'"CRASH"ING THE GAY COWBOYS' PARTY AT THE OSCARS
Before I get to my annual Oscar recap, some sad news: We've learned that baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, who led the Minnesota Twins to Game 7 of the 1991 World Series and later ending up winning the title for his team, died tonight at the age of 44 from suffering a stroke and undergoing neosurgery.
Well...I dunno about you, but while I was watching -- and taping -- the 78th Annual Academy Awards on my TV (which was tape delayed here in Alaska while it was live in the Lower 48), I usually spoil myself with the E! post-show on another TV. And lo and behold, when I looked at who took Best Picture, I was in shock and awe mode.
Yes, instead of the heavily favored -- and lampooned -- "Brokeback Mountain", the 3 hour, 33 minute ceremony on Sunday ended with quite possibly the upset of all Oscar upsets as "Crash" claimed that prize along with two others for Original Screenplay and Film Editing. "Brokeback" also took three honors for Director (Ang Lee), Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score.
On the acting side, it was a huge night for two major favorites: George Clooney copping Supporting Actor for "Syriana" and Reese Witherspoon, Lead Actress for "Walk The Line." Oh yeah, Philip Seymour Hoffman got Lead Actor ("Capote") while Supporting Actress went to a pregnant Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener").
By the way...I was sure glad I changed my Best Picture pick from "Brokeback Mountain" to "Crash", because after five tries...I FINALLY GOT ALL SIX PICKS RIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!!!!
As expected, "March of the Penguins" received Documentary Feature, while Original Song went to..."It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp?" This is the second time the Academy gave that award to a rap song; the first was Eminem's "Lose Yourself" three years ago.
But it was not a good night for sound mixer Kevin O'Connell. His 18th chance at bringing Oscar home for "Memoirs of a Geisha" wasn't to be; he lost to "King Kong." But both films walked out of the Kodak Theater with three statuettes along with "Brokeback" and "Crash." Guess the old "Schoolhouse Rock" song said it best: Three was a magic number.
However, as far as the ratings were concerned despite host Jon Stewart and producer Gil Cates and orchestra conductor Bill Conti trying to keep things under control, 30 million -- the number of people who tuned in for all this -- wasn't all that magical. Viewership was down 10% from last year when Chris Rock hosted.
Despite that, the best moments belonged to the fake attack ads for the nominees, as well as Will Ferrell and Steve Carell presenting the Makeup award with...well, makeup on their faces.
But before the stars took their seats, they've got a lot of press to meet...and a lot of posing for them. Dazzling Brit Keira Knightley may have lost to Witherspoon, but she was already a winner in her one-shouldered, purple-hued Vera Wang number. Charlize Theron was amazing in her Christian Dior, while Jennifer Lopez glammed in green. Jessica Alba looked like Oscar herself thanks to her gold-colored gown by Versace, and Jennifer Garner's Michael Kors almost had her causing a near slip-up when she went onstage. Unfortunately, Dolly Parton and Helena Bonham Carter were more like misses than hits; did Carter's hair dresser stop halfway or something?
So...what next now? For George Clooney, he has come a long way since his first television stints on "The Facts of Life" and "E/R" with Elliott Gould in the mid-'80s before the "ER" we know made him a household name and a worldwide sex symbol, with "Sexiest Man Alive 1997" and "Sexiest Man of 2001" titles. The next film we'll be seeing with "Academy Award Winner" below his name will be "Ocean's Thirteen", reuniting him with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.
Reese Witherspoon, on the other hand, after short but sweet roles in "Election", "Twilight" (alongside Paul Newman), "Pleasantville", and "Cruel Intentions" (where she would co-star with future husband Ryan Phillippe), knew that something big and better were coming her way thanks to "Legally Blonde", which made her millions. And now, the Southerner with what we thought to be $29 million added to her huge bank account but reports were later denied is now the belle of Hollywood's ball. Even though she won't be the highest-paid actress ever, her next film will eventually lure new fans to the slowly deserted theaters...given the theme to this year's awards was "Let's Go to the Movies."
The 78th Annual Academy Awards was quite a night of surprises aplenty. But in the end, it was one film that "Crash"-ed "Brokeback Mountain's" party.
Tomorrow, we segue from the end of Oscar's Amazing Race to Alaska's Amazing Race that's already underway: The Iditarod. Good night!
