Limelight:
Starry, starry night
By Lubna Abdel-Aziz
Hollywood nobility came out en masse to celebrate filmdom's most lavish annual soirée. In customary excessive splendour, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences crowned the cream of its 2003 crop, Sunday 29 February at their stately, crimson-covered Kodak Theatre, delighting one billion satellite viewers, 3000 attending spectators and of course the winners of the 25 categories anointed members of cinema's royalty for at least another year. Two weeks ago, 14 February a handful of golden statuettes were awarded by the Academy for Scientific and Technical Achievements in a solemn ceremony at the Ritz Carlton Hunting Hotel in Pasadena. Now that that was out of the way it was off to the more serious business of tinsel town and their scintillating show of shows -- Oscar night. While last year the Academy members exhibited restraint, toning down their traditional razzle dazzle because of the Iraqi war, there was no such restraint this time around. Security however, was tightened even further than last year with police on every corner of the auditorium shielding the "en grande tenue", designer-attired, diamond- studded, red carpet paraders.
What better opener to a magical event than the lordly Sean Connery himself paying tribute to the Seventh Art! One clear winner at the 76th Oscar ceremony was host Billy Crystal, back for the eighth time after a five-year absence. While Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin adequately filled his shoes, Crystal is emerging as one of Oscar's great hosts equal in stature to Bob Hope and Johnny Carson. Crystal's easy style combined with his razor sharp wit maintained the right balance of poking fun at the kingdom of Hollywood while still retaining a degree of respect for its august citizens.
Perhaps Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ stole some of Oscar's thunder, overwhelming the traditional Oscar bashing and mudslinging. These were reserved for Mel and his daring endeavour. The relevant marketing blitz was not absent however, making this year's results annoyingly predictable. The favourite front-runner with 11 Oscar nominations was Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the third instalment in JRR Tolkien/ Peter Jackson trilogy. While director Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World received 10 nominations, considered by some serious critics the more deserving film (it managed to win two Oscars), the King became unstoppable as he came charging forth with hobbits and elves, wizards and dwarfs, orcs and trolls in tow. So it came to be that the epic fantasy written half a century ago by JRR Tolkien as a nostalgic vision of a lost world, of an idyllic and brutal past made history by winning every category it was nominated in, becoming the first fantasy to win for best picture and only the third film to win 11 Oscars after Ben Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997). It was a clean sweep for the conquering King and a night of fantasy for New Zealand. This regal trilogy, unparalleled in technical splendour shot down down under, was arguably the biggest gamble in cinema history. New Line Cinema allowed a relatively unknown filmmaker to shoot all three installments at the same time in his native New Zealand with an initial investment of $300 million. The three installments have so far collected $2.5 billion worldwide. Director Peter Jackson spent 7 years of his life co- writing, co-producing and directing this magnificent display of pageantry, once considered totally unfilmable even by the author himself. Tolkien sold the rights of his immortal adventure for £300 English pounds "because he didn't think the book could ever be made into a film". Jackson became the real Lord of the Rings and was well rewarded for achieving the impossible. The eternal battle between the forces of "good" and "evil" always ends up in the triumph of good -- at least in the movies.
Even though he personally won no "golden boy", Clint Eastwood cast a long shadow at this year's event. His crime drama Mystic River was nominated for 6 awards and won two major ones -- Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor by two of Hollywood's notorious bad boys Sean Penn (Best Actor), Tim Robbins (Best Supporting Actor). Tim Robbins' tragic tour de force won him all the awards available this season, and now the Oscar is the jewel in his crown. Both he and his partner Susan Sarandon are vocal political activists who often use such a forum to promote their radical views. Although academy members scorn such tactics, Robbins's insurance ticket to winning the gold was his association with the legendary Eastwood.
The "baddest boy" of all, is this year's best actor Sean Penn, masterful in his portrayal of a man of conflicting instincts, virtues and vices. Sean has stayed home Oscar night on his three previous nominations, a habit that does not endear him to academy voters. A "no- show" is a "no-no" on Oscar night. But the members took another chance on Penn and this time he did not let them down. He was a deserving winner as the grieving father turned cold-hearted avenger, and his every nuance carried the weight of a soliloquy. His performance has been described as "the definitive piece of screen acting in the last half century".
Diane Keaton was the only Yank amongst a foreign field of "English roses" in the Best Actress category, which included New Zealander, 13 year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes, Australian Naomi Watts, British Samantha Morton, and South African Charlize Theron -- and the winner was Charlize Theron as condemned serial killer/prostitute/lesbian, Aileen Wuornos in Monster. If you have never heard of Charlize you are not alone. While considered an incredible talent in Hollywood, appearing in over a dozen films Theron's cover-girl looks overshadowed her amazing versatility until Monster came along. The academy loves a physical transformation. Kidman won "by a nose" last year. This year's statuesque beauty completely disguised her looks behind false teeth, dark contact lenses, shaved eyebrows, a splotchy complexion over a 15kgm heavier frame. The transformation from gorgeous to gruesome won her the "golden boy". Her tearful tribute to her mother was the most tender moment of the night.
There was never any doubt for critics and viewers as who would be Best Supporting Actress. Front-runner, Renée Zellwegger as rowdy Ruby in Anthony Minghella's lyrical rendition of Charles Frazier's best- selling Civil War novel Cold Mountain received the warmest applause from her co-star in the film Nicole Kidman. She hugged her well deserved trophy even if it were for a supporting role after having been overlooked twice before, for best actress prize in Bridget Jones ' s Diary and Chicago.
The academy awarded Sofia Coppola, the first American female ever to be nominated for Best Director with a Best Original Screenplay for " Lost in Translation ", which was "benissimo" enough for the Coppola clan. A lost fish found its way home to Oscar glory as Disney/ Pixar's Finding Nemo won for Best Animated feature.
While Academy members may think of themselves as a noble lot displaying "for posterity" a refined taste of aesthetic excellence, able to distinguish between rare, divine perfection and vulgar ornamentation, it is not always the case. They have often blundered, revealing poor judgement and clear prejudice, disappointing us and our faith in them as discerning critics. However, when they choose to right a wrong by honouring one, like superior filmmaker, writer/ director/ producer Blake Edwards, our hearts rejoice. His extraordinary body of work ranges from Days of Wine and Roses and Breakfast at Tiffany's, to a Shot in the Dark and Ten, and of course the imperishable slapstick comedy of The Pink Panther series. His only academy nomination came in 1982 for his screenplay of Victor/Victoria with wife Julie Andrews. Edwards stole the show with the most theatrical acceptance followed by a standing ovation and thundering applause that shook the very foundation of the newly erected auditorium.
It is at moments like this that we are deeply impressed with the unusual insight and genuine gallantry of Hollywood folk, and are willing to forgive and forget the tinsel and straw, the frippery and foppery. It is at moments like this that we are inspired to doff our caps and stand up and cheer Hurrah for Hollywood !
