After being tuned into CNN for most of my spring break, I was eagerly awaiting the Annual glitz of the Academy Awards. You cannot blame me for some respite from the insanely depressing war coverage, and being the die-hard movie-buff that I am, I preferred to tune out from CNN, into ABC’s coverage of the 75^th Oscar show. I missed the red-carpet coverage, which was reduced this year to a peek from afar without much chutzpah. Well, the awards show more than made up for it. At exactly three and half hours, it was an entertaining evening, with its share of gulps, gasps, standing ovations and lusty cheers.

Steve Martin’s “We’ve cut down the red-carpet this year. That’ll send them a message” broke the ice and started the ceremony on a relieved note. The funnyman went on with his much-appreciated humor which included digs at Jack, Kathy Bates (Well, Jack’s had a good year, he was in a hot tub with Kathy Bates. But then, who hasn’t?), the gorgeous Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman, and even a great looking Julie Andrews. Of course, not all of his jokes went down well with the recipients of his digs. The camera caught a pissed off Ben Affleck with “whatever” written all over his face when Martin made a dig about Affleck’s girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. Frankly, she deserved the dig for what she wore. Why does she try hard to look God-awful, when she does have such good looks, only she can tell. Not that it mattered in anyway, on an evening where the some of the best talent in Hollywood came together for their annual big night. You’ll find a complete list of winners at the end of this article, but let’s now cut to some big moments that will remain etched in memory for some time to come…

The Gasps

 It was his moment. He made sure of it, and what a moment it was! Adrian Brody who let out an unbelieving gasp when his name was announced by Halle Berry, as the Best Actor of the year, was the surprise win of the show, what with every pre-Oscar prediction list making it a race between Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day Lewis. If you caught the expression on Jack Nicholson’s face (on the screen montage with all the nominees reacting when the winner was announced), you’ll know what am talking about. Of course, Jack is a fantastic actor, a gracious nominee (hate to call him a loser), and was my personal favorite to win the Oscar, but Adrain Brody just pulled the rug from underneath everyone’s feet by winning the first big upset Oscar of the evening. And from then on, for the next minute and a half, it was sheer Oscar history. If it was Halle Berry’s moment last year, this year Brody was the man of the moment. Surprising Berry with a smooch that was great in it’s first take (and a spontaneous “I bet they didn’t tell you it was in your gift bag”), he rendered a touching acceptance speech, with his proud mother right there in the front row, shedding tears of happiness and obvious pride. Becoming the youngest actor to win this award (he ties with Richard Dreyfuss), Brody stole the show. At the end of 30-seconds in his acceptance speech, when Bill Conti started the music (signaling that it was time to leave), Brody waved him off confidently and went on to talk about how his experience of making The Pianist made him aware of the dehumanization of war. In a voice cracking with emotion and barely holding back his tears, he said, “God, Allah, whoever you believe in, may watch over you.” At the end of his speech, where he said he hoped for a peaceful resolution to the current war and a quick return home for a friend serving in Kuwait, he brought the entire audience up on its feet, applauding this young powerhouse of talent. When the nominees were announced earlier this year, he was the only nominee in the best actor category who didn’t have an Oscar. Last night changed all that. Forever.

The Shock

 “Roman Polanski,” said Harrison Ford, delivering the second big shock of the evening. Announcing the Best Director, Ford had to wait for a standing ovation to calm down, before saying that the Academy accepts the award on Polanski’s behalf. Well, nobody expected Polanski to win, what with a charge of rape of a minor way back in the seventies that had kept him away from this country. Upsetting sentimental favorite Martin Scorsese and the DGA winner Rob Marshall (again, the two front runners in every pre-Oscar list), Polanski proved that this was Hollywood, and anything was possible. To be fair, his name did not pop up on any pre-Oscar list because everyone thought that he wouldn’t be considered purely because of the charge, and not because The Pianist was any lesser film. Well, the BAFTA honored him with Best Director weeks ago, and so did the French Academy. Hollywood chose to forgive him and acknowledge his talent, and in the process left everyone surprised. Martin Scorsese led the standing ovation when Polanski’s name was announced. From one great talent to another. The question on everyone’s mind was, will Scorsese ever win an Oscar? Gangs of New York got a terrible snub by not winning in any of the 10 categories it was nominated in and in the process left everyone surprised.

The King of Kings 

“Do you think I am just any man, Ali?” Peter O’ Toole, playing Lawrence of Arabia taunts Omar Sharif’s Sherif Ali in David Lean’s magnificent epic. When the scene was played in a tribute to the great actor on the 75^th Oscar night, it was as if he was taunting the Academy. Nominated 7 times (without winning it ever), Peter O’ Toole was finally acknowledged with a lifetime honorary Oscar. Meryl Streep, looking ravishing as ever, presented this award to him, by briefly taking us through some of his best roles. And when the king (O’ Toole played King Henry in two of his Oscar nominated roles, in Beckett and The Lion in Winter) himself came up to receive his Oscar, he quipped, “Always a bridesmaid and never a bride, my foot! Now I have my Oscar with me till death do us part.” In an elegant speech thanking the Academy and reminiscing about how good this country had been to him, he proved beyond doubt that when it came to class, they don’t make them like that anymore.

