I don't think social importance necessarily makes for a better movie, but let's think ahead 20 years and look back on traffic and gladiator.

Gladiator will be outdated in terms of the visual effects and be what it is at its core--a thin storyline supporting some wild visual effects. when the effects are dated, the story will seem even thinner. Not that this was a BAD movie by any means, I just didn't think it was all that.

Traffic will hold up to the test of time. Stylisticly, it will be marked as early 21st century. Structurally, the same. Story, the same. But it will still be powerful and not diluted by time as I believe Gladiator will.

when the Academy is looking for best picture-- it is not only looking for the best picture entertainment wise--but what will continue to be the best picture of that particular year? What will stand the test of time and not leave audiences wondering 20 years from now how the 2000 academy could have voted a certian way...

Again, all IMHO.

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Amy

Why's everyone knocking russell crowe? If he appeared akward then he was probably nervous as hell. If I was him I'd definitely knock steve martin out for that first comment. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

She looks okay. There are prettier girls though. I could only watch a little, had a bunch of homework to do. Did William Dafoe win best suporting actor?

Time for me to throw my opinion in and stir things up a bit http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif

I thought Julia Roberts embarassed herself with the speech. It reminded me of Sally Fields' "you like me, you really like me" speech. Her dress was okay, but it didn't move me too much.

Catherine Zeta Jones looked stunning. I find her to be 10 times more beautiful than Julia Roberts. And her dress was amazing - totally classy.

Renee Zellweger looked great too! I love yellow!

Bjork....what the hell were you thinking?

Yay for Steven Soderbergh - he used to live in Baton Rouge.

Honestly, ever since Titanic won best picture, I've taken the Oscars with a grain of salt. I'm also still not over the fact that Evita was shut out of so many of the main categories.

Benicio Del Toro won Best Supporting for "Traffic".

Anyways, I enjoyed Steve Martin as the MC last night. In recent years I haven't really cared much for Billy Crystal, so this year was the first year in a looong time that I watched it in almost its whole entirety. Steve Martin always cracks me up, and it's true...Russell Crowe always looks like he got something up his @$$. Awards show hosts need to poke fun at the people. I mean, how else are you going to be entertained for 3+ hours?

Julia Roberts looked absolutely beautiful last night. I knew she was going to win, and I thought her speech was awesome. I've always thought she was down to earth, and you could totally tell by her speech that she deserved to win.

Marcia Gay Hardin's win last night came by surprise. I've never seen "Pollock", but hey--obviously the Academy thought she was better than Kate Hudson.

On a final note...I didn't especially enjoy seeing Britney Spears' Pepsi commercial every hour on the hour (okay, so I'm exaggerating). However, I am suprised that she had that many clothes on. That little girl (Halle something) should've done that commercial.

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"Talk doesn't cook rice."--Someone smart

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See, now that's why the world is cool. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif We all have our opinions.

CZJ just doesn't do it for me. Yeah she's pretty but...eh.

I think Julia was geniune and real and just so flipping excited. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

Lil_G you are right-- I totally attributed Russell Crowe's mood up to nerves. Damn I would be nervous as hell. Julia's too. She couldn't stop grinning-- also nerves. Did you see Steven Soderbegh's face--completely stunned when they called his name. I loved that, it totally captured the experience.

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Amy

Okay - was Bjork's dress a real freaking dead swan? Like head and all? I couldn't see it all that well -- mainly because I was making fun of her sorry butt singing -- I can howl at the moon better than she can and no one's lining up to pay me big money -- of course I don't own a dead swan...or a dead anything for that matter...but I do have a couple in the pond here at work -- do you think a live one would give off the same impression?! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

Also - Julia -- love her...love her....love her. She is not "It's all about me" like today's people are -- ie, Jennifer "What do you mean that not everyone wants to be me" Aniston...Brittany-See-My-Boobies....or J-Ho -- she is genuine and very loving of the people that surround her. In fact, did you guys hear, that there was a guy that worked for one of the big popular Hollywood scene limo service -- he drove Julia somewhere, and was so impressed by how sweet and nice she was, that he sent her a rose to say "Thanks" for treating him like a real person (by the way this same service said that Whitney Houston is the absolute WORST to drive because she is just nasty to them and to the people that work for the company) anyway -- the limo company fired the guy for sending her that rose and Julia found out about it and got his job back. Now that is just the nicest thing - she didn't have to do that - he was nothing to her, but she did because that's what makes her "America's Sweetheart" (not my phrase - just what everyone calls her).

