For all these reasons, I used to watch all awards shows from beginning to excruciating end, until the shows became such marathon-esque parodies of themselves that I just couldn't do it any longer. My loyalty only goes so far, and, besides, I can get the results the next day (or hour) on the web and can see the glam and unglam shots there as well, or I can wait to peruse the next issue of People magazine while in line at the grocery store next week (because I certainly won't be buying it). That being said, I do care some about the award winners themselves, not just about their clothes, because I like to see what the Hollywood Foreign Press is thinking and if what they think become a harbinger of things to come (the Emmys and the Oscars). And this year I was, once again, both surprised, delighted, and disappointed at the nominations and the results.
Surprises
- Bobby for best picture? Seriously, did anyone out there actually see this movie? Did anyone you know see this movie? Did anyone besides the HFP see this movie? I thought not.
- They actually nominated DiCaprio twice in the same category. I'm going to have to check and see how often that has happened in the past, but I am sure it's rare. And also a little disappointed that he is the one it happened to. I have this inexplicable aversion to Leo. Don't ask me to say why, but he grates on my nerves a bit.
- Aaron Eckhart. That's it, he himself is just constantly surprising to me. Let me tell you a little story: once upon a time, my father was the congregation leader of a group of Mormon students at BYU-Hawaii (where he was teaching at the time). And one of his congregation members was Aaron Eckhart, whom I remember (somewhat vaguely, I was 13 or 14) as being funny and cute (in that way that nearly all college guys were cute to me then) but kind of distantly connected to the congregation. Fast forward years later to watching Erin Brokovich with my dad and having him remind me that Julia Robert's male love interest and this guy from Hawaii were one and the same. And since then he and his compadre Neal LaButte have fascinated me as they have become more and more famous and very publicly moved further and further away from the church. And here he is nominated for a little film called, ironically, Thank You for Smoking.
- I love Grey's Anatomy as much as the next soapy serial watcher, but really, Heroes should have won. Conceptually, it's more inventive, as were most of the other nominees, actually, including (though I don't like it much) 24 and Big Love (though I am happy neither of them won, of course).
- Bill Nighy beat out a whole slew of lovely and diverse and deserving men in best actor in a tv movie or mini-series role and that was sad. What is our fixation with the brits over all others??
- And since we know it's what I really care about, Jeremy Irons' floppy, foppy tuxedo was hideous. And what in heaven's name is up with the Arquette family? It's kind of tragic with David seems to be the bastion of something akin to normalcy in that clan!
- All hail Ugly Betty, yet another victory for the show and the actress willing to make themselves "ugly" in pursuit of verisimilitude...or art...or something. And please read much irony into the use of the scare quotes here! Because of course America Ferrera is anything but ugly, even on the show. But still, it's a funny, off-beat program I'm glad is getting support.
- Yay for Kyra Sedgwick and The Closer, one my favorite characters and vehicles of all time!
- Bravo for diversity: America, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Babel.
- and finally and simply, Tina Fey's dress. Loved it! Love her! Love, love, love!
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