2017 Oscars Overview
Another year of movies have passed, and so too has the most recent ceremony for the Oscars. Now, I'm new to the whole watching the Oscars. Actually, I think that this was my third time actually watching the ceremony, and boy was this year a good one! I know that I don't have enough Oscar knowledge under my belt to really give my opinion on how good an Oscar ceremony can be, but compared to the last two years this one was firing on all cylinders. The jokes were, mostly, short and to the point. They didn't take away from the ceremony. The opening number by Justin Timberlake really set the mood and the audience actually looked happy being at the Oscars. As a host I didn't have much faith in Jimmy Kimmel, but he did a really good job at keeping everyone's attention and making sure it was lively. Heck, it was fun! I mean who doesn't like candy parachuting into your lap?
Another part of this year's Oscars that I found very refreshing was the fact that they were celebrating film. The past two years felt like it was just a thing that happened. You put on a big show between the categories, and try to impress the crowd in the audience, and at home, but at the end of the day some of that was needless, painful, and detracted from what everyone was there for, celebrating film. This year truly felt like actors and actresses, producers and directors, screen writers and make-up artists, everyone was having a great time remembering and celebrating what everyone in that room had accomplished. It also was a nice touch having a few actors talk about what films inspired them.
One of the biggest complaints about the Oscars is that it's too long. That I can agree with, but even though this year had gone over time I have to admit that it felt well paced. There were a few unnecessary jokes, and videos, but for the most part everything seemed short and sweet and the ceremony moved on. If you watched it without commercials I'd bet you wouldn't feel that it dragged that much during the show.
Like with most shows we got some very interesting speeches, and surprises. I was pleasantly surprised that Hacksaw Ridge got two Oscars. Didn't see that coming, but boy was I happy for it. Most of the categories were predictable, like Best Actor and Actress. The only big surprise, apart from the end, was the fact that La La Land didn't sweep the Oscars like so many film critics thought it would. It won for Best Score and Song, which I don't even think it won the better song that was nominated, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head. Suicide Squad was another somewhat predictable, yet pleasant surprise win for Make-up and hair. I do think that Star Trek Beyond had a good chance against them, but the Make-up in Suicide Squad was really impressive whereas Star Trek had mostly painted faces. And finally, the biggest surprise of the night goes for Best Picture, because somebody somewhere on those premises surely got fired for giving the announcers the wrong card, and giving La La Land the "La La Land" ending for the night.
A few other notes I'd like to cover were some of the speeches. I thought the speech that went with The Salesman was a very wonderful and political message that I was kind of happy with. It made a point of telling our country, or at least the ones who watched the Oscars, why film is great and why he can't come into the country to accept his award. I do believe that the Oscars have improved and changed since last year, and hopefully next year will see more acceptance to foreigners, and hopefully a little more light on foreign film. Another speech I thought was nice was Casey Affleck's speech. Although, I'm not exactly sure why Denzel Washington looked angry when Casey mentioned him. But, the best reaction of the night, for me, had to have been when the camera caught Ben Affleck getting misty eyed over Casey's win. That small little moment meant a lot to me, because it perfectly summed up why I love film and why these actors will put themselves through hell sometimes to give you a meaningful product. Lastly, I think I'll end with the strangest speech we were given last night, Viola Davis. I think I understand where she was coming from, and what she was trying to say in her speech that you can tell came from the bottom of her heart, but man do I think she said it wrong. I think everybody turned their head when she started her speech about graveyards. It was definitely a strange one to get through, but I do believe that she had the best intentions even though she didn't articulate what she wanted to portray quite well.
Well, that's my quick overview on the Oscars this time around. It was definitely enjoyable for me, with quite a few surprises. I was happy to see the winners be diverse and spread out. Some movies that one were about war while others were about wizards, or villains. Last year was a very good year for films, and while the Oscars celebrate the year that was, I always find myself feeling refreshed and ready to dive into the year that is now that the Oscars are over.
