2008 Woodie Awards
Hooray for Hollywood's biggest night
John Seidner
Issue date: 2/20/06 Section: Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
Movie fans, fashion lovers and the celebrity obsessed all have a place to turn to on March 5. The 78th Academy Awards, referred to as The Oscars, will air on ABC at 7 p.m.
Fans of "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central can rejoice with host, Jon Stewart, who was chosen to present this year's ceremony. This will be Stewart's follow-up to his successful performance hosting the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in 2002.
The nominations were announced Jan. 31 and the speculation as to who will win the "Oscar" has increased. One Web site that forecasts the Oscar winners is www.hollywoodstockexchange.com.
Last year, according to a report on the program "CBS News Sunday Morning," the Web site picked all of the eight major Oscar categories correctly.
I have seen most of the films nominated in the four major categories and have decided to provide my own commentary for each.
The Best Director category comes down to who orchestrated the best compilation of events onscreen. Paul Haggis, director of "Crash," narrowly stands out in this field for keeping a strong screenplay intact and weaving an interlocking story that, at any moment, could have fallen apart. Haggis masters the art of believability in this complicated film by delivering unexpected, yet pleasant surprises.
The Best Actress category is led by an incredible performance by one of the most inconsistent actresses currently working in Hollywood. Reese Witherspoon's performance as June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line" carries the show and keeps viewers wanting more despite the film's extensive running time.
The Best Actor category is not even close, despite fine performances by the other four nominated actors.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is the clear winner with his incredible performance as Truman Capote in "Capote."
Hoffman not only carries this film, he also makes me wonder why the movie was nominated for Best Picture. His performance overshadows the rest of the film, which in this case is a compliment to not only Hoffman, but the film itself.
The Best Picture category is announced last at the ceremony each year and is the most important trophy of the award season. This year three out of the five nominated films are neck-and-neck in quality. One has to win and my choice is "Brokeback Mountain."
The movie sends the viewer into a world that could be easily something else playing into stereotypes, but instead chooses to treat the subject matter respectfully and in so doing creates a classic love story.
In several recent interviews with different cast members on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Leno said the film stays away from scenes that could easily turn into chucklers from the nervous tension that pervades throughout the theater.
The best reason to see "Brokeback Mountain" is the fact that this is a truly great movie worthy of all the critical acclaim.
Fans of "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central can rejoice with host, Jon Stewart, who was chosen to present this year's ceremony. This will be Stewart's follow-up to his successful performance hosting the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in 2002.
The nominations were announced Jan. 31 and the speculation as to who will win the "Oscar" has increased. One Web site that forecasts the Oscar winners is www.hollywoodstockexchange.com.
Last year, according to a report on the program "CBS News Sunday Morning," the Web site picked all of the eight major Oscar categories correctly.
I have seen most of the films nominated in the four major categories and have decided to provide my own commentary for each.
The Best Director category comes down to who orchestrated the best compilation of events onscreen. Paul Haggis, director of "Crash," narrowly stands out in this field for keeping a strong screenplay intact and weaving an interlocking story that, at any moment, could have fallen apart. Haggis masters the art of believability in this complicated film by delivering unexpected, yet pleasant surprises.
The Best Actress category is led by an incredible performance by one of the most inconsistent actresses currently working in Hollywood. Reese Witherspoon's performance as June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line" carries the show and keeps viewers wanting more despite the film's extensive running time.
The Best Actor category is not even close, despite fine performances by the other four nominated actors.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is the clear winner with his incredible performance as Truman Capote in "Capote."
Hoffman not only carries this film, he also makes me wonder why the movie was nominated for Best Picture. His performance overshadows the rest of the film, which in this case is a compliment to not only Hoffman, but the film itself.
The Best Picture category is announced last at the ceremony each year and is the most important trophy of the award season. This year three out of the five nominated films are neck-and-neck in quality. One has to win and my choice is "Brokeback Mountain."
The movie sends the viewer into a world that could be easily something else playing into stereotypes, but instead chooses to treat the subject matter respectfully and in so doing creates a classic love story.
In several recent interviews with different cast members on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Leno said the film stays away from scenes that could easily turn into chucklers from the nervous tension that pervades throughout the theater.
The best reason to see "Brokeback Mountain" is the fact that this is a truly great movie worthy of all the critical acclaim.