The Lusty Cheers

 It was Chicago, all the way. Right from the technical awards for costume, art direction, editing and sound, to the big one for Best Supporting Actress Catherine Zeta Jones and the biggest of them all, Best Picture, Chicago steamrolled its way to a near-sweep. An over eight-months pregnant Catherine Zeta Jones and the voluptuous Queen Latifah performed the nominated original song from Chicago, to loud cheers, earlier in the evening, setting the tone for the final triumph when Kirk Douglas and Michael Douglas announced the last award for the evening, the Best Picture, after a rather funny staged repartee. It was a good choice, what with the Douglas family expecting a baby soon from a winner from the film. To be fair, though Chicago was expected to win and was on every pre-Oscar prediction, the way things were going for The Pianist (Best Actor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay), it wouldn’t have been a total surprise if Chicago was upset in a win for The Pianist. But the Academy chose to go with the mood, and Chicago was the mood, in a big way. I was rooting for this smash musical too, which became the first musical to win the Best Picture since Oliver in 1968.

Some Other Cheers

 Nicole Kidman, winning by a nose (by now, the most clichéd reference to her win, which even Denzel Washington who announced the award couldn’t resist), gave another touching acceptance speech, for her Best Actress win. “I’ve always wanted to make my mother proud, and now, I also want to make my daughter proud, both of who are here today,” she said, before adding, “Why does one come here in a time of such turmoil? Because art is important, and we have to honor it.” Clearly the media favorite for the last few months, hers was a predictable win, yet clearly touching the right chords in a very restrained and polished (though emotional) speech.

 Now for my own little grouse. I was hoping Julianne Moore would win this award for her heartbreaking performance in Far From Heaven. The Globes, the SAG and the Academy have chosen to ignore what´s perhaps the best performance by any actor (male or female) in 2002, Moore’s Cathy Whitaker in Far From Heaven. Nicole Kidman is my personal favorite as an actress, but her performance in The Hours was hugely successful because of Hare´s and Cunningham´s fantastic lines. Moore didn´t have any outburst scenes or fancy lines, yet she was devastating in her performance. And the irony of it: she won more than 90% of all critics awards and the IFP spirit, only to get snubbed at the most prestigious awards. She has 4 nominations now (Boogie nights, The End of the Affair, The Hours and Far From Heaven), and I guess, her time will come. Rene Zellweger, fresh from her SAG win and riding the Chicago wave, sat extremely tensed as Denzel Washington announced the best actress nominations. Not a pretty sight for a gorgeous actress. She should learn to loosen up!

Oh yes, the War

References to the war came in all forms: from restrained to emotional to classy to downright boorish. Chris Cooper was the first winner to acknowledge the present situation, with a teary eyed “Let there be peace.” That was restrained and emotional. Y Tu Mama Tambien’s Gael Garcia Bernal, made a fantastic remark introducing Frida’s nomination for the best original song, by saying, “The necessity for peace is not a dream, it is a reality…if Frida were alive, she would been on our side, against the war,” drawing loud cheers. This was emotional and classy. And then came Michael Moore. Reprising his speech that he made just the previous day at the IFP spirit awards, he ranted on, “we live in a fictitious time, led by a fictitious president, going to a fictitious war….shame on you Mr. Bush…when you have the Pope and the Dixie chicks against you, you know your time has come.” This was emotional, but also downright boorish. Well, he made his point, but could have done it more subtly. And exactly repeating his speech of the previous day? Nah, not done. So, though he was cheered in the beginning, he was lustily booed towards the end. He seemed to have regained his composure at the backstage meet-the-press session, but he did embarrass himself, no doubt. Steve Martin, with his spontaneous “The teamsters are helping Michael Moore into the trunk of his limo,” again saved the day and broke the ice.

Here’s a complete list of winners:

Best Picture:          Chicago
Best Director:         Roman Polanski
Best Actress:          Nicole Kidman
Best Actor:             Adrien Brody
Best Supporting Actress: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Best Supporting Actor:     Chris Cooper
Best Original Screenplay:  Talk to Her
Best Adapted Screenplay:  The Pianist
Best Animated Feature:      Spirited Away
Best Art Direction:             Chicago
Best Cinematography:         Conrad L. Hall, Road to Perdition
Best Costume Design:         Chicago
Best Documentary Feature:  Bowling for Columbine
Best Documentary Short:     Twin Towers
Best Film Editing:                  Chicago
Best Foreign Language Film:  Nowhere in Africa
Best Make Up:                         Frida
Best Original Score:                 Elliot Goldenthal, Frida
Best Original Song:                  Eminem - Lose Yourself
Best Short Animation:              The ChubChubbs
Best Short Live Action:            This Charming Man
Best Sound:                               Chicago
Best Sound Editing:                  Lord of the Rings: Two Towers
Best Visual Effects:                  Lord of the Rings: Two Towers