Hearing yet another predictable list of winners in the SAG Awards races for best acting trophies (in film) gave me what I think is a brilliant idea for the Feb. 25 Academy Awards ceremony. Instead of having the various presenters rip open their respective envelopes and read the winners’ names, wouldn’t it be more fun to solicit some audience participation? Think about, for example, Reese Witherspoon going up to the podium, reading the list of Best Actor nominees, and then saying, "and the Oscar for Best Actor goes to…all together now…" and the crowd shouting in unison, "FOREST WHITAKER!" The same could be done for Helen Mirren, Eddie Murphy, and Jennifer Hudson, since, all of ‘em are pretty much looking hard to beat in their respective categories.
This scenario, of course, could set us up for a strangely surprise-free Oscars — which will either make for an exhilarating or monotonous telecast, depending on how you view it. On one hand, lopsided wins can be awesome — like when Secretariat annihilated his competition on the way to inevitable Triple Crown glory (I dare you to watch his Belmont Stakes without getting choked up). Or it can be a total snoozer. What I’m curious about is this: Does the perceived dominance this year of Whitaker (pictured), Mirren, Hudson, and Murphy make you more or less excited for the Oscars? Do you feel like the quartet should be polishing up their acceptance speeches, or could some longshot winner come and spoil the party? And if a dark horse is going to pull off an upset, who would you like it to be? And I am telling you… I am going to be awaiting your responses in the comments section below.
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I think I kind of prefer things to go the way I expect. For instance, I was terribly disappointed when “Brokeback Mountain” didn’t win last year. Likewise, if Jennifer Hudson or Helen Mirren don’t win, I’ll be disappointed this year. However, there are always some surprises and lots of fun moments, especially if you don’t watch all of the other awards shows.
the academy will be sentimental this year. peter o’toole will win for best actor.
I, for one, am counting on at least one surpise upset. As worthy as Forest Whitaker is, it’d be a nice blast of adrenaline if Ryan Gosling won for his brilliant work in half Nelson. Or if one of the Babel ladies find themselves at the podium. These may be long shots, but I am rooting for em.
Generally, I don’t think it’s a great thing for the Oscars to be as predictable as they’re shaping up to be this year (at least in the acting categories).
However, this year, I DO think it’s fantastic, but it’s because of these four particular performers. Whitaker gets an Oscar for a career of solid performances (and for being ripped off of an Emmy nom/award for his work on “The Shield”). Helen Mirren has been excellent for years and years, and seems to be getting better. Who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashioned comeback story like Eddie Murphy, pretty much the world’s biggest movie star for a while, then “reduced” to starring in toothless family movies. And then there’s Hudson…her story is (i’m sorry) truly a Dream. From nobody, to seventh place finish on “Idol” to Oscar?! Huh?!
First of all, if there is an “upset” it won’t be justified since the actors who are winning “everything” this year are doing so because they’re the best. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be winning everything. Secondly, instead of turning an award show into a horse race, why don’t people focus on celebrating the winning artists. The SAGs weren’t boring for me at all because I was SO happy for J-Hud (who gave the perfect speech) and Helen Mirren (who was quite funny) and all the other winners. This is not a sporting event, if anything, that’s the movie itself. This is just the medal ceremony.
It is going to be boring, if there aren’t some shockers come Oscar night. Come on, someone. It’s a month to Oscar night, and something needs to happen to bring a surprise like last year when Crash won. Although Little Miss Sunshine seems headed for a shocker to those who though it might be Departed or Babel. But still, someone or all of the preceived front runners in the acting fields need to lose. Helen and Forrest, Jennifer have been winning all the big awards. BORING. Hopefully the host Ellen can keep me entertained, if the winners won’t.
