And now for the Oscars After-Party....

Last night's Oscars provided many "firsts" - from the record-setting number of nominees (and winners) of color, to a change in venue, a new sequence of awards announcements, and more. Before too many more critics weigh in on the outcome and make predictions for the future, I thought I would share some initial thoughts about Oscars 2021: The Pandemic-Influenced Ceremony.

THE LOCATION

For the first time, the Oscars main ceremony was held at Los Angeles' Union Station (US), an excellent choice in that US has served as a location site for many Hollywood movies. Even I have a Union Station memory, as I recall walking through its cavernous space as a 10-year-old when I visited California with my parents. We had spent several days in San Francisco, after taking the California Zephyr train from Chicago to the Bay Area. There was a bus strike going on, so we took the train from SF-to-LA to spend time with friends. The train ran late, but I clearly remember the magical walk through the train station to greet our friends, patiently waiting for our arrival.

Moving the Oscars to Union Station from the long-used Dolby Theater provided an opportunity to shift the whole look and feel of the nominees in attendance. Since fewer people were admitted to the space and social distancing was clearly practiced, television viewers saw a more relaxed group of nominees, able to sit with their respective guests in what looked like a more comfortable, less frantic environment. The usual broadcast, which shows lots of stars and guests crammed into theater seats in their sometimes voluminous gowns, hot lights glaring, nervously waiting to see if their name is called, was replaced by a more visibly fun, celebratory environment.

Except for the smaller group size that was permitted at Union Station, compared to the Dolby Theater, I would highly recommend that AMPAS re-visit the Oscar ceremony venue post-pandemic. There is something to be said for creating a party atmosphere so successfully while maintaining the formality of the occasion, especially given the parameters of the Covid-19 era. And opening the Dolby to fans and some of the movie crew members was a nice touch!

THE AWARDS SEQUENCE

Utilizing a limited number of presenters (YES!) who often announced multiple awards (efficient use of time), the Oscars ceremony zipped right through the first hour, with six categories awarded. I was pumped, thinking the usually 3+ marathon might break a new record and come in at under three hours. My enthusiasm was pre-mature, as winners had been encouraged to tell stories and talk a bit about movies, so the speeches began to drag a bit (as did the intermittently lengthy introduction of nominees).

In addition, the sequence of award announcements was altered. The Oscars typically kicks off with the announcement of either Best Supporting Actor or Actress (alternating each year). This year, the writing awards came first, with the supporting actor/actress categories spaced out in different places. That was all fine and good, as most awards were packaged (re: Best Documentary Feature and Short were presented together, as were Animated Feature and Short).

But then, at about 9:45 pm (CT), Rita Moreno came out to announce Best Picture before Best Actress and Actor. Now I'm all for making changes and doing things differently, but the top prize at Oscar night is Best Picture, and moving its announcement prior to the two lead acting roles made the rest of the evening anti-climactic, especially when the two lead acting roles were upsets AND neither recipient offered much in the way of an inspiring speech. Best Actress McDormand simply said, "Thanks" and Best Actor Anthony Hopkins was not in attendance (though he did post an Instagram tribute to Chadwick Boseman after the ceremony).

I suspect that, given Boseman was a heavy favorite to take home the Best Actor award (he was also the last image we saw during the "In Memorium" segment), Oscar awards producers may have thought ending the evening with a heartfelt acceptance from Boseman's family (his wife has been eloquent throughout the awards season) would have packed an emotional wallop (along with a complementary win for Best Actress from Viola Davis). The promise of having all acting awards won by actors of color might have affected the sequencing decision, but - regardless of who wins - the eyes need to stay on the prize, and for Oscar, it's Best Picture.

IN MEMORIUM

Oscar's annual tribute to those who died during the past year has often been moving and emotional, utilizing touching songs from movies past and often sung by powerful vocalists like Jennifer Hudson. There is always a kind of jockeying for how to balance well-known actors with crew members (cinematographers, editors) whose contributions are note-worthy, but whose names and faces might not be as recognizable. Still, the chance to remember all those contributing artists can be a powerful moment.

