Saturday, February 18, 2006

Symposium Wrap Up

The guest critics/bloggers are all still working on their prediction charts, but the Oscar Symposium is otherwise a wrap. You can read their emotionally fluttery and/or bawling acceptance speeches, thoughts about Oscar's show length and technical standoffish, and Jon Stewart as host as we wrap up the meeting of minds on Day Four.

8 comments:

John T said...

Loved the symposium Nathaniel! If I may, my answers to the four last points would have been:

1. Jon Stewart is going to be funny, but not terrificly funny-I wish they'd go back to Steve Martin or Billy Crystal to be honest (who do you think out of those two, if either, will take home a trophy someday)?

2. Fire Gil Cates-this is my one chance a year to see what people like Sandy Powell and Gustavo Santaolalla look like!

3. Brokeback, Brokeback, Brokeback, PSH (sigh), Reese (yippee!), Weisz (excellent), and Paul Giamatti (blah-I know conventional wisdom says it will be Clooney, but I think a makeup Oscar looks appropriate to the Academy here).

4. I'd gush, thank Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson (just because), and say it should have been Annette!

Glenn said...

Wow, I was just reading all of your predictions and I can't believe one of you (so far) in the name of JOSH predicted a Ledger upset. That's REALLY ballsy!

Nathaniel, ask him for his reasons. I vant to know vhy.

Anonymous said...

Yes, thanks for organising, and thanks to all of the contributors who have, well, contributed over the past few days. ENCORE!

My personal favourite wordplay (from many) was this from Nick:

"I think Annette Bening, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Imelda Staunton, and Kate Winslet will get together for an Oscar night of daiquiris and nibbles, and collectively scream, "Not only were we ALL better than last year's winner, but even SHE was better than ALL of this year's nominees! So where are our Oscars? Where the fuck is the justice???"

Not only was I howling with laughter, but also mentally gatecrashing the party.

I too feel that an Amy Adams win could seriously happen (she could "do a Marcia Gay Harden", so to speak, and thank voters "for taking the time to view the tape"), but that SAG loss just stops me from predicting her. Like MGH, getting into the race was the hard part, because then one has to figure the voters will check out the work. So either SAG voters didn't do their homework, OR they just don't dig on the performance enough to beat out Weisz.

Seriously can't see Williams taking the award though.

Rob

Marcelo said...

I believe the upset would come from Catherine Keener a la Marcia Gay Harden.

Anonymous said...

What happened at the Independent Spirit Awards with Ally Sheedy?

Glenn Dunks said...

Gabriel's biopic is gonna be Best of the Year! Plus, anyone who actually stands up and crowns Eiko Ishioka gets BIG brownee points from me. Love her work, wish she got more!

also: this bit was sooo funny because it was sooo true

Me: Did you see that trailer for the new Mel Gibson?
Friend: apocalypto LMFAO!!!

Sometimes, e-acronyms speak louder than words.


I think only funny emoticons can add to the hilarity of things like that.

NATHANIEL R said...

curious,

ally sheedy won and completely freaked out. She was on the stage for i think 12 minutes, dragged her friend up with her. Screaming, carrying on, etc...

it was grand television.

chofer said...

Very, very good comments.

In fact, Oscars are so predictable I would like to commend you my list for 2007 (yes, that early!!)
I am a dreamer, so I dreamt the magnificent Wong kar-wai reaches 2006 with his latest project (without Nicole, you know, she's so busy!!)and gets his first bona fide commercial hit in USA!!
On the other hand, David Fincher painfully regrets directing Black Dahlia, which earns the fifh slot in spite of Fincher's own Zodiac, and marks the great return of Hollywood's missing "Coppolito", Brian De Palma.

Ok, Here I go:

BEST PICTURE
The Black Dahlia
The Good German
Little Children
The Lady From Shangai
Marie Antoinette

BEST DIRECTOR
Brian De Palma, The Black Dahlia
Sofia Coppola, Marie Antoinette
David Fincher, Zodiac
Steven Soderbergh, The Good German
Wong kar-wai, The Lady From Shangai

BEST ACTOR
Javier Bardem, Goya’s Ghosts
George Clooney, The Good German
Robert Downey Jr., Zodiac
Matt Damon, The Good Shepherd
Sean Penn, All The King’s Men

BEST ACTRESS
Kirsten Dunst, Marie Antoinette
Nicole Kidman, Fur
Hilary Swank, The Black Dahlia
Rachel Weisz, The Lady From Shangai
Kate Winslet, Little Children

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Gael García Bernal, Babel
Joseph Cross, Running With Scissors
Mark Ruffalo, Zodiac
Joe Pesci, The Good Shepherd
Patrick Wilson, Little Children

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Asia Argento, Marie Antoinette
Cate Blanchett, The Good German
Jennifer Conelly, Little Children
Judy Davis, Marie Antoinette
Anna Paquin, Margaret

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Babel
For Your Consideration
The Good Shepherd
Little Children
Margaret

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Black Dahlia
Fur
The Good German
Marie Antoinette
Zodiac

Remember, you read it here first!!