Oscars a Success

  The 81st Academy Awards, held on Feb. 22, were beautiful, from the people to the movies, back to the people again. The show was held at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, CA and was a success across the board.

   The Academy Awards started in 1929 as a closed ceremony, attendees small in number. Over the years, the recognition of excellence in the movie field has grown exponentially. This year, 24 Oscars were handed out for an array of talents, ranging from best picture to best short documentary. 

   Hugh Jackman, People's Sexiest Man Alive, hosted the show for the first time and did not disappoint. His talents extend beyond being sexy, to singing, dancing and even humor. He did an excellent job hosting, although he was not on the stage all that often. This year, there was a different presenter for nearly every Oscar, which led to a sort of disconnect. Jackman was good, and there was no need to constantly switch presenters. The variety kept the show interesting, but was to such an extent that Jackman was missed.

    If the people on the stage weren't sexy enough, the stage was there as a back-up. The stage movements were made seamlessly, from dance floor to band set-up and back again. Only one major error occurred within design and production, and as it came early, the "Steve, open it!" curtain incident was dwarfed by all the other wonderful effects. The crystal curtain added glamour to the stage, and the floor pattern was stunning. The stage was glorious, and did not take away from the ceremony at hand. 

   For the most part, the Oscars were a celebration, a time to rejoice in all the great work the movie industry has created in the past year. One moment, though, was heart-wrenching. The Oscar for supporting actor went to Heath Ledger (1979-2008) in "The Dark Knight." The award was accepted by his parents and his sister. As each of them spoke, the camera panned the audience; tears were welled up in the eyes of almost all. Even in the midst of such great sorrow, Sally Bell, Ledger's mother, said, "Tonight, we are choosing to celebrate and he happy for what he was achieved."

    With that, the celebration went on. This year, the Academy Awards went much further than just being an awards show. It included a number of bits by other actors, as well as some song and dance. Seth Rogen and James Franco did a spoof of their acting in "Pineapple Express," which solicited laughs from many. Hugh Jackman and Beyonce Knowles did an extended musical-like performance with a multitude of other dancers. Both bits were entertaining, even if somewhat irrelevant.

     Despite the over the top extravagance of the 81st Academy Awards, they were still phenomenal. The amount of work and planning put into the show paid off, and the beauty of the show was inescapable.