Here is a recap for you to review in case you missed the broadcast.
Winner – No Host
This was an excellent idea that landed well. The show flowed perfectly, and as expected, the attention was entirely on the winners and the films. This is how an award show should be. Expect this to become the norm moving forward.
Winner – Music
It’s nice in a year without a host, you happen to have some movies with exceptional musical story lines. This certainly helped add to the entertainment value of the evening. Adam Lambert did well starting off the show with a great rendition with Queen. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper won the night with their duet from A Star is Born. This was a perfect combination to a host-less show to keep the audience engaged.
Winner – Politics
No host meant no political commentary. Look, regardless of the political affiliation you may have, most folks do not want to watch an award show celebrating film, and get a political lecture in the process. Few acceptance speeches were politically charged with the exception of Spike Lee. Let’s be honest, of course Spike Lee was going to intertwine an uneasy political speech into the night had he got on stage. No surprise there. All in all, it was a celebration of achievements that didn’t bring up ‘he who shall not be named’ … and no, I’m not talking about Lord Voldemort
Loser – Movie Fans
Roma should have taken home the night’s top prize. Today’s conversation should center about Netflix, and what the win means for the film industry going forward in regard to movie theaters and streaming. This wasn’t the case, and it was peculiar. Why? Roma won Best Director, but didn’t win Best Picture. That’s only the fifth time in over 90 Academy Awards that this happened. It was an odd result, and leaves one to wonder if the Academy had another problem fogging their judgment.
Loser – Diversity
The night felt like it was a participation trophy evening for all of those invited. Essentially, every top film nominated was the recipient of some sort of award. It seemed as if the Academy was so worried about a backlash from a few entertainment writers and twitter mob that they sacrificed critical evaluation of the films. This move ensures all walks of life are happy, or at least semi-satisfied at the end of the night. It makes you wonder what credibility is left when it becomes an awards show based on identity statistics and film messaging, instead of what is truly the best in each category. Affirmative action isn’t necessary in an awards show highlighting achievement in film.
Going Forward
This is a good start, but let’s hope the Academy doesn’t cave to pressures of a few loud voices, and holds their ground moving ahead. The top film should also be the winner of the night. There should be an overwhelming theme of the evening with one or two movies taking home the majority of awards. This happens almost every year. The awards being split up as they were last night leads one to believe how credible the choices were.
Phil Your Day 