until 12:45 am.
Billy please come back next year !

The local radio reported last night's ceremonies as being the longest in Oscar history.

Isn't Halle Berry half-white (her mom looked white to me), in the name of all the white people, they should claim half of her oscar. (stole the joke from the Don Imus show).

Whoopi was dull, only got off 2 zingers, one was the Hugh Grant one.

I thought the Cirque Du Soleil was cool (I could watch them all night).

They need to implement the Gong Show Hook to get the blabbering self-important actors/actresses off the stage.

Yep.

You're not getting the inside "joke" about Roberts. She LOVES Denzel Washington. You may recall that she had insisted that he be in The Pelican Brief and that the script for it re-written/customized so that he could play the role.

My biggest qualm was about the production values - BAD, BAD BAD television!

What was up with that John Williams montage that was a tribute to music in movies?!?!? The orchestra on stage literally BLOCKED OUT the captions on the screen behind them which were supposed to tell you what the music was ( who won for it, the film it was from and what year). I mean at 1st I thought it was because of how it was shot but no one in the theater could see it without watching a closed circuit TV. That really sucked.

Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson were the best presenters of the night with their bit IMHO.

Usually they do - Halle Berry maybe should have been cut off for her speech. It got embarrassing when she thanked her LAYWERS not once but twice. And the women who received Oscars for Moulin Rouge WERE cut off - only one of the two was allowed to speak, then the music started and sent the program into commerical.

Was pre-filmed footage for the animation stuff in the crowds ridiculous or what? It started out amusing and cute but the audience members next to them reacting was the ULTIMATE is bad acting cheese!

Nice flub showing the Best Actress logo behind Streisand when she can out to present Redford's award (was it just me or did she look like a total FREAK when they cut to her for Redford's referrence to her his speech? She looked like she was backing off the stage in terror!). At first I thought the meant to show that because we was a former Best Actress recipient but then Best Actress was the next category so I'm thinking not.

Hair was BAD! Anyone want to start a poll for the worst? J. Lo would have to be near the top with that rat's nest, followed by the boring slicked, pullback for Connelly.

Did anyone catch the list of writters? I taped it and meant to check after but it was SO late at night already! I did see Judd Aptow's name somewhere separately and Bruce Villanch among others of the main writers...

I enjoyed Whoopi overall - they kept her appearances to a minimum, and I thought she was able to sneak valid zingers in when necessary (the black vs. white interviews for Redford and Poitier was in bad taste - couldn't they have taken a better angle consider Berry and Washington's buzz for potential wins?). I thought it was a decent somber tone following 9/11 (was that why most of the women's outfits were boring?). Though again - the moment of silence was handled badly considering some of the other HUGE masturbatory elements of the ceremony like the slightly too extensive opening montage.

Look, I like Halle Berry, but I'm a little tired of her going around saying "this one's for the sistas" or that she opened the door for other black actresses. Halle *is* only 1/2 black. Let's give credit where credit is due. And I wonder how it makes her mom feel to hear her excluding half of her blood?