2013 Academy Awards: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

It was not difficult to look forward to the 85^th annual Academy Awards. There were a handful of categories that appeared to be far from done deals, including a few major categories. Even a few of the sure thing categories were interesting due to their record breaking fashion or the circumstances surrounding them. It had been announced that the show would feature a James Bond tribute along with performances centered on past and present Oscar nominated musicals, which is different than the more recent performance light ceremonies. There is also the automatic anticipation on how the master of ceremonies, the Oscar host will work out and with this year offering up a first time host in the form of Seth MacFarlane, the anticipation was through the roof. Like I said though, this was what there was to look forward to. The question that has to be asked, now that the big night has come and gone, is whether or not it delivered. Could it live up to the hype? Let’s just say, this year’s Academy Awards offered plenty of good, bad and ugly.   

THE GOOD                                                                                                                                                       

Seth MacFarlane attempts at being different: In his first go around as host, Seth Macfarlane didn’t exactly knock it out of the park but at times, he did add something fresh to the show. His opening monologue was unlike anything we have seen before when he brought a William Shatner from the future into the mix. Shatner told McFarlane how his performance as host would be despised and what he needed to do to change this. Not only was this the most entertaining aspect of MacFarlane’s hosting job, it also addressed the tight rope that an Oscar host walks and how hard it is to please everyone which was made for a fascinating opening monologue.

Up for Grabs Categories: Even though my predictions took a major hit when it came to these categories, there were a handful of major categories that appeared to be anybody’s to win. The first announcement of the night, Best Supporting Actor, was possibly the hardest to predict of all the major categories as there were four nominees that would come as no surprise if any of them were to win. Christoph Waltz was the name read by presenter Octavia Spencer, disproving theories about Oscar politics. It was also nice to see Django Unchained receive even more love when Quentin Tarantino won for Best Original Screenplay, another categories that could have gone to anyone. Best Director was another interesting category to see play out as I was determined that Steven Spielberg was going to take home Best Director statue number three but instead it was Ang Lee winning his second. Even though they are a headache to predict, the categories that could be won by anyone make for fun and exciting Oscar moments.

Daniel Day-Lewis’s Historic Win: This year’s Oscars offered plenty of surprises but one them was not Daniel Day-Lewis’ winning best actor in a leading role. In fact, this was foreseen a couple of years ago when Day-Lewis signed on to become the United States 16^th President. It is a monumental role filled by a monumental actor who handled it brilliantly to say the least. Although this win was inevitable, it does add to the ongoing debate of where Day-Lewis ranks among the all-time greats. If Oscar wins are being factored in, it is important to note that Day-Lewis now has three Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role, an accomplishment only he can claim. On top of solidifying his dominance when it comes to the Oscars, Day-Lewis gave possibly the funniest Oscar speeches of the night. Who knew that he was in talks to play Margaret Thatcher? Maybe he should be given hosting duties next year. 

THE BAD             

Seth MacFarlane Over Use: Like I said, Seth MacFarlane did attempt something different by addressing the ‘damned if you, damned if don’t’ notion that is attached to hosting the Oscars. The problem is he never got away from it and eventually ran it into the ground by making it more about him than the movies. That’s one thing about Billy Crystal that I always admired. Yes, he would bring himself into a joke from time to time and usually play it safe but he let the audience forgot that the Oscar is a celebration of movies and not the host. MacFarlane didn’t exactly do this which caused for his performance to grow old in a hurry.

My Predictions: On the morning of February 24, Oscar Sunday, I posted an article titled Predicting the Oscars: The Locks, Safe Bets and Up For Grabs but looking at the actual winners, maybe I should of just commented on the The Locks. The locks that I highlighted were in the Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress and Foreign Film categories. I went four for four in these categories but there is a reason they are labeled as ‘locks’: they are extremely easy to predict and anyone can do it. It was in the ‘Safe Bet’ and ‘Up for Grabs’ categories that I struggled. I was 95% sure, if not 100% sure, that Steven Spielberg was going to win Best Director. Come Oscar night though, it was Ang Lee making a speech, not Spielberg, so the safe bet wasn’t that safe. Since I correctly predicted the rest of the ‘safe bet’ categories, this one wrong prediction is easier to stomach. What isn’t easy to stomach is the fact that I went 0 for 2 in the ‘up for grabs’ categories. I claim to know a few things about predicting Oscars, so not letting bias influence a prediction should be a no brainer but my appreciation for Wreck-It-Ralph and lack thereof for Brave had an impact in predicting Best Animated Feature. I went with my heart and picked Wreck-It-Ralph. The winner: Brave. In this case, being optimistic was a mistake. The other ‘up for grabs’ category, Best Supporting Actor, was hardest major category to predict this year. Come to think of it, I do not remember a more up for grabs Oscar race in recent memory. It could have been De Niro. It could have been Hoffman. It could have been Waltz. It could have been Jones. I went with Jones. Waltz won. Don’t get me wrong though, I am more than fine with Waltz winning. Django Unchained was one of my favorite films of the year, so I’m glad to see it get the recognition. On top of that, Waltz gave an excellent performance. Yes, I want to get as many predictions right as I can but I also want an exciting show with plenty of surprises. This year offered those desired surprises, making it alright to be wrong on a few things.              

THE UGLY

James Bond Tribute: Going into Oscar Night, I was looking forward to the James Bond tribute more than any other non-award related aspect of the show. Maybe this is why, I was left so disappointed. I know Bond films are never the best thing cinema has to offer but I have always enjoyed the music and the sleek persona of Bond. Due to all of this, I thought that an entertaining segment could be created. Instead, the montage of Bond clips was easily forgettable and Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger” performance felt somewhat out dated and out of place. It would have been nice to see four or five different Bond theme songs briefly performed while the montage was taking place. Personally, I would have like to see Duran Duran, Madonna or even Jack White with Alicia Keys take the stage. Maybe Adele’s performance of “Skyfall” would have enhanced the tribute instead of having her perform in a separate segment like she did. 

The ‘Get Off The Stage’ Music: This is nothing new. Every year each award winner is given a certain amount of time for their speech and when that time is up, the orchestra starts to play. This year though, the orchestra, not even in the same building, was much louder and aggressive. I’m pretty sure I heard the Jaws theme at one point. I understand that the show cannot go on forever but let’s show a little bit of respect and class. For many, winning an Oscar is a once in a lifetime moment. Shouldn't it feel that way?          

The Closing Song and Dance Number: Using the word ‘ugly’ to describe Seth Mcfarlane and Kristin Chenoweth’s closing musical number is a compliment. It was out place and offered not one ounce of entertainment. Moments before this, Argo wins best picture and Ben Affleck gives a heartfelt speech. This should have been the shows finale not a song about the losers. In this case, tradition is a good thing. Ending the show with the presentation of Best Picture has and always will be a fitting ending.