2021 Academy Awards

[Dave Gray]

I doubt you guys give a crap about this, but it's kinda my wheelhouse.  This is how it went down:

I watched all 56 films this year.  It's the first time I've ever been able to complete the Oscar Death Race.  It was due to COVID -- partially, because I'm just home more.  But also, because nothing was 100% inaccessible.  In years past, there are some short films that you had to see at a film festival or something.

If anyone has any movie-specific questions, I'm game.

Pretty much, the awards given were fair.  They weren't always my #1 choice (in fact, most weren't), but when something was picked, I never thought it was out of left field.  The ceremony was better this year -- they not only ditched a host, but they didn't have two presenters come out and awkwardly try to do funny banter that ends up cringey.  Instead, each presenter came out and (seemingly, at least) spoke to each of the nominees from the heart about why they enjoyed that particular performance. 

Or for some of the bigger awards, each director, for example, would talk for 30 seconds or so about "what is directing".  It was a decent enough effort.  The shenanigans were toned down and it was better for it.

I still think that they're not doing enough to show examples of the technical awards -- I think that would be really cool.  Like, show what cinematography is and have experts show specific examples of what is extraordinary about the nominees...or film editing or sound mixing or whatever.

They cut the songs this year (put them at the pre-show), which was an odd choice.  It cut the runtime down, but they (specifically the Hometown song) were cinematic spectacles and the show could've used it.  The In-Memorium was super fast (I was OK with it).

The big fail is how they closed the show.  For the first time that I've ever seen, they didn't do Best Picture Last.  They did it 3rd to last, then best actress, then best actor.

Best Picture was Nomadland, but the director had already won, so when she came up to speak, there wasn't a ton more to say.  Then, best Actress was McDormand from Nomadland, so we'd seen her a few times, too, and she had a really short speech about how she wanted to see the general public back at the movies with their loved ones next year.  It was really short.

For best Actor, I think they thought Chadwick Boseman was going to win, and they would be able to have a closing thing about him.  But Anthony Hopkins won (deservedly, IMO -- that was the best performance this year) and he wasn't in attendance.  So, they just said that we accept on his behalf and it was over.  There was no outro -- no music over people celebrating and hugging on stage, like usual.

Overall, much better than some of the other awards shows that tried to keep the same format, pre-COVID.

[EDGECRUSHER]

I know that the envelopes are sealed and the awards show didn't know, but.......they built the finale around Boseman winning. Surely, there had to have been some way to check on this? Even if they just ask an hour or so before the show ends, that way they could reschedule the category listings.

I have nothing else to comment because I basically only watch horror movies.

[Pappy13]

I can't believe anyone watches award shows. I'd rather watch paint dry...or a baseball game!

[EDGECRUSHER]

FWIW, looks like Hopkins wanted to Zoom in to give his acceptance speech but the Academy wouldn't let him so he went to bed. That means, they DID know who was going to win ahead of time so why did they put this on last and end it so awkwardly?

[Phishfan]

FWIW, looks like Hopkins wanted to Zoom in to give his acceptance speech but the Academy wouldn't let him so he went to bed. That means, they DID know who was going to win ahead of time so why did they put this on last and end it so awkwardly?

Going strictly by what you wrote, it doesn't mean anyone knew the winner ahead of time.  I can certainly see a what if scenario where that discussion happens in hypotheticals.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Going strictly by what you wrote, it doesn't mean anyone knew the winner ahead of time.  I can certainly see a what if scenario where that discussion happens in hypotheticals.

Ahh yes, good point.

Still think it's crazy they reworked the ending of the whole show without knowing what would happen.

[Dave Gray]

The Academy didn't want anyone zooming in at all.  They were trying to avoid having everyone be remote.  But then, they had to back off of that a bit, because for some of the awards, people were literally in other countries where they aren't allowed to fly in here.  So, there were special satellite locations.  For Hopkins, he lives in Wales, and it was like 4 in the morning anyway.

We already knew that the producers don't know the winners (all that is very secretive and you can gamble on it...it's secured results by a brokerage firm or something) but this really proves that to be true.

Stuff like this has happened before, but it usually works in their favor.  Like, when Scorcese was going to pretty much win the Oscar for the Departed, they made his friends Spielberg, Coppola, Lucas, etc -- they gave him the award.  Was a gamble, because had he not won, a bunch of his personal friends would've been giving it to someone else.