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Editorial |
"Mirror" Alumni Get
Their Oscar Due |
March 2010 |
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Former "Mirror" co-stars Jeff Bridges and Lauren Bacall accept
their long overdue Oscars. |
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(March 7) -
At the Academy Awards
this evening, two familiar faces were honored. Two of
Barbra Streisand's co-stars in "The Mirror Has Two
Faces" were each Oscar winners.
Jeff Bridges was awarded
"Best Actor" for his role in "Crazy Heart." This was his first Oscar
win out of a career total of five nominations.
Lauren Bacall, the legendary actress whose only previous brush
with Oscar glory came when she was nominated for
her role in "Mirror," received an honorary Oscar
this year. She collected her
award at a non-televised ceremony this past September
(above). She was invited back to attend the big event this evening and
received one of the biggest standing ovation's of the night.
It was regrettable that the Academy Award show producers chose not to
present Bacall with her Oscar during the live worldwide telecast.
Bacall is one of the few remaining stars of a truly golden age of
Hollywood, and her contributions to the industry are immeasurable. So
why not devote five minutes or so to a formal tribute, complete with
film clips and testimonials? It would have added much needed glamour
to the proceedings, and it would have demonstrated the Academy's
recognition of its own history.
While there's nothing wrong when the Academy chooses to spotlight
cinema's younger crop of talent (Zac Efron, Taylor Lautner, but
seriously, Miley Cyrus?), a moment of proper homage to a real
Hollywood star would have been appropriate. If the producers were
concerned about time, there were lots of segments they could have
omitted: that tedious dance routine to honor the nominated scores,
Neil Patrick Harris's opening number (be thankful, Cablevision
subscribers, that ABC didn't let you see that that gem), or perhaps
Ben Stiller's ridiculous "Avatar" routine. Take your pick.
Ms. Bacall's Oscar presentation should have been a really big deal and
it wasn't. She deserved better.. |
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