Somehow I managed to correctly guess all the major categories at this year’s Academy Awards. For that, I won the door prize at the house party I attended with friends (couple bottles of wine, sweet!).
I made last-minute picks, and it seemed kind of easy to nail them even though I’d seen only a few of the films that were involved in this year’s Oscars. (Of course, that’s the kind of thing you say after you luck out.)
Anyway, here was my logic going in:
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz. I did happen to catch “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” and Cruz was absolutely stunning in it. It was a perfect fit for the beautiful Spanish actress to play this passionate, troubled, out-of-control ex-lover of an artist.
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger. The easiest pick of them all. I didn’t see “The Dark Knight,” but everyone has been talking about his performance for months. Great actor taken too soon, and I figured he’d get the nod.
Best Actress: Kate Winslet. I heard that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein had been wielding his influence for “The Reader,” and everyone seems to love Kate (me included). I didn’t see the film, but I was thinking: “Provocative, Nazi theme, beloved Kate Winslet.” It all kind of added up.
Best Actor: Sean Penn. In his acceptance speech, Penn alluded to the fact that he makes it hard on Oscar voters because he’s such a pistol. Sure enough, he came out guns blazing in the speech, taking on the anti-gay protesters outside the venue and the Yes on Prop 8 voters. I figured Penn playing the gay-rights activist Harvey Milk in the wake of the Prop 8 mess was pretty much a done deal. I dig Mickey Rourke, but this all added up to Sean Penn, one of the best actors out there today.
Best Director: Danny Boyle.
Best Picture: “Slumdog Millionare.” I did see “Slumdog,” and it was a sweeping, highly imaginative, epic kind of film. I thought the love story element was a bit sappy and the ending kind of “feel goody,” but there’s no disputing it was an amazing film. I figured the Best Director and Best Picture awards would go this direction in what was a lackluster year in film. When I started seeing many of the early awards going to the film, I kind of knew it was a done deal. The movie won eight Oscars.
Oh, yeah, and the tiebreaker:
Best Song: “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionare.” Total guess, but there were only three choices.
•••••
• Apparently a whole bunch of people got out Saturday night in Redding. I heard that the closing night at Riverfront’s “Same Time, Next Year” was packed, as well as the Westside Performing Arts Company’s “Wild West Show” in Old Shasta. I believe the symphony had a good audience at the Cascade. I can confirm that my band played to a wonderful crowd at the Vintage Wine Bar and Restaurant (thanks so much to everyone who came out), and I heard that the Downtown Eatery was also packed. Viva culture in the north state! That’s what we’re talking about.