March 27, 2000
Reviewing Oscar 2000 - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- The set looked futuristic, and the show was damned long.
My night started at 3:00 watching the hyperactive Mindy Burbano and the also hyperactive, but brilliant Sam Rubin, doing red carpet analysis and interviewing on KTLA. Then at 5:00, The View’s Meredith Viera along with the dim-bulb Tyra Banks and Chris Connelly did the Oscar pre-show doing a half-decent job over Geena Davis and Jim Moret’s show last year. I particularly enjoyed Meredith’s jaunt into the Shrine and into the auditorium for the start of the telecast. My advice regarding the pre-show is to either nix or fix the damned thing. Thanks to folks like Sam and Joan Rivers, award show fans love to watch the glitz and glamour before the ceremony, so the Academy in their brilliance decides to hone in on the franchise, stifling the others. The problem with this one is that they try too too much into getting celeb reaction before the folks go into the theatre, that a half an hour is too short. I think they should have more features, meaning stories prepared before hand to air showing the process setting up the show or to do just live “hits” on the red carpet. This current switching from pre-taped jazz to live stuff is a little faulty.
The show managed to run over 4 hours. And that’s counting the 30-minute pre-show. Producers Dick and Lili Zannuck wanted to keep it within the three-hour time limit, but alas they failed. Last year was overly long, but this year fell closer to the show that Billy did three years ago, which was nearly 4 hours.
Billy did his film bit, but it was a little disappointing not seeing him in the current stable of nominees, as he sided to pluck himself into The Godfather, Taxi Driver, On The Waterfront, Spartacus, The French Connection and The Graduate, among others. He cut his monologue considerably, but it’s actually longer than his monologue three years ago, on the last show he last hosted. He’s streamlined his bits by doing less jokes, but when doing them they were as sharp and snide as hell. (The man wearing the half headset standing behind the malt shop table backstage was voice-over actor Peter Coyote, who appeared on camera more than Billy Crystal, but was never formally introduced.) He arrived on stage in the arms of an LAPD police officer, which is rather symbolic. Billy must be in his late 50’s to early 60’s, and his performance over all was stiff, tiring and aged, he needed the lift. He looked his age and almost evoked the stature of Bob Hope, as Mr. Hope hosted the program for years and Billy is nipping at that record. The songs he sang in reference to the nominated pictures were funny, acerbic and witty.
The winners didn’t really surprise me, but for the major categories of (acting etc.) I felt extreme suspense at the precise moment each presenter went, “And the Oscar goes to...”, as I’m sure everyone. I guess we had it imbedded that Hilary Swank gave the best performance, but it would be Annette’s year. The Wall Street Journal was also wrong. It did get 3 of the 4 acting winners, but that was just luck. There really isn’t a glaring omission to snip the Academy for, but when it all settles down, one will simply say Denzel should have won for The Hurricane or that Janet McTeer should have been a real front-runner. The only one category I was most shocked and surprised of was Documentary Feature which was almost destined to go to Wim Wenders’ Buena Vista Social Club, but flew the direction of Arthur Cohn’s One Day In September. I let go a huge gasp of surprise for that one.
The array of stars was lacklustre at best. Sure there was Jack and Clint, Steve Spielberg, and of course Warren. There was an influx of younger stars, witness the appearances of Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz, the kids from American Beauty, the flawless Penelope Cruz (sorry, Mike), Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Heather Graham and of course the youngest of all, Haley Joel Osment.
Overall, it was an anti-climactic show that had as much suspense as a Grammy show. Meaning, not much at all. The set and the music bits also added to the Grammy atmosphere. The Oscars looked too futuristic with the high-definition clips and musical bits and the constant barrage of squares on the screens, the flashy lights and everything else. The real stature and demeanour of the Oscars are probably gone.
As the much beloved and missed Johnny Carson once said the Oscars are, “Two hours of entertainment spread over a four hour show.” And since the last three years, especially last night it certainly did, considering he hosted them in an age when a minute past 3 hours was obsene. Now, it’s the norm.
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