Oscars 2006

Ok – here we go with the Hard Place Boffo Bloggo Oscar Picks for 2006.

Frankly with all of the award shows that go on nowadays its is not really that hard to handicap “most” races. Golden Globes tells you one thing – I think SAG (Screen Actor’s Guild – and its only been around for 8 years) really tells you another thing. However, it has been interesting as I perused one entertainment periodical and I could not believe all of the diverse selections (and hackneyed reasons behind those selections) that various directors, producers and actors gave for their Oscar picks. Well, I’m neither so here goes:


Best Supporting Actor – Paul Giamatti. Frankly if it goes to anybody else it’s a travesty. The guy gave great performances in American Splendor (not nominated) and Sideways (nominated but didn’t win) so he’s beyond overdue. And regardless of that he was fabulous in Cinderella Man – which by the way is an excellent movie and if idiot whathisname didn’t throw a phone at a hotel clerk it would have been nominated as well – I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE GREAT INDIFFERENCE this movie received. Clooney? Get real. (You can’t give an acting Oscar to guy who started off in 1980’s “Hardbodies” (remember that kids?).

Best Supporting Actress – Rachael Weiss. Can’t imagine that they would give it to anyone else after the previous award shows – although I do like Michelle Williams quiet agony in Brokeback (but a Dawson’s Creek alum? Not yet mister). Rachael very much carries the film with her nobility and grace in a plot line that I had to nudge Deborah several times to ask what the hell was going on. That’s Oscar material like English Patient. Nice bath scene too.

Best Actor – Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I haven’t seen it yet! Capote was our last movie to go see among the best picture nominees but we had appliances delivered last weekend costing our last chance to go see it before this Sunday. Great Odin’s Beard! But the guy has been great in so many things (and SAG voted for him so we must be right) and I just want the guy who drove the TV/media van in Twister to win. And when he does and staggers up there to the podium I want him to turn to the audience and go “Losers!”

“Looo-oooosers”. (Welcome to the “suck zone”.)


Best Actress – Reese Witherspoon. Well I’ll have to admit I do think Reese is as cute as a button and I liked her ever since “Election” some eight years ago – so I’m pretty amazed that the Academy and all of these other groups have pretty much embraced her as a favorite – and she swept Golden Globe and SAG. So she would probably have to break a heel to lose. I saw “Walk the Line” on a plane (always a tough place to gauge a movie – and frankly I thought the movie was so slow and depressing I wanted to kill myself with a plastic knife) but when Reese’s June Carter came on she just lit it up – with that and her real life singing she gets the nod. Now if Joaquin could just lighten up himself.

Best Movie – Brokeback Mountain. Ok, I lied – I didn’t see Munich either but I feel it only got nominated because Spielberg called in every favor he had in Hollywood to at least get invited to the party. That movie got so vilified in the press here that it certainly lost its soul somewhere along the way. Liked “Good Night and Good Luck” for its smoke filled room feel and dramatic authenticity to the time but it was actually rather a light film at the end. Capote’s screenplay was written by the actor who played the engaged son on the great farce The Birdcage (and he actually might win) but no best film here. We saw Crash when it first came out and we really liked it – very cool feel, music, cinematography and a narrative web woven with articulate detail. I am very happy it got nominated and the buzz is that it actually has a chance. But I don’t see them stopping the Brokeback juggernaut – too much steam. Although a lot of producer director types might favor Crash instead. I’ll go with the movie about Wyoming filmed in Canada because of all of that rural starkness I spoke of before - but would be happy with either.

Like last year this is your “one” race. Enjoy it.

Looooosers.