Oscars 2000 | Oscars 2002

American Beauty pretty much swept the Awards - Cinematography, Actor, Dirctor, Writing - I was very happy! I would have liked Sixth Sense to win for script and/or direction, but I was very glad that The Matrix beat out Snore Wars for the editing and sound stuff.

My only disappointments were for Sixth Sense, which was, until I saw Beauty, my pick for best in everything. I am crushed that it didn't win for Best Supporting Actress (really, Angelina Jolie for a movie that was critically reviled???) and Best Supporting Actor - but that kid (Haley Joel Osmont) was a real pro - he burst into enthusiastic applause when Michael Caine got it. (And I loved his quote from earlier - It's wonderful to look out on this elegant crowd and realize you're all alive.)

I was so disappointed that Haley Joel Osmont didn't get Best Supporting Actor, but Michael Caine gave the most gracious and classy acceptance speech I've ever heard! He talked about each one of the nominee's performances. Tom Cruise, if you'd won this, your price would have gone down so fast. Have you any idea how much supporting actors get paid? And when he praised Haley Joel Osmont, that kid's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

It was very touching - Caine said that he was honored to be up there, not as a winner, but as a representative of the nominees. How classy! I'm basically up here guys to represent you as what I hope you will all be - a survivor.

LOTR: Return of the King

We won. We actually won. We won 11 Oscar nominations, tying with Titanic and Ben Hur (I think they said). I never thought we'd actually win. I wanted us to, but I just didn't think it would happen.

We won. Return of the King won.

I do think many of those awards were cumulative; but you know, if the Academy had recognized the first two a bit more, maybe this complete landslide would not have happened. And it's kind of cool that it did. (Although I feel the chill wind of hatred washing over me, and over all LOTR fans at the moment. brrrrr.)

I am too overwhelmed to do anything but just say -- we won. How fucking cool. I am thrilled at the sound win, and Howard Shore, and Into the West (why am I the only person upset over her singing half the song?), and Peter, and Best Picture -- holy god. Lord of the Rings, baby! Woooooo!

Not only did we tie for the most wins with Titanic and Ben Hur, not only were we the first fantasy/sci-fi movie to win Best Picture, but we set the record for wins for a series!

Misc Oscar notes

Well, that was longer than Return of the King, and that's saying something. It wasn't as bad as I expected, thanks to the mute button. I admit, there were a lot of straightforward presenters, which I appreciate enormously. Being me, I took notes.

The pre-show was excruciating. One anchor used the 'word' epical. I damn near died.

Clothes, hair, etc.

• Jennifer Garner looked lovely.
• As did our hobbit boys, and Sir Ian with his buzzcut.
• Liv Tyler's hair sucked, as did Peter Jackson's, as did Fran Walsh's. Liv's hair could have been saved if she had just loosened it all up. Peter Jackson needs to learn the meaning of the "wide-toothed comb" -- it would be a good place to start. And Fran -- ugly flowers are your thing, I dig it, but why not put ugly flowers in nicely brushed hair? (Holy god, I've turned into my mother.)
• Loved Liv's glasses, though.

Music

• Allison Krause singing 'You Shall Be My Ain True Love' from Cold Mountain was beautiful.
• what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck?

  WHY DID SHE ONLY SING HALF OF THE SONG? WHY DID SHE ONLY SING HALF OF THE SONG? WHY WHY WHY? WHY? WHY?

  I was crying! I was having an emotional moment! And it was brutally truncated! What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck?

  I love Into the West! I figured she was holding back so much because she was going to really belt out the second chorus and blow the windows out of the building! I was ready! I was there! And it stopped! Why why why?

• Mitch and Mickey singing 'A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow'! In character! HAHAHAHAHA!

Misc

• Gregory Hines is dead?!? WHAT?
• Dear god in heaven, Sean Penn giggled nervously, and he sounded just exactly like Spicoli! He still sounds exactly like Spicoli! HAHAHAHA!
• In another Sean Penn note, I found his inarticulate silence very touching.