90th Academy Award After Thoughts

I watched the Academy Awards with a friend a couple of days after the original telecast. Unusual for me, as I’ve watched this awards show faithfully every year for over two decades. But I opted instead to go to a live blues performance and skipped the Sunday show. Apparently others skipped it too, as the numbers of viewers were lower than normal.

I found the show to be respectful and dignified, not without humor, but with a certain serious note to it. Jimmy Kimmel was fine as host, and I liked they went to a theater where a sneak preview of A Wrinkle in Time was showing to honor moviegoers. Sweet.

As far as the awards went, I did okay with a few of my predictions. They were really more of a wish list for me, and I was not really surprised over some of the winners, such as Costume Design for Phantom Thread. I have yet to see it, but it is after all about couture.

Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Film Editing won for Dunkirk. As Adam of The Academy Award Project says, war movies typically score in these areas.

Four awards for The Shape of Water, including Best Picture of the year were well deserved. I was happy Jordan Peele won for Get Out as Best Original Screenplay. Haven’t seen Best Foreign Language Film, A Fantastic Woman yet, but will do so, and look forward to Daniela Vega’s performance. Also will be seeing Call Me by Your Name, winning Best Adapted Screenplay for James Ivory at the age of 89.

What disappointed me was Frances McDormand winning for Best Actress. Seriously, Sally Hawkins deserved it. I read someone stole McDormand’s Oscar from her that evening. She got it back that night, and I quipped on Facebook that he stole it intending it go to its rightful owner, Sally.

I was turned off from the start by the trailer for Three Billboards . . . and after reading about the flaws in the writing of the screenplay, chose not to see it. I may never watch it. Too much violence, and not a good role model for the change we need to see in the world.

Her speech was interesting. I am all for women’s stories and screenplays to be funded and filmed, and then she brought up inclusion rider. This is a stipulation in a contract requiring a certain level of diversity among cast and crew.

I think there would be no need for an inclusion rider if more screenplays were produced and written by women of all ethnicities and about women’s stories. I think that would pretty much solve the issue of inclusion right off the bat. Where crew is concerned could be a different story and may be necessary. What we need is fewer superhero movies or war movies, etc. and more real human stories some examples of which were showcased this year with nominations.

That’s my take on the festivities. What do you think?