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Oscar Thoughts … as the Show Goes On (Updated)

Oscar Thoughts … as the Show Goes On (Updated)

Last updated on: February 9, 2013 at 2:57 pm by Jeffrey Overstreet

Oscar Thoughts … as the Show Goes On (Updated) 2013-02-09T14:57:39-07:00 Jeffrey Overstreet

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

How do you start things off on a bad note? You take a gospel choir and have them parade around singing “Hallelujah” in honor of the nominees.

Isn’t that just about the epitome of the industry’s self-congratulation? Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacky!

Otherwise, I appreciated the low-key intro by Ellen DeGeneres.

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I wish The Prestige had taken Best Art Direction. The art direction in that film was complex, colorful, and ablaze with detail and light. Pan’s Labyrinth was well-designed, but it was much simpler.

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Black, Ferrell, and O’Reilly’s musical performance … PURE GENIUS. Worth the whole show!!

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Apocalypto didn’t win for makeup, but it probably should have. Hollywood is working out its grudge against Gibson. Oh well, Pan’s Labyrinth had amazing makeup work so this isn’t such a tragedy.

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Breslin and Smith … the presenters are more fun than the winners tonight.

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Sound editing… once again, presenters upstaging the actual award. What did Letters from Iwo Jima do that hasn’t been done in war films before?

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Best supporting actor … a great group. Not a loser in the bunch.

ALAN ARKIN HAS WON AN OSCAR!!

A great speech, even if he had to read it.

THIS is why I watch the Oscars. To see great talent rewarded, and to hear them thank those who helped them along the way. Once in a while, folks, it happens, and it’s beautiful when it does. We can never get enough reminders to thank those who are helping us along the way, and to give that kind of support to others.

Of course, the best way to achieve excellence is to aim to please the greatest judge of everything…

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I can’t help but wince, watching Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio, because I can hear the grumbling about Gore and his politics all across the country right now.

And while people grumble, they’re missing what he’s trying to do… he’s trying to encourage us to take care of the world God gave us. He’s trying to remind us that God wants us to demonstrate responsibility, care, and compassion in how we use the resources entrusted to us. Even if I don’t always agree with his approach or his priorities, his heart is in the right place on this one… and I appreciate his willingness to strive so vigorously to awaken the conscience in each and every person who puts aside their biases to listen to his plea.

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A tribute to writers?

Amen!

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As much as I love Children of Men, I’m glad it did NOT win Best Adapted Screenplay. It wasn’t an adaptation. It took the premise of the book and then came up with a completely different screenplay.

The Departed, on the other hand, is a brilliant adaptation of what was already a great script. Good choice. I, however, would have voted for Little Children, the most sorely underrated film to be mentioned at tonight’s Oscars.

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Meryl Streep is brilliant even during a moment of improv.

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Costume design … WOW. Another award going to the right candidate! Marie Antoinette was a costume designer’s dream. In fact, the costumes (and the food) almost stole the show from the cast. Almost.

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Okay, I was wrong.

Ellen rocks.

She’s making this show so much fun. Bring her back next year!

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CINEMATOGRAPHY…

Come on, Children of Men… Children of Men…Children of Men… Children of Men… Children of Men…

It’s a masterpiece, far, far beyond anything else this year. Nothing even comes close. AND it’s filmed by the same guy who filmed The New World.

Does it win?

UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE.

Pan‘s cinematography was good. But Children of Men was so mind-blowingly awe-inspiring that it will be used as a model for decades to come. They’ll still be writing about its cinematography in 25 years.

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Wow. The Lives of Others pulls off a major upset!!

I’ve GOT to see this film.

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“LOOK WHAT GOD CAN DO.” – Jennifer Hudson.

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An Inconvenient Truth. Hey, it may not be the best documentary of the year, but it is the most important, and I’m glad they have the microphone to encourage us one more time.

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Morricone. A legend who deserves every bit of applause.

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Best score: Give it to Pan’s Labyrinth. It deserves this one. Haunting, spooky, lush, gorgeous.

Oh well, Babel‘s soundtrack was powerful and effective. This is cool.

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THE BEST SPEECH BY THE OSCAR PRESIDENT EVER.

This is the best Oscars ever.

I know when I’ve been proven wrong. And I was wrong. DeGeneres is knocking it out of the park.

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Best screenplay:

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE – Wow. That’s a big, big surprise. And history makes me think that this means it *won’t* win Best Picture. Babel is likely to take home the grand prize. And Babel deserves it. But I still have this hunch… this nagging hunch… that Sunshine‘s going to surprise everybody.

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Beyonce and Jennifer are burning the place down. Amazing. Whatever folks say about her ego, Knowles can really sing. And Hudson… how do you recover from winning an Oscar and then turn around fast enough to sing like that?

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Loved Michael Mann’s vision of America on film… but, as we might expect from Mr. Mann, it was a little heavy on the . . . men.

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Hooray for Thelma Schoonmaker. There were so many great editing works this year. The Departed was definitely impressive.

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I’m choking up, as I knew I would, as Robert Altman’s name appears along with this year’s losses. So many great talents lost this year. But man, do I miss that guy already.

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BEST ACTRESS

Frankly, I think Judi Dench’s performance was every bit as accomplished as Mirren’s. But we all know who’s winning tonight.
And, the winner is…

Well, she *IS* the queen, after all!

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BEST ACTOR

Forest Whitaker. What a great actor, for so many years, in so many movies. I think, to celebrate, I’ll watch Smoke and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai again.
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It’s just weird to see George Lucas on an Oscar platform.

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You know, as legendary as Scorsese is, and as much as he’s deserved it before, I think anybody who has seen United 93 knows there was a more deserving director THIS year.

Still, it’s so great to see him being recognized in this way.

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So, here we go….

What’s it gonna be?

THE DEPARTED.

The biggest surprise of the night. (Here’s my review.)

I gotta get ready to fill two hours of radio time on KGNW about this, so I’ll talk to you all later.

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