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Oscar night is one of the empty nester’s favorite evenings of the year. Watching the stars walk down the red carpet, checking out the fashion dos and don’ts, wondering how much botox a face can tolerate is a tradition we almost always enjoy together. This year Jill and Claudia were in different locations, but even apart watching the really big show was a trip.
This year was particularly fun because we saw many of the nominated films and performances. Like most moviegoers, the moment we saw “Inglorious Basterd’s” Christoph Waltz and Mo’Nique’s performance in “Precious” we knew they would win the coveted gold statuette; sorry to the other nominees but both those actors left indelible marks on our psyches. Jeff Bridges was another sure thing for “Crazy Heart,” but the empty nesters secretly rooted for the dreamy George Clooney. He was fabulous in “Up in the Air” but his character was probably a little too close to the real George.
Then there was the Meryl/Sandra race. Sandra's performance in “The Blind Side” definitely had the mojo. She was terrific. But we had a soft spot for Meryl Streep in “Julia and Julia” and it really doesn’t seem right that she has not won an Oscar since 1982. The way her career is going now, she will hopefully have many more chances to step up on the Kodak stage.
Alec and Steve were charming and funny. Some jokes didn’t work true, but most were right on the mark. They made the most of their 20 minutes on stage and were very comfortable together. Looking at old clips of Baldwin you are reminded that he could have had Clooney’s career…what happened?
As for young Hollywood…Miley needs to work on her posture and Zac and Taylor need some of George’s charisma. Taylor Lautner is the hottest young actor around? Carey Mulligan was so classy and we look forward to watching her career take off.
Oprah Winfrey’s speech about Gabourey Sidibe was so moving. College girl gets nominated for an Oscar and then receives a tribute from Oprah. How wonderful for her.
But the night belonged to two women. Sandra Bullock gave one of the most gracious and moving acceptance speeches, a wonderful tribute to her late mother and her husband. She appears to be a successful actress who does it her way and truly appreciates all she has been given.
And how fitting that Barbra Streisand (who should have been nominated for “Yentl”) gave the best director award to Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker,” a tough, gritty film about the Iraq. It was exciting to see Oscar history in front of our eyes .
If one message came through loud and clear, it was to work hard and never to give up on your dreams. Congratulations to all the winners for jobs well done. Hopefully next year the empty nesters will be together once again on Hollywood’s big night.