Mirren, Whitaker, Murphy, Hudson, and Scorsese all look like locks to win their respective categories. They all deserve to win, so I won’t be disappointed if/when they do. If anyone does pull an upset, I’d love to see Ryan Gosling, Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, and DiCaprio win as well. Interestingly enough, the Oscars’ biggest toss-up is its biggest award: Best Picture. With Babel taking the Golden Globe, Little Miss Sunshine winning the SAG and Producers Guild, and The Departed likely (hopefully!) winning Best Director, it’s anyone’s guess as to which movie will ultimately take home the top prize. That, along with host Ellen Degeneres, will keep me watching.
I think that it’s an exciting year in movies and award shows, even if it is predictable in the acting categories. You still have to decipher who’ll win for Best Picture. Little Miss Sunshine might pull the upset on the star-studded cast of The Departed, or the seriousness of Babel.
I for one will be upset if Peter O’Toole were to win Best Actor. There hasn’t been a lot of talk about his performance, Forest Whitaker was AMAZING in The Last King of Scotland, and it’s a long time coming for him as well. I mean, Mr. O’Toole got the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Oscars, and I believe that’s amazing right there. Give it to Forest!!!
I think the SAG winners will win the Oscars, because they all were amazing in their performances, IMHO.
One of the (many) things that have made the Oscars lose their credibility over the years is trying to strike a balance between honoring the true best performances, popular/sentimental favorites, deserving or not, and the excitement necessary to keep audiences tuning in. I happen to think all the nominees in the acting category are worthy this year, but I sincerely hope the “predictable” happens and Forrest Whitaker and Helen Mirren take home the little gold guy. They deserve it. I don’t want the Academy to feel they have to “shake things up” to keep it interesting for the audience at home; that negates the work of all the nominees and diminishes the awards’ cachet even further. Even thogh the Golden Globes are now considered a strong barometer for the Oscars, they went through several ignominous years as a laughing-stock award because they allowed the awards to be high-jacked by the highest bidder, including those who wished to inject “excitement” into the proceedings.
This year won’t be completely boring-there’s absolutely no frontrunner for best picture. It could go to any of the 5
Jennifer Hudson won’t win the Otsker. I keep telling myself that because she keeps winning everything else. Plus, she doesn’t have enough experience for jealous peers to vote for her.
I for one hope the the fantsatic 4 Mirren, Whitaker, Hudson, Murphy do Win…they were the best this year….the big surprise will be Best Picture……I hope things are shaken up a bit and the Departed wins.
As much as I love Forest Whitaker’s work in The Last King of Scotland, his acceptance speeches make me want to kill myself… so either he should have someone else give it for him, hire a speechwriter, or just let Ryan Gosling have the Oscar.
I really don’t care about it this year, since as always they’ve ignored the best movies of the year (Children of Man as already discussed, the Fountain, etc.). Plus they didn’t have the guts to bring back Jon Stewart as the host, that is more than enough to keep me away this year.
just let them talk for over 45 seconds. i think the ‘dreamgirl’ best song performances will keep me tuned in – as long as the songs are substitued by the likes of people who didn’t sing them (debbie allen, peabro bryson, melissa manchester, jewel, queen latitah…
If the media and the oddsmakers would just STOP, then maybe this would have been an interesting race. As it is, we’ve been bombarded endlessly with other awards shows and shameless publicity, so the actual ceremony could be nothing but dull. It’s too bad because there were some fine performances in 2006.
I think it will be quite predictable up until the final 2 awards, Director and Picture. We’ll see if Scorsese finally wins, hard to say.
I wouldn’t be surprised it Peter O’Toole won the Oscar. Need I remind people of the Bob Hoskins/Paul Newman year? Hoskins won everything up until the Oscars where voters gave Newman the award because he had never won.
In all honesty, I would HATE to see that happen. Whitaker deserves it, akward speech or not.
I was actually thinking about this the other day and i am hoping that some dark horse comes through because while the front runners all had amazing performances how boring is it? It would be one thing if each winner gives great speeches that will be remembered forever but given their speeches up to this point it is doubtful. However, wasnt there an article that said ratings increase with a clear winner or something (like in the year of titanic?). I would love to see Kate Winslet win for best acress Ryan Gossling for actor although Peter O’ Toole is far more likely. However, i think that no way was Jennifer Hudson’s performance better that those in Babel (a movie i did not like) and not even close to being on the level of kate blanchet in notes. Without her big and i’m telling you scene and all that buzz she wouldnt stand a chance w/ an overhyped and completely uneven performance like that. if she wins that academy should be ashamed. seriously.
