As the More is More Mom®, I’m all about………more 83rd Annual Academy Awards!!! Amanda and I were in the city early in the day, stopping by Wildfire on our way home to pick up dinner for our very own Governor’s Ball (I had the Chicken Club and it was amazing). With a glass of wine in hand, I settled in for my favorite night of the year….the Oscar’s!
It stared off kind of slow for me, Dawg, but how do you not love Kirk Douglas? The man is 94 years old and he’s still got it; amazing and inspiring. Mr. Douglas presented the award for Best Supporting Actress to Melissa Leo in The Fighter. She was incredible as Alice Ward, mother and manager of Boston boxers Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund. While she made an incredible transformation to her real life glamorous self, my favorite part of her speech was when she dropped the “F” bomb.
Who is more adorable than Reece Witherspoon to present the award for Best Supporting Actor? While you know I was completely taken with Geoffrey Rush in The Kings Speech and thought he was the only possible upset, my vote still went to winner Christian Bale as crack addicted boxer Dicky Eklund in The Fighter. Rarely does an actor completely transform himself for a role and succeed so amazingly. I’m not sure what was up with the Grizzly Adams beard, but for someone who has been kind of volatile in real life, he gave a very touching and heartfelt acceptance speech.
I’m not high brow enough to have seen any of the Foreign Films, but I was captivated by its presenters; the charming and delightful Russell Brand and the classy and elegant Dame Helen Mirren. I can’t wait to see them together on screen in both The Tempest, and Russell Brand, particularly, in a role that was made for him in the movie Arthur.
Blah, blah, blah. The next hour or so was extremely boring save for a visit from 8 time Academy Award host, Billy Crystal. His brilliance, along with the musical styling’s of one of our personal favorites, lyricist and composer Marc Shaiman, were sorely missed. Always a sucker for nostalgia, I loved the old clips of Bob Hope. We are huge fans of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby’s Road To….pictures. They sure don’t make them the way the used too; charmingly corny and entertaining.
While Celine Dion makes me want to poke myself in the eye or step on a rake, she was lovely as she sang Smile (the old Charlie Chaplin classic), honoring all of the talented people that we lost this year; Lena Horne, Lynn Redgrave, Jill Clayburgh, Blake Edwards (I always loved the Pink Panther), Dennis Hopper, Robert Culp (of I Spy fame, with America’s most beloved dad, Bill Cosby), Tony Curtis and one of my all time fav’s, Leslie Nielson (and please stop calling me Shirley).
I think that Jeff Bridges believes he is either Rooster Cogburn or The Dude with his crazy hair and beard, but for decades he’s been consistently pretty darn cool (I think never better than in Tucker; A Man And His Dream). Mr. Bridges presented the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. It was a real nail biter, with Annette Bening as a potential upset, but ultimately the night belonged to Natalie Portman, otherwise known as Queen Amidala. Saturday night Chuck was a saint for accompanying me to the movies to see The Black Swan. I had to know what all the buzz was about! Even though I didn’t love the movie, Natalie Portman also made an amazing transformation as the prima ballerina that slowly lost her grip on reality. I knew she had it in her because we loved her in her first movie; The Professional.
Sandra Bullock, America’s Sweetheart, presented the award for Best Actor. While the other nominees were great, the night belonged to the very talented, humble and handsome Colin Firth. His performance was truly mesmerizing and inspiring. Rarely do I believe that there was one “best”, but I do believe that this year there was in Colin Firth.
The Best Picture was directed by the Best Director (which, unexplainably, is not always the case), The Kings Speech by Tom Hooper.
I must say, that even though the 83rd Annual Academy Awards was extraordinarily dull (PLEASE bring back Hugh Jackman), I’m still swept away by the magic of the movies.
More movies, more inspirational stories, more memorable performances…..
More is More Mom 