o here are my comments on the nominees and the eventual winners of the 78th Academy Awards. I didn’t do that well this year even in the major categories though I will point out that the odds makers had Brokeback Mountain a favorite to win best picture as well. There is an accompanying editorial on what my take on the academy member’s thinking led to some of the surprises.
This year the major awards were split between four different films. Perhaps it goes to show that there were a number of great films this year. It also allows voters to spread around the happiness which is probably a good thing. There were no real big issues, no one falling out of their dresses or running amok. Even Isaac Mizrahi behaved himself.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
I got this one right and so did everyone else. Philip Seymour Hoffman took home a little man. This was no great surprise as Hoffman spent most of the awards season walking to and from various stages. The question will be: after two years of biopic wins will anyone doing a biopic even have a chance next year?
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
This was George Clooney’s only Oscar of the night. It was good even keel speech too, very polished. Everyone knew Clooney was going to get at least one award, the question was whether it would be for screenplay or supporting actor. Poor Paul Giamatti, maybe he will get some Academy love next year, or the year after, or the one after that.
Performance by an actress in a leading role
I missed this one; I should have gone with the crowd on picking Reese Witherspoon. Kudos to her for having one of the most emotional speeches on a rather calm and emotionless night.
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Rachel Weisz fairly glowed receiving her award. Either she is really happy she won an Oscar or she is pregnant. Most likely it is both.
Best animated feature film of the year
Not a surprise, Wallace & Gromit took the award. I loved Steve Box and Nick Park’s bow ties and they even remembered to bring ones for the statuettes. Plus they thanked profusely Peter Sallis who has voiced Wallace for the past 25 years. But then again after four wins this Oscar thing is old hat for them.
Achievement in art direction
I missed this one, New York was great but don’t bet against the beautiful Asian women in Memoirs of a Geisha. Surprisingly, for a movie that wasn’t treated very well by the critics Memoirs of a Geisha took home a number of awards. Of course they were all in art categories, but that doesn’t matter when you are putting that ‘Winner of X Academy Awards’ sticker on the DVD.
Achievement in cinematography
I should have listened to my own advice in picking the previous category and then I would have picked Memoirs of a Geisha for both at least I did pick it for cinematography and costume design.
Achievement in costume design
Again, I got this one right with Memoirs of a Geisha. I wonder if it shows a lack of imagination on the part of the voters that costume design is such an easy pick for anything foreign or time period. But there is one cardinal rule, it shouldn’t be fantasy or science fiction. After all you don’t know how good the costumes are if you don’t have a frame of reference for what they ought to look like.
Achievement in directing
Ang Lee deserved this, of course Brokeback Mountain deserved best picture too. It is interesting how Hollywood is trying so hard to categorize this film. After failing to call it a western, or a gay romance, they are trying to call it a ‘message picture’. Ang Lee is trying assiduously to avoid this fairly random and demeaning label and I hope he succeeds.
Best Documentary Feature
I was wrong here, Hollywood did follow the box office and pick March of the Penguins. They are cute and cuddly and they sell well to the audience. What is not to love.
Best documentary short subject
I got this one right. A stroke of random luck in picking A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin. Who is Norman Corwin anyway?
Achievement in film editing
Crash was well edited. I don’t have anything more to say about the film because I am still mystified as to how it took the top honors.
Best foreign language film of the year
I got this one wrong, I though Paradise Now was a shoe-in but Tsotsi took home the big international prize. I have no idea what the significance of this might be except that it bears a surprising resemblance to the best picture winner Crash.
Achievement in makeup
I got this one wrong and I still don’t understand how a film with only two real characters with interesting makeup like The Chronicles of Narnia could be nominated much less win. Maybe voters thought the makeup artists did a really good job on that big lion’s makeup.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original score)
I got this one wrong but I am pretty happy about it. Gustavo Santaolalla’s score for Brokeback Mountain was wonderful and deserved to win. Plus, it isn’t like John Williams goes home to look at his empty shelves with longing.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song)
People said they were surprised this song won but I though it seemed obvious. Best original song seems to be the one category in which the academy does out of its way to try to appear hip and to woo young audiences. Not only was the performance wonderful, though the costumes were a bit risque, but the exuberance of Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, and Paul Beauregard when they got the award was refreshing during such a calm and unexciting awards show. Plus who else would have given a shout out to presenter Ludacris?
Best motion picture of the year
I got this one wrong and I am still steamed about it. See the accompanying editorial about Hollywood politics and how occasionally the best movie doesn’t win.
Best animated short film
I got this one wrong. The Moon and the Son won. I guess that Pixar isn’t all powerful.
Best live action short film
I guess I’m not the only one who liked the name Six Shooter over the other foreign or uninspiring names. I can’t think of any other reason why I would have chosen the winner.
Achievement in sound editing
King Kong rules the sound editing but not much else. I still haven’t figured out exactly where editing ends and mixing begins. I think that computers serve to blur this line far more than perhaps in the past.
Achievement in sound mixing
I’m surprised that I got this one wrong. Maybe King Kong beat out Walk the Line because Ray won this last year and the voters were shying away from films heavy in music editing.
Achievement in visual effects
I didn’t really think that visual effects was much of a contest but considering the strange way that the Oscars played out this year and the overall lack of pattern in the awards I am a little surprised that King Kong did as well as it did in the technical categories.
Adapted screenplay
I got this one right, Brokeback Mountain won. It is an admirable way to honor the writer of a magnificent short story, and the other people who adapted it. Of course winning the screenplay award is usually a warning that a film will lose some of the major awards especially the acting awards.
Original Screenplay
I did get this one wrong but I was so hesitant to pick a winner. Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco won for the Crash screenplay which was very good, but so were the other nominees in this category.
Related posts:
- Golden Globes Review 2006
- Oscar Night Preview 2006
- Oscar Picks 2010
- Oscar Nominations 2004
- Golden Globe Picks 2006
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