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It's Oscar Time Again

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 20, 2008

So the Academy Awards will arrive as scheduled on ABC Sunday night. "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart returns at the helm. The red carpets will be rolled out. The actors will be glammed-up. The fashion police will be on alert. Cue the music. Let the pomp begin.

This spectacle of the show itself is reason most couch spuds watch. Raise your hand if you have seen all of this year's nominees for best picture. You are excused from the rest of this column.
Each year the movie-going audience dwindles. And this year's 80th Oscar nominees do not include top box office draws like "Spider-Man 3, "Shrek the Third," "Transformers" or "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."

Nearly three times as many people saw "Alvin and the Chipmunks" than saw best picture contender, "No Country for Old Men." The other contender, "There Will Be Blood," ranked 83 out of the top 100 films of 2007. The most financially successful nominee is the teen morality charmer "Juno," a sleeper at $125 million.

In a year of disturbing and violent films, "Juno" is the "Little Miss Sunshine" or "Sideways" kind of entry. The rest, "Blood,"' "No Country," "Atonement," and "Michael Clayton," have plots driven by murder, betrayal and paranoia.

This is not unusual considering that we live in the shadow of terrorism, mistrust of government and fear that the American Dream is getting out of reach.

But we don't ponder the significance of the nominees while watching Oscar ceremonies. If we did, we might have to ponder what "Blades of Glory," "Superbad" or "Knocked Up" says about our culture. And that would just make your head hurt. On Oscar night we just want to see stars.

We tolerate acceptance speeches from the unknown and unglamorous people who win for things like art direction or film editing just to see Johnny Depp or George Clooney.

We sit through predictable jokes from presenters, because the presenters are often more buzz worthy than the nominees. Among them this year: Miley Cyrus, Patrick Dempsey, Cameron Diaz, Colin Farrell, Harrison Ford, Jennifer Garner, Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway and Katherine Heigl.

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654 or wbelcher@tampatrib.com.

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