Tuesday, March 28, 2006

The Disturbed in Hollywood

I have a few thoughts on the Oscars before it disappears completely in the rearview mirrow.

First, we watched Capote last night and I completely understand why Philip Seymour Hoffman won. Hoffman didn't win for having a lisp or acting flamboyantly. For Hoffman, it was just the opposite – he played the subtle nuances that led you to the conclusion by the end of the movie that Truman Capote may have been more deeply disturbed than the two vicious killers he was researching.

Of course it also helped that he played an eccentric person from real life. Filmsite.org says,
Biographies of remarkable, real-life individuals (military figures or soldiers, law-and-order enforcers, historical figures) and portrayals of the mentally ill are heavily represented among male Oscar winners, particularly in the acting awards. It helps an actor's chances of winning an Oscar if the character dies a tragic death during the movie, or is slightly eccentric (or genius). An overwhelming number of actors have won the top acting (and supporting) awards for portraying characters with physical or mental disabilities or diseases (handicaps, tics, etc.).
There's more interesting analysis and trivia about the best actor award here.

Oh, and just in case you've been swept off your feet by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, here's a short aricle by Ben Stein to snap you back to reality. It's worth a quick read.

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