Every year since I was ten years old I have watched the Oscars. This year was no exception. I was annoyed by a lot of stuff in the show, however.
I have always maintained that if all the extraneous crap were eliminated from the broadcast it could be done easily in a two hour show. We don't need to see idiotic dance moves and clip montages. Worst of all were Kimmel's shenanigans. I was appalled at him for bringing a tour group onstage. Ridiculous and a huge waste of time.
I also personally couldn't care less who wins for best short animated film or best documentary. There are certain categories that 99% of those watching DO NOT care about. Skip those, please.
As for all the brouhaha over the wrong Best Picture being announced... I was asleep. Big deal. La La Land won a bunch of stuff so I don't feel too sorry for them..
I really want to talk about some of the films that I've seen that were not lauded that much, but they are terrific films. These all came out in 2016.
Viggo Mortensen was nominated for his performance and in my view he should have won. The film focuses on a father of 6 who is raising his kids in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, off the grid. After there's a tragedy they leave their compound and head to the funeral, encountering "normal" folks and trying to interact with them. There's nothing hackneyed or banal about the plot or the dialogue. In my view, this little film should have been named Best Picture. It's thought-provoking and touching and wonderful.
I will admit that I have not seen this film. It's high on my list of films to see. It looks brilliant. Nicole Kidman has gotten really good at choosing projects that have great stories. This one is the true story of an Indian boy adopted by an Australian couple who then goes in search of his birth family after he grows up. Obviously that theme resonates with me, as an adoptive mom. I was disappointed it wasn't nominated for more awards.
Yeah yeah I know it's a film based on a Marvel comic but this one is different. It makes fun of itself. The writing is brilliant. It's funny. It's touching. there's not a single boring moment in the entire film. Ryan Reynolds deserved at least a nomination for the film. Most of the Marvel comics films are just tedious and not much fun, with heavy-handed moral lessons galore. Not Deadpool. It's awesome.
Of course, I am always amazed and amused by Oscar fashions. There were some BUTT UGLY dresses going down the red carpet this year. The only dress I saw and thought WOW, that's awesome, was this one:
