Highlights, sidelights and record-setters at the Oscars

STREEP. Well-deserved triumph.

Like many film buffs, we woke up early last Feb. 27 after a dinner party that ended at midnight. It was Academy Awards viewing day, and we simply had to see it through from beginning to end, because we had an empathetic stake in the tilt’s Best Actress race: We were shocked to learn that, despite her having been nominated for an Oscar a record 17 times in the course of her iconic career, Meryl Streep had won only two awards—Best Supporting Actress for “Kramer vs Kramer” and Best Actress for “Sophie’s Choice.”

It was terribly unfair, so we felt obliged to use all of our empathetic psychic “power” to make the Academy’s 5,000 voters do the right thing this time and award the magnificent Meryl her second Best Actress Oscar for her spot-on personification of Margaret Thatcher—her first such honor since 1982!

Power of persuasion

Of course, we really had no such power of persuasion over the US Film Academy, but it was definitely less frustrating than empathetically taking it on the chin again for our much-snubbed muse.

CRYSTAL. Wit and panache.

Since the Best Actress category’s winner would be announced toward the end of the three-hour awards show, we first had to put up with “appetizers” before we got to Meryl’s moment of truth.

Happily, the first offering was a treat: Billy Crystal’s comeback as Oscar rites host. He led off with his signature singing tribute and spoof of the year’s Best Picture nominees, which he pulled off with wit and panache.

The first few awards went to Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” making some viewers wonder if the production could pull off an upset and grab top honors from the “predicted” winner, “The Artist.” Later, of course, that prospect turned out to be a pipe’s dream, as the silent movie romped off, not just with the Best Picture trophy, but also the year’s key awards for Best Director, Actor, etc.

Another favorable impression was made by the fact that most of the show’s acceptance speeches were short and sweet. Only the European winners tended to milk the occasion for all of the media mileage it had to offer—possibly out of a (legitimate) fear that this would be the first and last time that they would ever get to irritate viewers with their excessive verbal fuss and bother.

PLUMMER. Declared Best Supporting Actor for “Beginners.”

Oldest awardee

Other highlights and sidelights: Christopher Plummer entered the record books: At 82 years old, he’s now the oldest living Oscar awardee (Best Supporting Actor for “Beginners”).

And, most movingly, former fresh-faced Hollywood star, Dolores Hart, made a big, unexpected comeback—as an old nun! Mature movie fans will remember that Hart was a popular star for only a few years, and chose to give up all that fame and fortune to pursue her religious calling.

Now, decades later, Hart reappeared because one of her order’s missions was featured in a Best Docu nominee—and all of Hollywood took her to its collective heart again!