Review: Lengthy Oscars ceremony honors deserving artists

Rarely does a week go by without some awards show glad-handing actors, writers, directors or musicians.

There’s the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Grammys, the Daytime Emmys, the Tony Awards, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, and on and on. One can imagine an awards show giving awards for the best awards show.

The big one, though, is the annual Oscar ceremony. Which, if one examines the hubbub closely, makes precious little sense. You would think the entertainment industry’s biggest shindig of the year would manage to be, well at least somewhat, entertaining. But every year it’s the same tedious, often simply downright lame, overlong mess.

Does that keep people from watching? No.

Granted many of us begin sighing, moaning or screaming at our televisions almost immediately when the first never-failing-to-embarrass production number gets under way. And by hour three, no one can be enjoying themselves. No one who isn’t intoxicated one way or another as one assumes many of the stars themselves are. Some of them even freely admit, as Robert Downey Jr. did in a self-deprecating shtick Sunday night that was one of the few honestly enjoyable moments of the 79th annual Oscars.

There were a few other nice touches: Helen Mirren, who won the award for performance by an actress in a leading role was the epitome of class and glamour and actually deserved her award. Martin Scorsese, who has made some of the best films of the past three decades, finally won the best director honors for his brilliant film, “The Departed.” He asked the presenter to double-check the envelope. The film also won in the best editing, screenplay from a previously published source and best picture categories, making it the most lauded film at this year’s ceremony.

Forest Whitaker won best actor in a leading role for his chilling portrayal of dictator/wacko Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland.”

One of the most pleasant surprises was when “Little Miss Sunshine” took home the Oscar for original screenplay. It’s a great film and considering it’s about a more-than-a-little-bit dysfunctional family, it’s a surprisingly warm-hearted movie.

In another year, had young Abigail Breslin won for her performance in a supporting role in “Little Miss Sunshine,” no one would have argued. But one sure bet this time around was that Jennifer Hudson had the category locked up for her stunning debut in “Dreamgirls.” After losing on “American Idol,” the powers that be simply had to give Hudson her propers.

As always, there were the head scratching, “Wha’ happened?” moments.

“Cars” lost out to “Happy Feet” in the best animated feature, and that was a huge surprise. Some people thought it could have been nominated for best picture, period. The same goes for “Pan’s Labyrinth,” one of the most amazing – and original – movies in recent memory. While it won in the categories for art direction, cinematography and makeup, it failed to snag the best foreign language film honors, which it rightfully deserved.

Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer, won a special Oscar he absolutely deserved. His work spans decades, and if the only music he’d composed for film had been his work on Sergio Leone’s “spaghetti Westerns,” he would have been none less due. But, his lengthy acceptance speech, in Italian and translated by an uncomfortable Clint Eastwood, was one of many interminable moments. Others included the completely tedious musical “comedy” number performed by Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and Jack Black. It induced me to run out of the room. As did Celine Dion’s performance of a song that sounded exactly like everything else she’s ever sung: bombastic.

The best moment, in my admittedly jaded opinion, was the montage piece spotlighting 50 movies that have won for best foreign language film, dating back to Federico Fellini’s “La Strada.” It was a brilliantly edited piece, as was the “Hello” commercial for something (who knows exactly what?) that Apple is about to spring on the public.

As the ceremony lumbered to its conclusion, hearts were lightened. It will be 12 months before we have to endure this self-indulgent borefest yet again. Which, of course, we will. And the following day we’ll be saying much the same things one more time.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.