Oscar Night roundup

The show was a bit too long this year, but it moved along well. Of course, I am always more engaged when I have seen many of the performances. I hope the conservatives don't claim that the loss fo "Brokeback Mountain" for Best Picture is somehow a vindication for the social conservatives. It's not. "Crash" was a fine film. It was also the safest choice for uncomfortable Academy voters, who faced choices of racism ("Crash"), homosexuality or homosexuals ("Brokeback Mountain" and "Capote"), terrorism and Middle East politics ("Munich") or the perceived media bias toward liberalism ("Good Night, and Good Luck.").

My scorecard (11 of 16 correct)
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Prediction: Brokeback Mountain
My Own Vote: Brokeback Mountain
Winner: Crash (which I pegged as a possible dark horse)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Prediction: Philip Seymour Hoffman
My Own Vote: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Winner: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Prediction: Reese Witherspoon
My Own Vote: Felicity Huffman
Winner: Reese Witherspoon

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Prediction: George Clooney
My Own Vote: George Clooney
Winner: George Clooney

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Prediction: Rachel Weisz
My Own Vote: Amy Adams
Winner: Rachel Weisz

Best Achievement in Directing
Prediction: Ang Lee
My Own Vote: Ang Lee
Winner: Ang Lee

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Prediction: Good Night, and Good Luck.
My Own Vote: Good Night, and Good Luck.
Winner: Crash (as I pegged as a dark horse)

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Prediction: Brokeback Mountain
My Own Vote: Brokeback Mountain
Winner: Brokeback Mountain

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Prediction: Brokeback Mountain
My Own Vote: Brokeback Mountain
Winner: Memoirs of a Geisha

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Prediction: Memoirs of a Geisha
My Own Vote: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Winner: Memoirs of a Geisha (second for Quincy native Colleen Atwood)

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Prediction: Brokeback Mountain
My Own Vote: Brokeback Mountain
Winner: Brokeback Mountain

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Prediction: I have no idea
My Own Vote: Dolly Parton
Winner: Hustle & Flow (!)

Best Achievement in Makeup
Prediction: I have no idea.
My Own Vote: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Winner: Chronicles of Narnia

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Prediction: King Kong
My Own Vote:King Kong
Winner: King Kong

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Prediction: I have no idea.
My Own Vote: King Kong, again.
Winner: King Kong

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Prediction: King Kong
My Own Vote: King Kong
Winner: King Kong

Good stuff
Jon Stewart brought some of his trademark humor to the hosting responsibilities. His early jokes were a bit off, and it was clear the stars were not amused. They like having their egos stroked. They would love Oprah Winfrey or Larry King to host, I bet. Instead, Stewart found his groove when he rolled a tape of some faux commercials for Best Actress. The ads smearing the contenders were hilarious, especially the one attacking Dame Judy Dench by a group called "Dames for Truth." Also, his faux sketch with Tom Hanks mocking all the bad acceptance speech idiosyncrasies was hilarious. Now that's funny.

It was good to have the Best Picture nominees as exits before a commercial break instead of just plugged in at varied intervals.

Tribute to films that tackled tough issues: Nice.

Best Acceptance Speech: George Clooney for Best Supporting Actor. He reminded us why film is important as an American art form and that commercialism is not the measure of greatness. In what was the first acceptance speech of the evening, he said he was glad to be "out of touch" -- a reference to the criticism this year that Hollywood was out of touch with America's heartland. I bet that will be a clip that leads tomorrow's news coverage.

Bad stuff
Lauren Bacall looked like she was barely able to ambulate to the podium. She made her Frankenstein-like walk to the lectern, and then gripped it as if she were about to collapse. She then stumbled through her speech as if she had downed one too many pain killers. It evoked memories of the year Elizabeth Taylor gave an awards introduction for best picture at the Golden Globes and could hardly get through the script and then looked absolutely disoriented when she declared "Gladiator" as the winner. It's sad what happens to former leading ladies. Let them fade in peace.

Will Ferrell and Steve Carell introducing the award for Make-Up seemed a bit insulting. They appeared with atrocious make-up, in a way mocking the art of make-up. Ferrell and Carell should be lucky enough to have good make-up artists work on them -- they need it.

That's it for another year.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.