This year, the tribute seemed rushed - you could barely read the name and see the image of the person before another popped up. In a year that saw the passing of giants like Cicely Tyson, Christopher Plummer, Cloris Leachman, and screenwriter Kurt Luedtke (Oscar-winner for Out of Africa), the segment was so fast-paced - the music completely undistinguished - that it almost felt like an afterthought, and came across (at least, to me), as almost disrespectful to the great artists we lost this past year. A rethinking of this segment in terms of who to include, how to pace it, and what kind of music should underscore this type of tribute is sorely needed.

TAKE-AWAY'S

There were some promising changes for future Oscar broadcasts from last night. First, moving the ceremony to a friendlier, more inclusive environment bodes well setting the tone for the future. Also, providing some context for the awards and the nominees was a good, if inconsistently utilized approach. For example, Laura Dern's comments about the Supporting Actor nominees felt genuine and personal, but Joaquin Phoenix's lack of commentary for the Best Actor resulted in a mere reading of the names (making Anthony Hopkins' upset victory and absence at the ceremony even more stark and left the awards to end with a somewhat underwhelming clunk). Let's tighten up the introductions, context and requirements around acceptance speeches and placement of original song nominees (nice to have them included in the pre-Oscar show). I'm hopeful we could see a more time-manageable ceremony going forward (re: under 3 hours).

For the first time - and because of the pandemic - I was able to attend Sir Elton John's Pediatric Aids Foundation party prior to the Oscar ceremony. Not that I think the virtually streamed experience is anything like the F2F party, but it was fun to hear Sir Elton, his husband David Furnish, and host Neil Patrick Harris exchange information about the work of EJ's Foundation, and to hear from celebs like Lady Gaga. For a $25 tax-deductible donation, fans had access to the livestreamed event, time arguably better spent than watching the Red Carpet noise on the E! network (Joan Rivers may have been controversial and a bit of a comedic dinosaur near the end of her life, but her knowledge of Hollywood - including her keen insider-industry savvy - always provided a bit of much-needed bite during the parade of designed-clad celebs). In any case, I may just have to throw over the Red Carpet for Sir Elton. We'll see what he offers next year.

If the Oscars showed anything this year, it's that diversity has begun to be integrated into the awards. More nominees of color took home Oscar gold than did so in any previous years, but I would be hesitant to say that #OscarsSoWhite is completely a thing of the past. It's a start, but we are nowhere near the finish. Evidence that work still needs to be done lies in the categories that yield recipients of color, notably in the lead actor/actress area where, this year, two actors of color appeared to be leading the race (the late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis, respectively). Davis' victory was up in the air, as lead actress recipients this year ranged from fellow nominees Andra Day (Golden Globe), Carey Mulligan (Critics Choice), and Frances McDormand (BAFTA) were each recognized by different groups. But Boseman was considered a "lock" for lead actor, so curious what happened between the SAG's and the OSCAR's to alter the vote.

As Best Supporting Actor Daniel Kaluuya said, "There's work still to be done." Echoing Kaluuya's sentiment was Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Tyler Perry, who asked the audience to "Refuse hate." And Best Director Chloe Zhao spoke about all the good that can come when people of different cultural backgrounds share their experiences and their ideas. What made many of these comments so powerful was their honesty and simplicity. No histrionics, just candor and a call to action. Like other aspects of American culture, the Oscars have work to do w/respect to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

On a different note, Frances McDormand's charge to the audience (@ Union Station and at home) to go see all the nominated films IN A THEATER when time and safety allow, was the best advice I heard - and reminds me to say again, that retaining a vibrant cinematic experience is important to the future and life of movies. May we always know that feeling of excitement and anticipation sitting (alone, but not) in a darkened theater - popcorn, candy and now maybe a glass of wine in hand - when the lights go down and the movie is about to begin.

My favorite moment last night occurred during the acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress. Winner Yuh-Jung Youn, the first Korean actress to win an Oscar, walked to the podium apparently looking to be congratulated by her presenter (and last year's Best Supporting Actor) Brad Pitt, but he had stepped aside so to create appropriate social distancing. "Mr. Pitt, it's nice to meet you...finally," she gushed, scanning the room until she caught his eye. The entire crowd at Union Station seemed to smile, to light up at her girlish delight seeing the well-known star (and one of the executive producers on her film, Minari). We (or, at least some of us) should all be so fortunate to gaze across a celebrity-filled room and connect with Brad Pitt.

Yes, Brad, we're (I'm) still mad for you, too.

Until next year w/the Oscars....

Meantime, more pop culture/film blogs coming soon.