Kelly Johnson
Professor Oesch-Minor
W131 Intro to English
February 14, 2019
And the Oscar Goes To… A Review
Clothe yourself in your imaginary glamourous ball gown or tuxedo and escape into the finery and regalia that is the Oscars. Watch and listen as writers/directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (Sharon Wood, writer but not director) escort you on a glamourous, prestigious and historical journey of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards show, The Oscars.
This is a series of “mini” interviews of different actors and actresses speaking to their experiences in Hollywood with regard to their relationships and feelings about the Oscars. There is a narrator, Anjelica Huston, who guides us through. It starts with a parade of actors and actresses from George Clooney to Whoopi Goldberg describing what participating in the Oscars was like for them, from hosting to presenting to actually winning.
As the beginning credits roll there is footage of the early days of stars showing up and getting out of their cars, the fans alongside eagerly awaiting their favorite celebrity to emerge. What an exciting time!
In its infancy, winning an Oscar wasn’t that big of a deal, according to the film, but became the coveted prize or award for any and everyone in the film industry. This includes the actors and actresses, directors and producers, even the makeup artists, cinematographers and costume designers.
This is a series of “mini” interviews of different actors and actresses speaking to their experiences in Hollywood with regard to their relationships and feelings about the Oscars.
One could see that hosting this event was just as rewarding and exciting as being a nominee. Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres and Whoopi Goldberg spoke to this experience. Whoopi also talked about winning and what that meant to her. We have come along way, or rather Hollywood has come a long way.
“While it’s not a perfect documentary where it did overlook some good moments and some bad ones. It does showcase the Oscars in all its glory as well as why not everyone is so happy about it. Still, it does manage to showcase its importance and why people always watch the ceremony.” (@thevoid99) I don’t completely agree with this critique. There is only so much time to provide us with a well-rounded look at the Oscars and for me it does a good job providing us with a good amount of everything. We do get to see the good, the bad and the ugly. As the film progresses it gets a little uncomfortable as we are shown the ugly. The seating placement of Hattie McDaniel an African American actress who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Gone with The Wind. She gave a remarkable speech anyway.
The insensitive questions by the press to Sidney Poitier was another blemish on the fabric of the Oscars tale. There were also the horrible circumstances surrounding the “blacklisted” celebrities, some of whom stayed away for good. These are all rarely seen scenes from the historical vault, but Rob and Jeffrey saw the need to divulge as much as possible into the making of this documentary. It seems they wanted it to be as honest as possible. This film exposed many of the sore spots of the times as played out in Hollywood especially, but definitely was an indication of what was happening in our nation at any given time.
The speeches were also highlighted throughout. This platform was becoming a space for political speeches, as well as, any other issue that spoke to the heart of the winner. There were many that were hysterically funny. Many were given by people who looked as though they genuinely were surprised that the won. Dustin Hoffman delivered an amazing speech after having won Best Actor for his work in Kramer vs, Kramer. “I’m up here with mixed feelings. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be able to work. I refuse to believe that I beat Jack Lemmon, that I beat Al Pacino, that I beat Peter Sellars. I refuse to believe that Robert Duvall lost. There are people who are giving that artistic apart of themselves that goes beyond a paycheck and they are never up here and many of them are not members of the Academy and we never hear of them. And to that artistic family that strives for excellence none of you have ever lost and I am proud to share this with you and I thank you.” (hoffman) This was a similar feeling amongst the stars, though not many spoke of it to this extent.
Of course, we get to see the winners, however we also get to get a glimpse of what it felt like to lose. Some of the artists talked about what that felt like and how they managed to deal with it.
Watching this documentary made me feel nostalgic. Why wouldn’t it? It took us back to the very beginning, May of 1929, eighty-five years before this documentary was filmed. We get to see the progression of the importance and value of the Oscars. One of the things I LOVED the most was the “glamour” of Hollywood and we get to see a tremendous amount of it.
I think this portion of a review that was on the IMBD website speaks well of the film. “Let us not try to say the movies are any more important than they are. And the Oscars are a celebration of these not terribly important things. But, at the same time, let us not underestimate how important the movies really are. They bind us as a culture, connect us to other cultures and define generations. Sometimes they even change the way we look at the world.” (gavin6942) It is worth the 90 minutes or so to watch and reminisce and revel in the beauty and the controversy and the excitement that is the Oscars.
Now that you are in your finest formal gown or tuxedo, at least in your imagination, go ahead and pour yourself a glass of wine or a martini or a glass of champagne or even a glass of water and a bowl of popcorn kick back and enjoy the journey!
“The 12th Academy Awards Memorable Moments.” Oscars.Org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 27 Aug. 2014, https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1940/memorable-moments.
TCM to Premiere Documentary ‘Oscar’ in February 2014 – TV By The Numbers by Zap2it.Com. https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/press-releases/tcm-to-premiere-documentary-oscar-in-february-2014/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2020.
Thevoid99. “Surrender to the Void: And the Oscar Goes To...” Surrender to the Void, Steven Flores, 6 Feb. 2014, http://thevoid99.blogspot.com/2014/02/and-oscar-goes-to.html.
Epstein, Rob, and Jeffrey Friedman. And the Oscar Goes To... Turner Classic Movies (TCM), Hollywood Newsreel Syndicate, Telling Pictures, 2014.
And the Oscar Goes To... (TV Movie 2014) - IMDb. www.imdb.com, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3481232/reviews. Accessed 1 Feb. 2020.