Although 3 1/2 hours long, I thought the Oscar show kept a pretty good pace. The delicious Hugh Jackman had a great energy level that kept the show from feeling heavy.
I really liked the way they presented the 'best actor' and 'best actress' awards, having 5 past winners enter the stage simultaneously, then describe and announce the current nominees. It really gave the award presentation some extra impact.
One thing I will never understand is why most winners feel the need to ramble off 20-30 peoples' names they need to thank in their acceptance speech. WE DON'T KNOW THESE PEOPLE, so to us it basically sounds like the teacher from the Peanuts cartoon talking. Blah blah blah blah blah. Why not just offer one big 'thank you' to the academy and to everyone who assisted in the production? This would significantly shorten the program, and leave more time for the more enjoyable parts, like performances of the nominated songs.
But there were 2 acceptance speeches I felt bear repeating.
The 1st was from Dustin Lance Black who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for 'Milk'. His heartfelt and emotional speech was inspiring, not only to me as an out gay man, but undoubtedly to all the young gays and lesbians watching last night, as he assured everyone that equal rights on a Federal level would soon be a reality. Click on his name to watch it.
The 2nd was from Sean Penn who won the Oscar for Best Actor. He took the opportunity to shame those who voted yes on Prop 8, and then stated his belief that all Americans, including GLBT folks, deserve equal rights. Click on his name to watch it.
This was probably the most enjoyable awards show for me in a long time. What did you think?
Crush du Jour: Alban Wurm
