81st Annual Academy Awards

I thought about live-blogging the Oscars. Yeah, I thought about it. For about ten minutes.

Instead, like so many others (tons more this year, I hope!) I just watched and enjoyed the telecast. The past few years I haven’t actually watched the telecast live. In fact, I’ve basically fast-forwarded through the past five or so years.

This year I watched live and was glad that I did. So, I am going to offer some knee-jerk reactions:

Actress In A Supporting Role – Penelope Cruz
I didn’t see the movie but I loved her speech.

Writing (Original Screenplay) – Milk
Great movie, great screenplay (and direction!), awesome speech!

Writing (Adapted Screenplay) – Slumdog Millionaire
Another one that probably can’t be argued against…makes me want to read the novel the movie is based on (Q&A)

Cinematography – Slumdog Millionaire
Again, I could hardly argue against it. This movie was amazingly filmed.

Actor In A Supporting Role – Heath Ledger
I haven’t seen the flick, but I’ve heard all of the hype. The odds were twenty-to-one on his winning. I loved 10 Things I Hate About You

Music (Score & Song) – Slumdog Millionaire
I knew there was a reason that I left the theater and went directly to purchase the soundtrack. The score was great, the song is a winner in my book!

Directing – Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle is utterly amazing and always has been. Pairing him with this project was genius. However, didn’t he have a co-director or something like that?

Actress In A Leading Role – Kate Winslet
I felt like there was an embarrassment of riches in the main categories this year. Meryl almost can’t go wrong, but this was Kate’s year. She was A to the mazing, in my opinion. In a movie that made you think she created a woman who made you think and question even more… brilliant.

Actor In A Leading Role – Sean Penn
Sean Penn wasn’t even in this movie. Harvey Milk played Sean Penn playing Harvey Milk. In a night of great, thought-provoking speeches his was right up there. Way to go!

Best Picture – Slumdog Millionaire
I am very happy. I loved this movie. It is one that I’ll likely buy when the DVD is released. That having been said, I would’ve been just as happy if The Reader, Frost/Nixon, or Milk had won. (Sorry, didn’t see the Button boy flick)

Sidebar: Where were Gran Torino and Clint Eastwood? No recognition? That’s not cool.