First of all, I love Anne Hathaway and James Franco. Really I do. Both are extremely talented actors with extensive acting ranges. Hosting talents? Not so much. I love historic events, and this year marked the first time in the Academy's history that a male/female duo hosted the show together. Pretty cool right? However, if you watched this year's Academy Awards and thought that the young actors did a good job, I apologize. Mostly for your questionable taste. I would go as far as to say that Anne did an o.k job. She tried really hard, and really looked like she wanted to be there. At times it came across as a bit desperate and awkward, but she gave it her all. Franco? Half of the time he looked like he barely wanted to be there as he stumbled awkwardly through his lines. When Billy Crystal came onstage, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Most likely out of desperation for him to stay there.
I am pleased that this year, the Academy brought back the live performances of the Best Original Song category. However, they cut them so short that the segment seems a little abrupt and out of place. Also, where was Corey Haim in the tribute to those we lost this year? Granted he wasn't exactly an Academy Award winning actor, but to include publicists and not him seemed a little odd and insensitive.
All the winners were entirely predictable. This was not the year of the upset by any means. I love the Academy Awards. To me, it is my Superbowl. This year, however, did not meet my expectations. The ratings seemed to reflect my feelings. According to Nielsen, this year's telecast was down 10 percent. Next year, bring back Billy.
