What Are Your Oscar-Watching Memories?
When the Oscars roll around, we always talk about our predictions, our favorite wins, and our most infuriating losses and omissions. But rarely do we talk about the experience of watching the Oscars -- the memories that make the seemingly endless ceremony easier to stomach, or hard to forget.
For me, every time I hear the word "Oscar," at least part of my brain jettisons back to 2001. Oh, the dreaded year that lives in infamy in my brain! I was watching the telecast with a few friends and breathlessly waiting for the Best Actress award -- convinced that Ellen Burstyn would run off with the prize. After seeing her amazing performance as Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream, and seeing what that film did to everyone I brought to see it, I thought it was a lock. There was no way she could lose. And I needed something good after the disappointment that Richard Farnsworth lost the year before.
On the other hand, one of my friends was rooting for Julia Roberts and Erin Brockovich. So we sat there, eagerly waiting... When Roberts' name was announced, my friend flew out of her chair with Whoop!s and squeals and celebrations, while I tried not to throw something at the television. However, what really makes this memory is that a few years later, that same friend told me that Roberts was good, but not a great actress, and that she really wasn't worthy of the Oscar. I can only guess that in order to be a little collected over the excitement of winning an Oscar, Roberts' exuberance skyrocketed across the continent and into my friend, who celebrated for her. Nothing else makes sense.
So that's my most memorable Oscar-watching experience. What's yours?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-22-2009 @ 12:21PM
Jordan said...
Easily the most memorable (or forgettable) moment for me was in 1999 when Shakespeare in Love was announced as Best Picture. I was appalled at the Academy for awarding that terrible goofy farse of a movie the award over Steven Spielberg's best movie and one of the greatest war movies ever made. I think my hatred for that movie spilled over to Gwyneth Paltrow (Cate Blanchett deserved that award) and I can't watch Paltrow again without thinking of the crime of the 71st Oscars.
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2-22-2009 @ 12:31PM
GMS said...
The Oscars section on Youtube has two of my favourites, when Spielberg won for Schindler's List, and also when DeNiro won for Raging Bull. The older clips from the 70s are entertaining, to see the single actresses bringing dates and to see how many nominees didnt show up back then...
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2-22-2009 @ 12:40PM
Mike said...
Say what you will about Ben Affleck, but I was so pleased to watch he and Matt Damon win award after award for Good Will Hunting. For me, it was an instant favorite. Something that doesn't happen very often. So it was special to see a film I connected with so much actually receive recognition. Especially considering the types of movies it was up against. And them winning the Academy Award was just the icing on the cake.
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2-22-2009 @ 12:55PM
Diego Huenchur said...
When Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard won the best song award last year. Just unforgettable.
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2-22-2009 @ 12:56PM
SOS said...
Although I don't recall if her speech was at the Oscars, or some other awards show, the Oscars always remind me of that (rambling twaddle) speech made by Anne Heche.
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2-22-2009 @ 1:30PM
BLS said...
I'll never forget how appalled I was when Tommy Lee Jones beat out Leonardo DiCaprio in 1993 (?). Leo was up for his amazing performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, while Jones was up for... being himself in The Fugitive.
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2-22-2009 @ 2:08PM
honey said...
I know it's random, but I remember Aaliyah's performance at the Oscars, when she sang "Journey to the Past" from the film Anastasia. I remember thinking about how young she was, how it was her first time there, and that she was singing by herself in front of a huge and powerful group of Hollywood people. I was very nervous for her, because the camera panned around her and you could see the crowd from her perspective. It was frightening and exhilarating. And towards the end of her performance, I felt chills. She really belted her heart out and did a wonderful job.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FRc5Cyh17U
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2-22-2009 @ 4:34PM
Clint said...
This didn't happen during the Oscars, but for me it's one of the most memorable award show moments. In 1998 Ving Rhames won the Golden Globe for his portrayal of Don King, then selflessly gave the award to Jack Lemmon, who was up for the award in the same category.
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2-23-2009 @ 8:54AM
david Peterson said...
Interestingly, Jordon, I had the converse experience. I really disliked Saving Private Ryan and hoped that it would NOT win. i loved Shakespeare, however, and was thrilled when it won. A comedy with substance. what a treat! And I LOVE Gwyneth, you little Paltrow-hater. :)
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2-22-2009 @ 6:18PM
D. said...
Sooo many Oscar memories, like Cuba Gooding's win, Adrian Brody's win and his long planted kiss on Halle Berry (I bet all previous male oscar winners had wished they had thought of doing that first). The music montage of oscar-nominated songs from several years back, songs sung by Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Isaac Hayes, (The Genius) Ray Charles, awesome moment. The oscar-nominated song from the animated film Camelot that was sung by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, it was so beautiful. The sill antics but most grateful speech by Roberto Beninni. Michael Caine's acceptance speech after winning for the Cider House Rules. And so many more.
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2-22-2009 @ 7:58PM
Bill said...
Definitely, my favorite Oscar moment was when Crash won Best Picture.
I believed that Oscar season was one of the best in a long long time. I liked all five movies nominated and I liked "Good Night, and Good Luck" the best.
However, everytime I said so, the Brokeback Mountain fans would scream at me and call me homophobic.
As the awards seasons gradually passed by and BBM fans kept harrassing everybody else who did not think that movie (which I actually liked a lot, I simply didn't like it the most) was the best one ever made in history, my wish for an upset grew stronger and stronger.
When Jack Nicholson's jaw dropped and he called "Crash", I just got up and danced (and almost knocked a vase down). Brilliant! And I even got to laugh the entire following week reading the sour grape reviews written by the BBM widows!
Brilliant!
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2-23-2009 @ 12:21AM
Erin said...
My favorite live moment has to be Adrien Brody making out with Halle Berry when he won Best Actor. It was just so unexpected. But I also loved the surprise win of Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine...it was just awesome.
I love the song Jack Black and Will Ferrell sang about the speeches being too long. Perfect.
But my all-time favorite moment ever, which I unfortunately didn't get to see live, was Roberto Benigni pretty much stepping on Steven Spielberg when he won the Best Foreign Language Film award for Life is Beautiful. Whenever I'm having a bad day, I just watch that clip and I get a smile on my face.
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2-23-2009 @ 1:00PM
joits said...
seeing Return of the King win all those oscars. finally some validation from the academy towards sci-fi/fantasy movies.
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2-23-2009 @ 2:15PM
lw said...
Private Ryan not winning has to be the all time worst thing in Oscar history for me. Totally proves the point that the best movies do not always win (or even get nominated). Thats why the Oscars are such a joke to me.
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2-23-2009 @ 4:34PM
ML said...
I knew Shakespeare in Love would win because it was practically a love letter to actors and they make up the bulk of the Academy. It wasn't my pick, but how could I be surprised?
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