Posted on 03/06/2006 6:20:02 AM PST by pissant
Despite all the predictions of huge success for the gay cowboy film, Brokeback Mountain, it was the rather less-hyped Crash - a comment on race relations in the United States - which picked up the most significant Oscar, best movie.
The 78th Academy Awards at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre featured the usual array of 'A' list stars in designer outfits along with 300 fans who'd won tickets for a place along the red carpet.
McCarthy witch-hunts George Clooney was expected to be one of the biggest winners, after his film Good Night and Good Luck was nominated for six Oscars. The film is about the US TV journalist Ed Murrow who exposed the 1950s political witch-hunts of right-wing senator Joseph McCarthy. Interviewed by reporters as he arrived for the ceremony, the star joked about his lack of previous gongs:
"It's funny because we've been rather unburdened by success most of these award shows, so we're pretty good at losing, […] I'm sort of not concerned with winning so much - I'll be the drunk at the back!"
George Clooney
And in the end, Good Night and Good Luck failed to win any prizes, but George Clooney himself picked up the best supporting actor Oscar for his part in Syriana.
The show was hosted by Jon Stewart, presenter of a satirical news programme on American cable television. Referring to an outfit worn by the singer Bjork for the Oscars a few years ago, which commentators said looked like a swan costume, he made a dig at US Vice-President Dick Cheney:
"I do have some sad news to report - Bjork couldn't be here tonight - she was trying on her Oscar dress and Dick Cheney shot her."
The other big winners of the night were Philip Seymour Hoffman, named best actor for his portrayal of the American writer Truman Capote; Reese Witherspoon picked up best actress for playing the wife of Johnny Cash in Walk the Line; British star Rachel Weisz won best supporting actress for The Constant Gardener and Ang Lee was named best director for his film Brokeback Mountain.
Foreign film
There had been controversy surrounding one of the nominations for best foreign film, Paradise Now a movie about two suicide bombers directed by Dutch-Palestinian Hany Abu-Assad. In the end the film lost out to a South African movie Tsotsi about street children in Johannesburg.
Are you plugging gay cowboys?
Ouch!
He's just poking fun.
Yeah, but with better hooters.
I think it chaps his ass.
At least Wallace and Gromit won best animated feature film and Reese Witherspoon won for Walk the Line...good movies I saw.
Where the men are men and the sheep are scared?
Very flaccid
I saw Reese in her post Oscar press conferences. The reporters ask amazingly stupid questions.
2006 Academy Awards Theme: "I only have eyes for . . . ewe."
Some of the men are scared too! lol
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.