O! the Oscars

[morgan_dhu]

Well, it was an interesting night.

By the time the show started, I was more than a little amused at Heath Ledger's repeated panegyrics to his WIFE and their NEW BABY, just in case anyone thought that just because he played a GAY COWBOY in THAT MOVIE there might be something a little off about his MANLINESS. I mean, really, every time I saw an entertainment reporter ask him what he thought about his experiences doing the movie, he didn't seem to think of much to say about the acting process, just how wonderful it was that he has a WIFE and a NEW BABY. OK, Heath, I hear you, you're an actor, not a gay cowboy.

And then there was Reese. Lovely acceptance speech, Reese. Would you mind telling us what was on your mind when you kept repeating the words REAL WOMAN over and over again?

I want to say thank you to so many people who helped me create this role. Everyone at Fox, Cathy Konrad, James Keach, for producing the film. A very special thank you to Jim Mangold who directed the film and also wrote this character. Who is a real woman. Who has dignity and honor, and fear, and courage, and she's a real woman.

Right, Reese, your character was a real woman. That's not unusual in a biopic, Reese, you didn't have to shout it from the rooftops. Oh, what's that, it's not just your character that's a real woman, you are too?

And I want to say that my grandmother was one of the biggest inspirations in my life. She taught me how to be a real woman, to have strength and self respect, and to never give those things away. And those are a lot of qualities I saw in June Carter.

Reese, dear, if you keep on making a fuss about real women, someone might think that you're trying to make some kind of point. And we know you weren't trying to do that, now, were you?

Thanks for being so open about yourself, Reese. By the way, I'm really looking forward to seeing Transamerica.

Comments

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

Our local paper had an "Oscars BINGO card" for people to play to avoid boredom. It had squares to mark for times that Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall tried to prove they were Real Men and Felicity Huffman tried to prove she was a Real Woman.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

One thing I have noticed about people who play gender-bending roles and the Oscars: Women who have played trans or very butch roles tend to show up at the Oscars with dresses that really emphasise their breasts. Men who have played trans, queer, or femme roles spend a lot of time talking about their wives, girlfriends or cildren.

I was actually delightfully pleased that Philip Seymour Hoffman has not, as far as I know, been going on and on about his manliness after playing the extraordinarily flamboyant Truman Capote. I've always liked Hoffman, and now I have another reason to do so.

[hawkeye7.livejournal.com]

he didn't seem to think of much to say about the acting process, just how wonderful it was that he has a WIFE and a NEW BABY

Of course, the irony here is that the character he played was also married with children -- and his wife looked a LOT like Heath's.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

I hadn't actually seen any of the major Oscar nominated movies Sunday night - my disabilities don't permit me to attend movies in theatres anymore - so I didn't know which actor played the character with the family.

That does make the whole oddness of his comments even more ironic.

[hawkeye7.livejournal.com]

To be more precise then, Heath Ledger's wife in the movie is played by Michelle Williams (from Dawson's Creek) who is also his real-life wife (they met making the movie).

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the clarification.

Now that is way too funny. I had gathered that he'd met her during the shooting of the film, because he kept saying how she was the best, most wonderful thing that happened to him during the shooting of the film, but...

You'd think one of them might be capable of saying something about the meaning of the film, the lessons suggested by the experience of their characters, etc. I wouldn't mind some gushing - they're in love, they have a new baby, that's obviously an important personal event, but the Academy Awards is like a huge trade fair, they're present in the professional capacities, they could say something about the job they did too. That's all I ask.

I thought Philip Seymour Hoffman carried off the straight actor plays gay character, talks about the process of acting and meaning of the film a lot better in his interviews.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Ahahahaha! I didn't see it because I was out at the concert, but ugh, could what she's trying to do here be more obvious?

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Many people are assuring me that all this fuss about real women was just Witherspoon's way of showing how exciting it was to play a multi-dimensional character rather than a bimbo. Or that she was making some kind of comment about Hollywood excesses in makeup, fashion and plastic surgery.

I'm not buying it, though. Maybe she wasn't fully aware of how what she was saying sounded, but... she really should have been.

[singing]It's my LJ and I'll rant if I want to, about what I want to, whenever I want to, you would rant too, if you thought like I do...[/singing]

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Your analysis sounds spot on to me.

Sing it, hon! (-;