First of all, I am glad I didn't enter an office pool this year, because all of my picks were dead wrong.
Surprises:
Olivia Colman, Best Actress: This winner for The Favourite was an underdog in this category. It was her first win. She gave a heartfelt speech, and was even kind enough to apologize to Glenn Close for winning. Colman gave a great performance in an outstanding movie and deserved the trophy.
Green Book, Best Picture: This was a controversial winner, because it supposedly is an old-fashioned look at racism and discrimination that received several mediocre reviews from critics, not to mention the family of Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali's character) accused the filmmakers of misrepresenting the character. Some people have said this could join "Crash" among the worst Best Picture winners in history. I don't agree. I thought the movie was pretty good, and Mahershala Ali was outstanding.
Spike Lee, Best Adapted Screenplay: This made me happy because this was, in my opinion, the best movie of the year. Spike Lee was exuberant, and threw some shade at the President, asking Americans to mobilize for the 2020 election and vote for unity and not hate. Noted movie critic D.J. Trump wrote one of his scathing 140-character reviews, "Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes, or better yet not have to use notes at all, when doing his racist hit on your President, who has done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts,etc.) than almost any other Pres!"
I am sure, like most of his other claims, the accuracy of these "facts" is questionable at best.
Black Panther: This movie won several "below the line" awards like costume design and production design. These were both won by African-American women, the first to win in both of these categories.
What went well:
Hostless with the mostest: Many of the viewers were hate-watching the Oscars, expecting a train wreck like the last hostless show in 1989. It was anything but. It opened with a high-energy performance by Queen, with Adam Lambert doing a fairly decent job fronting the band. Then, SNL alums Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph cracking a few jokes and presenting the Best Supporting Actress award. I think this streamlined the show, because you are avoiding the bloat of a monologue, scripted bits and jokey introductions for the presenters. The show clocked in at a reasonable 3 hours and 17 minutes. I vote for not having a host in the future, unless they find a way to shorten the show (Easier said than done, because the idea of presenting some awards during the commercials went over like a lead balloon).
Shallow: Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's heartfelt performance, which was staged and executed masterfully, wowed the crowd and the dozens of people watching from home. In the least surprising award of the evening, Shallow went on to win the Best Original Song Award.
What didn't work:
Best Picture: See above. Some cranky critics are calling "Green Book" the worst Best Picture winner since "Crash." I thought it was pretty good, and Mahershala Ali, whose character stood up to racism with courage and dignity, deserved the award for Supporting Actor. Still, I would have given it to BlacKKKlansman.
Dead folks: Yes, the Academy president came out and said this is only a partial list. Still, that's no excuse for leaving off Carol Channing (she was nominated for an Oscar!), and Dick Miller, a longtime character actor best known for showing up in several Joe Dante movies, including the invincible Murray Futterman in the "Gremlins" movies, not to mention Gary Kurtz, who produced the original "Star Wars" trilogy.
Best social media reaction: You have to love Anne Hathaway and her self-effacing sense of humor...
Overall, not a bad show. We will see what happens next year.
