Post Mortem: The Oscars

This year we decided to watch and celebrate the Oscars with a party atmosphere. It turned out to be one of the best Oscars ever. We trucked in lots of wine and eats: cold jumbo shrimp from our favorite Fairway and a spicy Louisiana cocktail sauce, plus a selection of crackers with chunks of Blue, Munster and Jarlsberg cheeses, then delicious pita bread with chopped liver from the Second Avenue Deli (it hasn’t been on Second Avenue in eleven years) and ending with mini St. Patrick’s Day chocolate cupcakes topped with coffee and vanilla Häagen Dazs ice-cream. We decided against coffee: too sane.

The main stage of the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California

What would be coming down the pike?

The 90th annual Academy Awards kicked off at 8 pm on Sunday, March 4th from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood with Jimmy Kimmel hosting for the second year in a row. We didn’t know what to expect: Hollywood has been roiling in controversy for months now – how would they handle all this. Sweep everything under the rug? Not this time.

They hit it out of the park! Within minutes Kimmel delivered an array of verbal jabs at Hollywood’s elite and, more specifically, Harvey Weinstein. That set the tone for the evening. The next day, the New York Post had three pages of glam actresses in beautiful gowns. Okay, but this year, I think all the emphasis should be on the issues in the film industry.

• I have been a fan of Actress Frances McDormand ever since I saw her play a free-spirited record producer in the movie Laurel Canyon. I don’t know what it is about this film, but I really like it. Perhaps it’s the house set high in the Hollywood Hills with a pool way down below where everyone seems to frolic day and night. Who knows? But we were very pleased when she won the Best Actress Oscar for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. There were five actresses up for that award.

• We were rooting for Daniel Day-Lewis for a Best Actor Oscar in the movie Phantom Thread but Gary Oldman won it for his role in the film Darkest Hour. Instead, Mark Bridges won an Academy Award for Best Costume Designer for Phantom Thread – but that’s not all – Bridges won the $17,999 Jet Ski for giving the shortest speech. We all thought that was a hoot!

• And we were definitely hoping that Aaron Sorkin would win for Best Adapted Screenplay because both the movie and the book, Molly’s Game written by Molly herself, were so terrific. Note: I’ve just finished reading this book and stayed up until 5 am to finish. I couldn’t put it down. The book is different from the film in that it’s more personal. She recounts all the unending struggles and effort it took to set up poker games in Los Angeles and New York.

• The Winner of Best Adapted Screenplay was James Ivory (yes, half of the duo behind the legendary Merchant Ivory productions and, at 89, the oldest Oscar winner in the history of the Academy Awards). I’m impressed! Eat your heart out, Christopher Plummer! He was up for Best Supporting Actor in All the Money in the World – but he’s only 88. Sam Rockwell won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

What were the highlights of the Academy Awards?

One occurred when Oscar winner Frances McDormand asked every female nominee to stand up. She even urged Meryl Streep to stand because, “If you do it everyone else will.” Another was when the three Harvey Weinstein accusers appeared together, namely: Ashley Judd, Annabella Sciorra and Salma Hayek to salute the #MeToo movement.

Hats off to the New York Post of Monday, March 5, 2018 and their terrific coverage

Finally, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway joked about last year’s blunder as they gave out the Best Picture Oscar to Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water. When Guillermo came on stage he looked at Warren’s card to make sure he really did win.  Hilarious!

Shaun Nelson-Henrick

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