ACADEMY AWARDS A CONTROVERSIAL, SURPRISING AFFAIR

By Steven Snyder

Who would have imagined that the Academy Awards could be such a controversial event?

Of course, some artists, on occasion, have used the evening to make political statements. Vanessa Redgrave comes to mind, so does Marlon Brando’s protest over the treatment of Native Americans. But, in the week prior to this year’s awards, the stage was set for one of the more unpredictable ceremonies in memory.

When President George W. Bush announced action against Iraq last Wednesday, many said that the Academy Awards – to be held four days later – should not take place. Many still are debating whether the Academy made the right decision in moving forward with the evening. But in the hours and days before the ceremony, one thing became unmistakably clear: movie stars were going to speak out about events occurring overseas.

Host Steve Martin managed to have some fun with the situation, reflecting on the current animosity between the United States, France and Germany. Several stars, including best actor winner Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”), referenced the war, supporting the troops but disagreeing with Bush’s foreign policy.

And then liberal “Bowling For Columbine” director Michael Moore took the stage, and took on the President. Standing with the other nominated documentary filmmakers, Moore proclaimed, “We like non-fiction, and we live in fictitious times, with fictitious election results, a fictitious president, sending us to war for fictitious reasons. ... Shame on you, Mr. Bush!"

Greeted by both applause and heckling, Moore personified the controversy of the evening, willing to say what others were likely thinking but too respectful to preach.

What do I think about all this? Well, first, as a film critic, politics runs outside my expertise. But I do believe it was appropriate for the ceremony to go on. As best actress winner Nicole Kidman so wisely put it, "Why do you come to the Academy Awards when the world is in such turmoil? Because art is important." And it should be noted that several presenters used the spotlight to wish U.S. soldiers a safe and swift return from harm.

But as for Mr. Moore, I must take exception. Is he allowed to say what he did? Absolutely. But his vile attack on Bush as a person undermined his efforts. As many others did, Moore should have attacked the policy, not the man. And by attacking him as a “fictitious president,” he slandered the commander and chief during a time of conflict.

Reflecting on the evening some twenty-four hours later, very little about the 75th Academy Awards seems right. The night’s political edge grew tiresome, and it took the attention away from where it should be—on the work. To think that Moore’s inflammatory comments would turn people away from his fine film is sad. But, given the degree to which Moore vented, it is to be expected.

The production itself was horrible. Bad speeches for presenters, excessive highlight reels and presentations, and a director determined to shut every winner up in 45 seconds or less made the ceremony seem fake and flat. I get very annoyed when visual effects technicians, who have spent two years of their lives or more on a given project, cannot say more than thirty seconds about what they’ve accomplished.

And the awards themselves…very bizarre. From my ten picks last week, I am proud to say that I was correct on seven. Some of these were indeed surprises. Japan’s “Spirited Away,” clearly the best and least known nominee for best animated feature film, took home the trophy.

The categories I missed were the most surprising of the evening. Roman Polanski, who risks arrest if he returns to the United States due to felony rape charges, won best director for “The Pianist.” Incidentally, this decision likely means that Martin Scorsese, one of the finest directors in American history, will never win a golden statue.

Adrien Brody won best actor for “The Pianist,” a surprise made possible likely due to split votes between front-runners Daniel Day-Lewis and Jack Nicholson. Best original song went to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” a decision I agree with. But in a category that included U2, Paul Simon and a song from the popular “Chicago,” Eminem’s triumph surely turned some heads.

Finally, there’s “Chicago.” No real surprise here. It was the front-runner coming in, and picked up best picture – the category that matters most.

It was a bizarre night in Hollywood, and one that may have gone unnoticed by many. Overnight ratings indicated it was the least-watched ceremony in history. But, for those who endured the evening, the winners and losers were clear.

Winners included “Chicago,” which will always be remembered as the film that revived the movie musical, and “The Pianist,” which almost stole “Chicago’s” thunder by winning awards for best screenplay, actor, and director.

The biggest loser of the night? Michael Moore. For those who support Bush’s mission, he appeared foolish at best. For those who oppose the mission, you could not ask for a more ridiculous spokesman.

Steven Snyder welcomes feedback at freeman_reviews@hotmail.com

And now, #2: The complete winners

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Adrien Brody
THE PIANIST

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Chris Cooper
ADAPTATION

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Nicole Kidman
THE HOURS

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Catherine Zeta-Jones
CHICAGO

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
SPIRITED AWAY
Hayao Miyazaki

ART DIRECTION
CHICAGO
John Myhre (Art Dir! ection); Gordon Sim (Set Decoration)

CINEMATOGRAPHY
ROAD TO PERDITION
Conrad L. Hall

COSTUME DESIGN
CHICAGO
Colleen Atwood

DIRECTING
THE PIANIST
Roman Polanski

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE
Michael Moore and Michael Donovan

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
TWIN TOWERS
Bill Guttentag and Robert David Port

FILM EDITING
CHICAGO
Martin Walsh

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
NOWHERE IN AFRICA
Germany
Directed by Caroline Link

MAKEUP
FRIDA
John Jackson and Beatrice De Alba

MUSIC (SCORE)
FRIDA
Elliot Goldenthal

MUSIC (SONG)
8 MILE
'Lose Yourself'
Music by Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto; Lyric by Eminem

BEST PICTURE
CHICAGO
Martin Richards

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
THE ! CHUBBCHUBBS!
Eric Armstrong

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
THIS CHARMING MAN (DER ER EN YNDIG MAND)
Martin Strange-Hansen and Mie Andreasen

SOUND
CHICAGO
Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella and David Lee

SOUND EDITING
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
Ethan Van der Ryn and Michael Hopkins

VISUAL EFFECTS
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook and Alex Funke

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
THE PIANIST
Screenplay by Ronald Harwood

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
TALK TO HER
Written by Pedro Almodóvar

HONORARY AWARD
HONORARY AWARD
Peter O'Toole

Have fun everybody!

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