The Oscars, a Grouch No More

Since Jesse and I have relinquished cable for free digital HD antenna TV (read: rooftop's essential accessory), my choices of programming have diminished significantly. That being said, it was an excellent excuse to watch the Oscars last night! I read several articles on Friday claiming that this year's Oscars would be a shake up due to the severe loss in ratings over the past couple of years - a kind of last chance for the awards ceremony. And my curiousity got the best of me...without further ado, I give my review:

Oscars, get out of that trash can - welcome to the non-garbage world! You have shed your grouchy, excruciatingly boring can for a compelling, entertaining show (in comparison to previous years).

The Good:

1. The Stage: the orchestra was taken out of the pit and placed on stage (reminiscent of Big Band Era night clubs) - this put the audience right in front of the stage creating an intimate relationship with the audience

2. The Music: the theme of the entire night seemed to center on the history of the Oscars and it's previous award winners - which effectively created a sense of prestige. We all revel in the classic winners of the past, but often have a hard time connecting these classics to today's winners (as they have yet had the opportunity to become classics). The music at this year's Oscars effectively connected the past with the present through inventive rearrangements of classic scores (such as a swing-style version of Lawrence of Arabia and an upbeat Moon River).

3. The Opening Act: it was silly, light-hearted, and most of all...FUN! Hugh Jackman put on a short, but sweet musical number highlighting each of the major films being honored at the Awards - much better and more engaging (due to the stage set up) than a dry monologue or comedy roast routine.

4. The Timing: it seemed like the producers of the show finally had a realistic view of how long each act, acceptance speech, etc. would take. The show was not rushed, nor did it drag on. At only one time did the dreaded "music" start to play.

5. The Presenters for Top Awards: I loved the montages of previous award winners and then having 5 of the winners announce the 5 nominees, with a detailed/pathos speech about each and their nominated roles.

The Bad, and The Ugly:

1. The Red Carpet: in one word...awkward chaos. The annoucers (who seemed generally uncomfortable) asked odd questions and the flip flop between announcers was disjointed.

2. The "Half-Time" Show: total weirdness. The combination of Beyonce, Hugh Jackman, High School musical stars, and top hats was awkward...especially at the end when Hugh shouted, "The musical is back!" His tone seemed to say "This isn't a threat, it's a promise." Creepy.

3. The Over-Abundance of WALL-E: don't get me wrong, I loved the movie too. But, ABC/Disney really took advantage of the show by stuffing WALL-E and High School Musical down our throats. Free advertising gimic...Gag.

Overall, the Oscars were a classy affair - bravo!