Oscar's Review

Oscar’s Perpetuate Country’s Mood
By Jessica Maas

Preceding his fourth presentation at the 81st Annual Academy Awards, Will Smith accurately summed up the presence of the show’s supposed host when he joked that “I think Hugh is napping.” The problem is, it could’ve been true. Hugh Jackman was mysteriously absent for much of the night, and it couldn’t have been because the rest of the show stood strongly on its own. The Oscar’s fell flat on Sunday; the result of an absent host, awkward presentations, and bad jokes and lulls that created a depressing mood, mirroring that of the country.

Jackman spent few extended moments on stage, causing his presence to seem more of a formality than anything else. When he did hang out for longer, he had the bad habit of dampening the atmosphere. Early into his opening he mentioned the recession, a fact no one wants to be reminded of, but he seemed to redeem himself with the song he sang about last year’s movies, which included “Frost/Nixon,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” and a surprise Anne Hathaway visit at the end that prompted laughs. Jackman managed to bring the mood back down, though, by mentioning the recession again and then awkwardly sitting in Frank Langella’s lap. He was just as uncomfortable near the end of the night, when he noted that Sid Ganis, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is stepping down and then said that “as a gift to all of us he has agreed not to make a speech,” which elicited uneasy looks among audience members.

Few of the presenters who joined Jackman on stage had much charisma, either. Bill Marr’s joke about his own film not receiving a nomination sounded bitter and Jessica Biel, who wasn’t on the big screen all year and has never even been nominated for a major award, looked insignificant and out of place among the big stars. Jack Black and Jennifer Aniston made for an awkward pairing, and though Black was meant to be funny when he answered Aniston’s question of “Did you watch any movie this year you weren’t in?” with “No. But then, neither did most people,” it instead served to perpetuate the dismal mood. Will Smith and Reese Witherspoon were the bright spots among the presenters with their comfortable presences and easy jokes; Witherspoon had a particularly amusing jab at Ben Stiller for not coming out of his trailer when on set.

Other off moments included the curtain failing to open for a video at the beginning of the night, Jackman having to tell the music to stop playing, and a standstill in entertainment that began with presenters Daniel Craig and Sarah Jessica Parker, who didn’t even attempt to be funny. The use of five former award recipients to present each of the acting awards was innovative, though, and allowed each nominee their own presenter and feeling of individuality when being spoken of. Beyonce and Queen Latifah’s performances each resonated as well, but the few enjoyable parts of the night weren’t enough to lift the Oscar’s – in entertainment or mood.