04/01/2001
By Chris Vognar / The Dallas Morning News
LOS ANGELES – Notes, quotes and anecdotes from the Academy Awards, which you won't have to think about again for another 10 months or so.
I come from a small town
Well, not exactly. But the "humble origins'' theme was popular for this year's acceptance speeches, providing a dab of pathos for those in need.
"If you grow up in the suburbs of anywhere, a dream like this seems kind of vaguely ludicrous and completely unattainable,'' said Russell Crowe, looking back on his early years on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, as he accepted his best-actor prize for Gladiator. "This moment is directly connected to those childhood imaginings. And for anybody who's on the downside of advantage, and relying purely on courage, it's possible.''
Where exactly are "the suburbs of anywhere?'' Trophy Club, perhaps? Pacific Palisades? You won't find a high percentage of disadvantaged folk in these spots. Meanwhile, Marcia Gay Harden, best supporting actress winner for her work in Pollock, reminisced over a timeless staple profession for actors-in-training: the glory of waiting tables.
"You know, I swore that if I ever won an Oscar, that I would say thank you to all the waiters and waitresses who used to cover my shift for me so I could run downtown on the subway and audition,'' said Harden of her early New York theater days. "I wish I'd said something to the waiters.''
No word on whether she had to commute from the suburbs.
Big and small
Most Oscar aftermaths leave us with an industry trend or two, at least a few tea leaves to read and figure out what kind of mood those elusive academy members have been in. One of the most popular games of recent years: Is Oscar going for big, traditional Hollywood fare, or is he making an effort to keep up with smaller, artistic work?
But this year the answers are inconclusive.
The Hollywood contingent need point no further than Gladiator, the mega-budget best-picture winner. It's a fresco, not a miniature. And the top acting winners, Russell Crowe of Gladiator and Julia (''I love the world!'') Roberts, are about as big as stars get. So chalk up a victory for the giants.
Just save some room in the trophy case for the little guys. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – a small film (and a foreign film) regardless of how much loot it's making – picked up four awards out of 10 nominations. Best supporting actress Harden earned her victory with the modestly sized Pollock, and best director Steven Soderbergh won for Traffic, a movie that has the guts and brains of a smaller, more personal piece of work within the scope of an epic.
Yes, you'll have a hard time convincing many serious movie watchers that Gladiator was the movie of the year. Before long, it will be drawing comparisons to How Green Was My Valley (which topped Citizen Kane in 1941) and Dances With Wolves (the victor over GoodFellas in 1990). But with a modest five victories out of 12 nominations – still the tops in a very competitive contest – the swords and sandals couldn't quite hog the glory.
The moral of the story: There may yet be hope.
Take a number
Covering the Academy Awards is not entirely unlike visiting the Department of Motor Vehicles. Although the DMV gets the edge for those extra personal touches.
Media members are listed in a computer system by driver's license number. Once your identity is confirmed, photos are taken and you get a little badge. Come awards night, this badge entitles you to sit in a tent located in the same area code of the show, where you are again assigned a number for the cattle-call news conferences that follow the announcement of each winner.
Some of the stars found the arrangement amusing.
"No. 5, your meal is ready,'' cracked Russell Crowe as a lucky placard holder was chosen to ask a question. "I think it's the medium T-bone steak, sir.''
Julia Roberts, happy enough to find the mirth in any situation, imagined herself at an auction. "Seventy-three, going once,'' she exclaimed. "This is the weirdest auction of all, which is like I'm auctioning off this'' – she held up her Oscar – "which would just be so wrong.''
Don't worry, Julia. It's all yours.
Fun in the sun
Then there were the anti-Oscars, a movie awards ceremony where you didn't have to wear a tux or gown, where you could soak in some rays and see the stars at their most relaxed
The Independent Spirit Awards, in their usual home in a tent compound on the Santa Monica Beach, seem to get more casual every year. Perhaps most important, it's where you realize that stars are just like the rest of us: They need to use the bathroom.
Yes, the port-a-potties were prime celeb spotting ground at the Spirits, where the high and mighty mingle with the plain ol' weak of bladder. Isn't that Geoffrey Rush in the men's room line? Man, Javier Bardem is looking sharp. And there's Jennifer Connelly chatting with Hilary Swank. (Fill in bathroom gender joke here.)
Why bother with the red carpets? Who needs to wish We were just like Them? No more, thanks to the great human equalizer known as biology.