I still think Murphy is gonna be upset.
After finally seeing “Dreamgirls” this weekend, I’m disappointed that Murphy and Hudson are getting all the glory. Sure, the singing was good, but was the acting? Not really. I was bored. When awards seasons are dominated by a few actors receiving all the accolades, it makes me want to avoid the Oscars. What’s the fun in watching if there aren’t any surprises, especially when the shoo-ins are less-than-deserving? Voters always jump on bandwagons, and it’s time they hightail it off the “Dreamgirls” one and show some love to better performances, say Mark Whalberg and Rinko Kikuchi.
Locks: Hudson, Mirren and Whitaker.
Not locks: Eddie Murphy. I predict Mark Wahlberg will get it because a) the members will think Eddie has won all he should and b) the Departed needs SOMETHING.
Letters is not winning in the major critics and awards shows, so I think it will be passed over.
Am I watching? Nope.
As for Ed’s comment about Jennifer Hudson, this is about as far up as she can go. Next will be CDs, private events, Broadway…but I doubt there will be movies ’soon’ in her future.
Jennifer Hudson’s performance in Dreamgirls was a lot more than just And I’m Telling You. She was the heart and soul of that movie. That a newcomer could pull that off is astounding. There is no doubt that she should win the Oscar.
No seriously. I liked Dreamgirls and Hudson, but I don’t understand why she’s getting so much hype. I haven’t even seen Babel, but I want Rinko to win. I do want Eddie Murphy to win though…I thought he was the best part of the movie by far
Best Picture is where the suspense will be. Watching Forrest be so soft spoken at the mike really drives home what a great actor he is. He, Helen Mirren, Eddie Murphy, & Jennifer Hudson deserve it b/c of their performances.
i would love jennifer to win an Oscar. i’m not putting all my energy behind it though because i don’t want to have to throw my shoe at the TV. yes, most of you say there was ‘no acting’ or she was ‘just singing’. but i’m sorry, any actress (yes, she is one) who gets a whole audience to nearly go into cardiac arrest with her performance needs to be honored. she’s done INCREDIBLY so far, no matter what Oscar says
If Forest Whitaker wins the Best Actor Oscar,and I’m sure he will, I hope he just walks up to the podium and says “Thank you” and walks off. To hear such a talented man mumble incoherently in front of a microphone again, would be too painful to watch. If a great actor can memorize parts of a script, why can’t he memorize a decent acceptance speech?
DOn’t get me wrong – I have been a Whitaker fan forever, but Ryan Gosling is really the best performance of the year. Unfortunately, I think it’s going to be one of those “Burstyn-in-Requiem” performances that will have to do with the nomination standing in for what should have been an ovation.
I predict the ratings for this year’s Oscars will be an all-time low. With wins from all the major blocks of Oscar voters, Whitaker, Mirren, Murphy & Hudson have the acting awards (deservedly) sewn up. Ditto the Director award for Scorcese (a long time coming if you ask me). The only surprise will be for Best Picture and given the nominated films this year, America is much more likely to find a pillow rather than a cup of coffee come Oscar night.
Basically at this point Best Picture and the technical categories (although many consider them insignificant) are really important later on. At this point it looks like Dreamgirls can still win 6 Oscars and then The Departed 4 with The Queen and Pan’s Labyrinth with 3. The acting categories are all sewn up except for the possibility of the Murphy upset by Arkin, but the Academy would love to show that Eddie really did add some oomph to a pretty uneven yet exhilirating film. Maybe just maybe if O’Toole arouses enough sympathy votes he could win, but not enough people liked the movie. If Hudson doesn’t win I feel like it’s almost as big of an upset as Mirren not winning, and with her second two win night that looks so unlikely.