George Clooney picked up the first big Oscar, not to mention enough screen time to be named honorary co-host, as the 78th Academy Awards spread the gold among a wide array of films.
Clooney, a Hollywood and critical favorite for speaking out politically and backing intriguing projects, won the best supporting actor award as a fading CIA agent in “Syriana.” He also was nominated as best director and best original screenplay for “Good Night, and Good Luck,” which he co-wrote with Grant Heslov. Given the predicted landslide of votes for Ang Lee’s direction of “Brokeback Mountain,” the always game Clooney had to joke: “OK, so I’m not winning ‘best director.”‘
Clooney’s acceptance speech echoed host Jon Stewart’s edgy monologue on the constant harping that the Left Coast’s values have drifted from mainstream America. Clooney said he was honored to be part of a Hollywood activist tradition that gave black actress Hattie McDaniel an award for “Gone With the Wind” at a time when African-
Americans were relegated to the back seats of theaters. “I’m proud to be out of touch,” Clooney shouted as he strode off.
Rachel Weisz emerged from a series of I-think-I-know-her roles to win best supporting actress for “The Constant Gardener.” The British actress, seen by wider audiences in “The Mummy,” played a troubled beauty who uses her looks to fight drug-company corruption in impoverished Africa. Some critics thought Weisz, with her extensive and powerful screen time in “The Constant Gardener,” could have qualified in the best actress category.
Frenchmen dressed like penguins – wait, all the men were dressed like penguins – waddled onstage to accept the best documentary Oscar for “March of the Penguins.” The beloved drama of the emperor penguins’ life cycle shattered records for documentary box office.
An Oscar and a fresh wedge of Wensleydale went to “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” for best animated feature. The claymation duo earned co-directors Nick Park and Steve Box their award, after Park won previous Oscars for shorts involving the cheese-obsessed man and his dog.
Hollywood’s failure to deliver a blockbuster with crowd-pleasing soul played out among the technical and visual categories, in the past dominated by all-around favorites like “Lord of the Rings.” This year, the statues were spread among “Memoirs of a Geisha” for costume design, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” for makeup, and “King Kong” for visual effects.
“Geisha,” an adaptation of a best-selling novel, was a rare multiple winner, also winning for art direction.
“Brokeback Mountain” won for best score, before the last of the major awards were presented. The movie long had led the Oscar pack even before its season-high eight nominations were announced in January. Critics had buzzed about the gay romantic tragedy since it first appeared at film festivals late in the summer, and the movie about two cowboys in Wyoming nearly swept the winter awards circuit.
But “Brokeback” also invited skepticism precisely because of its front-runner status, and a second wave of support for the painful racial clashes of “Crash” once that best picture nominee came out on DVD. Critics were more divided about “Crash” on its opening than they were about “Brokeback,” but the movie’s L.A. themes resonated with bloggers and West Coast entertainers who make up a good portion of academy voters.
Ang Lee’s status as favorite for the directing Oscar was less in doubt. An unassuming man who brought “Brokeback” to November’s Starz Denver International Film Festival, Lee is admired for his versatility. He has helmed such notable movies as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “The Ice Storm” and “Sense and Sensibility,” and even a bomb like “The Hulk” was considered an intriguing failure.
This year’s documentaries drew strong interest. Besides the penguins, voters considered “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” as the trial of the company’s honchos ramped up. “Murderball,” about the lives of quadriplegic athletes playing a brutal form of wheelchair rugby, was another strong entry.
Director Robert Altman received a lifetime achievement Oscar during the ceremonies, though after five past nominations he still may be a good bet to win a directing Oscar outright. The creative force behind gems such as “The Player,” “Short Cuts,” “Gosford Park” and “M*A*S*H,” Altman always has crafted challenging films outside the mainstream.
Stewart had fun at the expense of any number of targets, from the high-profile cowboys of “Brokeback” to the vice president.
Poking fun at Hollywood’s overwhelmingly Democratic check-writing machine, Stewart welcomed the academy members to the auditorium: “It’s the first time many of you have voted for a winner.”
Staff writer Michael Booth can be reached at 303-820-1686 or mbooth@denverpost.com.
