Brokeback Denied Best Film in Academy Shocker

It seemed as though the Oscars this year epitomized all that is wrong with Hollywood and the box office. Stars wearing designer dresses and expensive jewelry touted the virtues of civil disobedience and old-school Hollywood glamour. Presenters urged viewers that seeing films in the theater was an important part of the experience (and the $10 ticket price doesn't hurt them either) and stressed the negative impact piracy was having on the movie industry. Give me a break. I can tell by Jennifer Lopez's massive diamond earrings that my downloading habits have had a huge effect. No wonder no one goes to the movies anymore. The Academy chose Jon Stewart to host the event, perhaps reflecting the overall desperation of the evening. Stewart, political satirist extraordinaire, was out of his element hosting, and many of his jokes fell resoundingly flat. Stewart did manage to successfully incorporate many of his Daily Show trademarks, most enjoyable of which were the series of "faux political campaign ads" that lambasted certain nominees in true political form. Steve Carrell and Will Ferrell also brought some comedy to the otherwise dull ceremony, presenting the award for Best Makeup with excess blush, fake eyelashes, and lip liner.

Perhaps the most realistic performance of the evening was Three 6 Mafia's Oscar-winning song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," from Hustle and Flow. That's right, this year's Oscar-winning song chronicles the hardships of a pimp. Three 6 Mafia, clad in jeans and baseball caps, gave an expletive-filled performance, which infused a breath of fresh air into the ceremony. Afterwards, Stewart quipped "You know what? I think it just got a little easier out here for a pimp."

Peter Jackson's cronies swept the technical awards once again, as King Kong took home awards for Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, and Visual Effects. Surprisingly, only three films were nominated both for Editing and Visual Effects, mirroring Hollywood's move from big-budget spectacles to smaller art-house productions. Memoirs of a Geisha cornered the artistic awards, also taking home three awards for Art Direction, Costume Design, and Cinematography.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit won Best Animated Feature Oscar as predicted, beating out Tim Burton's Corpse Bride and Howl's Moving Castle. Wallace's creators, Nick Park and Steve Box, accepted their award wearing oversized, plaid bow ties, which they brought in miniature form for their statuettes as well. March of the Penguins, another expected winner, claimed the Best Documentary award, and its creators brought giant stuffed penguins onstage with them. Director Luc Jacquet began his acceptance speech by whistling, which apparently means "thank you" in penguin.

George Clooney, a past Sexiest Man Alive winner, won the Best Supporting Actor award for his work in Syriana. Clooney was the first actor to be nominated for both writing and directing one film (Good Night and Good Luck) and starring in another (Syriana). Clooney seemed to be the go-to guy for the evening, eliciting remarks from his fellow nominees and winners. Corinne Marrinan, who won for her documentary short, A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin, thanked the Academy for seating her next to Clooney at the nominees' luncheon, while Howard Berger (co-winner for Makeup in The Chronicles of Narnia), expressed his gratitude that Clooney was not also nominated for makeup. Regardless, it is heartening to see Clooney, a talented and oft-neglected actor, earn the recognition that he deserves.

Reese Witherspoon, highly acclaimed for her performance as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, won the Best Actress award in what was the most highly anticipated and undecided category. Witherspoon triumphed over Felicity Huffman, who had been nominated for her role as a transvestite about to undergo a gender change operation in Transamerica. Also nominated were Keira Knightley for Pride and Prejudice, Dame Judi Dench for Mrs. Henderson Presents, and surprisingly Charlize Theron for her role in North Country. As was expected, Philip Seymour Hoffman won Best Actor for his performance as the title role in Capote. Hoffman gave an emotional speech thanking his mother for raising four children alone.

For those of you who didn't make it through the program, the Academy saved its most exciting moment for last. In a surprise victory, Crash triumphed over Brokeback Mountain, which had been heavily favored to win, in the Best Picture category. For many, Brokeback's inability to win is another indication of the homophobia inherent in Hollywood. Crash is very similar to Brokeback in several respects -- both deal with controversial social topics that are still too prevalent in America. Crash, however, is an epic portrayal of racism and cultural clashes, while Brokeback is simply a redefined love story. Brokeback still managed to claim three awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Director for Ang Lee, another relatively unknown director (compared with Steven Spielberg, that is).

The lack of a clear favorite at this year's ceremony (a la Lord of the Rings), made it much more enjoyable and unp redictable -- six different films won the six main awards. Hopefully, Hollywood will continue this trend, and movies in the future will all be visual masterpieces worthy of the Academy.