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Oscar 75: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly


© Jason O'Brien
Page 2

Mar 30, 2003


THE BAD AND THE UGLY: Michael Moore and how NOT to give a good speech during war-time. We've seen controversial political speeches at the Oscars before, but Michael Moore must certainly rank as the only person to ever go from receiving a standing ovation to being booed off stage. And hey, I love Michael Moore's films, and Bowling for Columbine was one of the most well deserved Documentary Oscar winner choices in history, and I even agree with some of what he was trying to say. But he made a complete idiot of himself, and only made the image of Hollywood speaking out on the war look even worse. And besides that, I am way past tired of any Oscar winner using the moment of the Academy Awards for "the propagation of their own personal political propaganda" as Paddy Chayefsky said so eloquently at the 50th Anniversary Oscars which had its own political firestorm thanks to a winner's ill-guided speech. Michael Moore knows how to be more eloquent than that, and he wasted what was a precious thing in any filmmaker's life ... the moment you're on stage accepting an Academy Award. Regardless of whether I agree with their political viewpoints or not, they simply do not belong on the Academy Awards. But if you are going to make some comment, do it with some class. See Adrien Brody.

THE GOOD: Old Hollywood coming back, particularly with Peter O'Toole and Olivia De Havilland. Peter O'Toole received the evening's sole Special Oscar for lifetime achievement, and he delivered an amazingly eloquent speech that was particularly touching for his thanks given to the United States of America, a line that felt a lot more resonating during all the crisis in Iraq and around the world. And what a great moment to see a legend like Olivia De Havilland on stage, introducing the segment that brought a number of Oscar winners back for a reunion photo.

THE BAD: Well, that segment with all these past Oscar winners back on stage had been done before, just five years ago during the 70th Annual Awards, in the exact same fashion. Same kind of stage setting, same kind of camera pan across the winners, everything. I was hoping for something fresh and new. And unfortunately, just not enough of some of the great legends coming back. No Elizabeth Taylor, no Katharine Hepburn ... I was really hoping that the Academy would have pulled a big surprise out of its hat and brought someone truly legendary to the 75th Anniversary Oscars. But I was hit more with the impression that we just weren't seeing enough history on that stage.

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1.   Apr 6, 2003 5:05 AM
I agree, generally, with your comments. I say "generally," because I disagree with your enthusiasm for Marshall Mather's win for Best Song. I applaud your comments on Michael Moore's on-stage perfor ...

-- posted by jimbers



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