The series of cinematic awards ceremonies that culminate with the Academy Awards held in the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California allows for hundreds of millions to witness a procession of glamour and fame on the red carpet before the show begins. It turns out to be a circus of vanity, as superstars, upcoming stars, and unknowns flash their Versace, Dior, and Armani. It is an unofficial competition, which takes place in the hours before the Oscar award show. It is a show that myriads of people are sitting glued in front of in order to capture a glimpse of their favorites and their luxurious outfits that come accompanied by outrageously gaudy bling-bling. Yet, every year there is someone who breaks the trend, and this year’s trend-breaker award goes to the Oscar winner Larry McMurtry with his tuxedo jacket and bow tie dressed with blue jeans and boots. Even though beautiful Charlize Theron comes a close second place with a dress that stunningly matched her eyes, but the sizable distraction on her shoulder that brought about ideas that drifted towards pirates and their feathery shoulder-sitting companions made it fly into the second spot. ***

The 78th Annual Academy Awards began with an amusing introduction to a number of previous year hosts, as they express their lack of desire to participate as a host. Eventually, Jon Stewart emerges through a hilarious bedroom/dream sequence that suggests that he is supposed to host the Oscars. It is a terrific icebreaker that smoothly allows the show to commence with Jon Stewart making fun of himself before taking a stab at nominees and the audience at the Kodak Theater with both satire and parody. Stewart was a great performer and host for the show, as he cracked jokes that remained above the belt throughout the whole show. Sometime after Queen Latifa hands out the award for best song, which went to It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp in Hustle & Flow by Three 6 Mafia, Stewart makes the comment in regards to Scorsese’s long quest for an Oscar by saying “Scorsese zero – Three 6 Mafia one.” It is just one sample of the countless jokes by Stewart. ***

Across the board, I thought, the actual nominees were all great films. However, none of the nominees for best film presented a blockbuster income raking performance at the theaters. It is also the first time the Oscar winner for best documentary, March of the Penguins, pulled in significantly more money than the best film nominees. Maybe this is also, why much of the Academy Awards promoted the idea of seeing a film in the darkness of a theater with countless strangers. I only wished the theater promotion would also inform the few who always tend to ruin the theater experience by talking, answering phone calls, bringing in infants and many other nuisances that interrupt the paying majority that silently comply to the rules of theaters. Anyway, when Crash eventually brought home the Oscar for best film, it was no real surprise even though most people anticipated that Brokeback Mountain would bring it home. Crash was also the film that came closest to the March of the Penguins when it comes to financial success. ***

There was only one controversial award, which I thought was in the best-animated feature category that went to Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Personally, even though I enjoyed Wallace & Gromit, I thought that Howl’s Moving Castle was far superior, and should have won it. However, Hayao Miyazaki won the Oscar for Spirited Away a couple of years ago, and it might have come into consideration for him not winning it again. I also thought Corpse Bride was better, but that is just my opinion for whatever it is worth. The other hullabaloo was raised around the gay theme in three of the nominated films Brokeback Mountain, Capote, and Transamerica. It only turned out to be a lot of hot air while the audience should be aware that all three films are brilliant. ***

After three hours and thirty-three minutes of witty humor and parody by Stewart the audience knew the final outcome of all the awards. No one had gotten away with more than three, as four different films shared the honor of receiving three Oscars including Brokeback Mountain, Crash, Memoirs of a Geisha, and King Kong. None of the speeches stretched for a massive amount of time. The best speech was the first acceptance for the best supporting actor speech by George Clooney in which he showed class and solidarity for his fellow artists. In addition, the Academy’s Honorary Award was given to Robert Altman who was introduced by Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin in a riotous introduction that truly honored the cinematic giant.

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