Anyway - I didn't get to see too much of the Oscars and I hate I missed all the commercials that everyone (including the morning show on the radio) were b%&*@#$g about. But I love Billy Crystal, and he is just Mr. Oscar for me -- when he did that opening several years ago, where he sang all the titles of the movies up for best picture, and came out pulling that big oscar singing "Mr. Saturday Night", I thought I'd die - it was so funny! I like Steve Martin too, but he just isn't Mr. Oscar.

I have not seen Gladiator, Traffic, or Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon (or whatever it is) -- I am a huge animal lover, so my brother said not to see Gladiator (yes I know they don't hurt the animals, but I still hate movies that show that stuff!). I don't want to sit through sub-titles with the other two either. I just worry that it would be a big waste of time -- but its helpful to hear what you guys think. So far on Traffic, people have either absolutely loved it or hated it, depending on who you ask.

And I don't know much about Russel Crowe (and just CANNOT see why Meg left Dennis for him) he is just not handsome or sexy at all to me. I think he acted all stuck up like this whole affair was beneath him. Oh well. Like the rest of you, I didn't get my oscar this year either...LOL http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif!

Hey--Traffic doesn't have subtitles, or many subtitles that is. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif Its an American film. Only a few scenes in the Mexico sequence have subtitles when the characters are speaking Spanish.

Ok, I'm bored at work, so I'm jumping in here...
- Russell Crowe: needs to lighten up (maybe he's still upset over Meg?), but I thought his speech was kind of cool..
-Bjork: WHAT THE HECK??? The animal rights folks should say something about her making fun of dead swans. Did she even LOOK in the mirror??
-Julia: Fake, fake, fake (sorry, Julia Fans, but she seemed like she was, *um* acting)
-Gladiator v. Traffic: While I enjoyed Gladiator, it struck me as Braveheart set in Roman times... Traffic was thought provoking, original, and definitely should have taken it.
-Steve Martin: I liked him. Plus it seemed like the last few years the host's part has been too drawn out; this year it seemed like they cut down time there, which is good.
-Best moment: the Tom Hanks kidnapping thing
-Funniest part of the whole thing: the Fox TV reporters on the pre-Oscar show with the altoids.. did anyone else see this? It was hilarious. They were asking the DUMBEST questions!! Sigourney Weaver walked away while they were still talking, and several other stars were looking at them like they were freaks. It was quite amusing!!!

Just my 2 cents http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

P.S. I somehow just made "senior member"... uh-oh, I think this means I should be doing less greekchat and more work, huh?? http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

Actually, I have a question about something:
Why was Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon nominated in both the Best Foreign Picture and Best Picture Categories? It seemed that the Academy should have picked one category or another for it to be in, but not both.

Because the movie was foreign, and outstanding, thus, the nod in that category. But as a movie internationally released and acclaimed, it was duely nominated in the best picture category as well. And it should have won in BOTH categories IMHO http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/mad.gif . It was definately better than Gladiator. Again, IMHO.

At the Golden Globes you cannot be nominated for best pic in two categories.

The Academy has no such distinction. However, I would doubt they Academy would ever give best pic to one film in both categories. When Crouching won Foriegn Film, it was a LOCK that it wouldn't win Best Pic.

Well didn't a year or two ago that one guy from Italy won in both?

No,
Life is Beautiful won the 1998 Oscar for Best Foreign Film and Best Actor.

Shakespeare in Love won Best Picture.

You cannot be nominated in both the Foreign and Best Pic categories under current Academy rules.

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Amy, your resident film geek.