Before I get to my annual Oscar recap, some sad news: We've learned that baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, who led the Minnesota Twins to Game 7 of the 1991 World Series and later ending up winning the title for his team, died tonight at the age of 44 from suffering a stroke and undergoing neosurgery.
Well...I dunno about you, but while I was watching -- and taping -- the 78th Annual Academy Awards on my TV (which was tape delayed here in Alaska while it was live in the Lower 48), I usually spoil myself with the E! post-show on another TV. And lo and behold, when I looked at who took Best Picture, I was in shock and awe mode.
Yes, instead of the heavily favored -- and lampooned -- "Brokeback Mountain", the 3 hour, 33 minute ceremony on Sunday ended with quite possibly the upset of all Oscar upsets as "Crash" claimed that prize along with two others for Original Screenplay and Film Editing. "Brokeback" also took three honors for Director (Ang Lee), Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score.
On the acting side, it was a huge night for two major favorites: George Clooney copping Supporting Actor for "Syriana" and Reese Witherspoon, Lead Actress for "Walk The Line." Oh yeah, Philip Seymour Hoffman got Lead Actor ("Capote") while Supporting Actress went to a pregnant Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener").
By the way...I was sure glad I changed my Best Picture pick from "Brokeback Mountain" to "Crash", because after five tries...I FINALLY GOT ALL SIX PICKS RIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!!!!
As expected, "March of the Penguins" received Documentary Feature, while Original Song went to..."It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp?" This is the second time the Academy gave that award to a rap song; the first was Eminem's "Lose Yourself" three years ago.
But it was not a good night for sound mixer Kevin O'Connell. His 18th chance at bringing Oscar home for "Memoirs of a Geisha" wasn't to be; he lost to "King Kong." But both films walked out of the Kodak Theater with three statuettes along with "Brokeback" and "Crash." Guess the old "Schoolhouse Rock" song said it best: Three was a magic number.
However, as far as the ratings were concerned despite host Jon Stewart and producer Gil Cates and orchestra conductor Bill Conti trying to keep things under control, 30 million -- the number of people who tuned in for all this -- wasn't all that magical. Viewership was down 10% from last year when Chris Rock hosted.
Despite that, the best moments belonged to the fake attack ads for the nominees, as well as Will Ferrell and Steve Carell presenting the Makeup award with...well, makeup on their faces.
But before the stars took their seats, they've got a lot of press to meet...and a lot of posing for them. Dazzling Brit Keira Knightley may have lost to Witherspoon, but she was already a winner in her one-shouldered, purple-hued Vera Wang number. Charlize Theron was amazing in her Christian Dior, while Jennifer Lopez glammed in green. Jessica Alba looked like Oscar herself thanks to her gold-colored gown by Versace, and Jennifer Garner's Michael Kors almost had her causing a near slip-up when she went onstage. Unfortunately, Dolly Parton and Helena Bonham Carter were more like misses than hits; did Carter's hair dresser stop halfway or something?
So...what next now? For George Clooney, he has come a long way since his first television stints on "The Facts of Life" and "E/R" with Elliott Gould in the mid-'80s before the "ER" we know made him a household name and a worldwide sex symbol, with "Sexiest Man Alive 1997" and "Sexiest Man of 2001" titles. The next film we'll be seeing with "Academy Award Winner" below his name will be "Ocean's Thirteen", reuniting him with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.
Reese Witherspoon, on the other hand, after short but sweet roles in "Election", "Twilight" (alongside Paul Newman), "Pleasantville", and "Cruel Intentions" (where she would co-star with future husband Ryan Phillippe), knew that something big and better were coming her way thanks to "Legally Blonde", which made her millions. And now, the Southerner with what we thought to be $29 million added to her huge bank account but reports were later denied is now the belle of Hollywood's ball. Even though she won't be the highest-paid actress ever, her next film will eventually lure new fans to the slowly deserted theaters...given the theme to this year's awards was "Let's Go to the Movies."
The 78th Annual Academy Awards was quite a night of surprises aplenty. But in the end, it was one film that "Crash"-ed "Brokeback Mountain's" party.
Tomorrow, we segue from the end of Oscar's Amazing Race to Alaska's Amazing Race that's already underway: The Iditarod. Good night!
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