hey, there's lot's of screwed up actors/actress, but I just think Mickey is true to his own, & they didn't like it, like sweepin the dirt up & not wanting to see his unique ability still. yes, he had trouble, but why are letting other actors/actress that had trouble in their lifetime & get away with it? he's a very true talkin guy, at least he has the BALLS to admit his past & jeez, I know he wants to just move foward in life, he's like anyone else.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

i don't have any feelings on this rourke thing but i sometimes feel like actors get too much praise for biopics. imitating a person who actually existed seems like half the work is done for you-- you have mannerisms, a complete backstory, etc. remember when there was actually "oscar buzz" for jim carrey in man on the moon? gag me with a distended rectum. that being said yeah sean penn was terrific in that movie and probably deserved it (but then again i haven't gotten around to seeing the wrestler yet, or benjamin button...never will in that case)

i know it's kind of hack but i like that ledger won. i didn't even like dark knight as much as other comic book nerd type people, but ledger was ridiculously good in that movie. if he'd played the same character sans makeup and purple suit in a regular detective movie, there wouldn't even be any doubt he'd win for it. the only thing that had it up in the air for me was the fact he was playing the freaking joker, and could the academy look past that? yes, apparently so. :)

Well the reason I am not completely bowled over by Rourke's performance is because, well, the Wrestler is not much more than him acting out his own personal comeback onscreen. He himself is the Wrestler, so how impressive is that really? No more impressive than someone acting as the lead in a biopic. He did good, but did he do Oscar good? *shrug*

Pay me a cool several mil and I can crank you out a performance in a part that was written for me that eerily resembles my own life.

And there are plenty of films out there where one man has carried the entire thing. Rourke isn't the first and he most definitely won't be the last...

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

The only one of the best actor performances I saw was Richard Jenkins in The Visitor.  Anyone else see this?  I was thrilled when I heard he was nominated but I knew there was no way he would get it. 

   In terms of the show itself, I really enjoyed it.  Hugh Jackman went all out- more than just a few recycled tabloid jokes from some commedian, and the 5 previous recipients reading the actor/actress nominations was pretty classy.  The whole thing seemed well organized.

  [edit- I think the repubs are waiting for next year- I heard on the news this morning some joker is making a Sarah Palin documentary]

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

Agreed! This is the first time in I don't know how long that I've actually watched it live. I had my TiVo set to record it and everything, and then it came on while the TV was still on, and I was so horrified by Hugh Jackman's opening song-and-dance number (which you have to admit was just stupid beyond belief...this is the Oscars, not MTV), that I had to stick around to see what was up next...and I ended up watching the whole thing live.

There were a few parts I could've done without, but overall I think they finally have pulled the Academy Awards back to where they belong. I especially loved the coziness that the room had with the low thrust stage and the audience all tucked up around it.

And having the past winners presenting to the current nominees for acting was wonderful. Only a couple of them were kind of awkward (Um...did someone forget to give Sophia Loren her meds?)...the rest were so lovely. :D

To be honest? No. Don't get me wrong...his performance was awesome. But I think his winning had more to do with him being dead than him being good. Which is sad but at the same time, I'm sorta OK with it.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

Mickey Rourke was paid scale in The Wrestler.

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

I enjoyed the show last night as I always do.  81 Oscar shows.  I've probably seen all of the ones that have been televised. 

But it's mostly about the Red Carpet for me.  John Legend's date = best overall look!  Wow!  She's a Thai-Norwegian model.  Natalie Portman looked great.  Angelina's emerald earrings and ring with the black simple gown = stupendously understated and perfect.  In most of the angles I saw, you couldn't even see those unfortunate skin imprints either.  Mickey Rourke looked great!  I was sorry he didn't win because I'd have rather heard  his speech than have had to endure the insufferable egotism driven by the wee intellect of a Malibu high school drop-out as he lectured the world on his pet issues.  FEH. Sorry to see that Robin Wright returned to 'holy matrimony' with him after that divorce filing but sometimes it takes a few false starts to get in gear.  Really enjoyed the five actors on stage to present each of the nominees.  BEST moment?  What stands out to me was Ben Stiller as Joaquin Phoenix.  HILARIOUS! Likewise Steve Martin was pretty funny.  I wish there had been a comedian hosting the show.  Hugh Jackman?  Lackluster and poorly conceived, I thought.  The promo for the Jimmy Kimmel show (house on fire) was a winner too. 

This was the first year in decades that we didn't do ballots here at home.  I'm pretty sure I would have scored big time as I sensed Slumdog was going to pretty much sweep.  The wild card was the Foreign Film award not going to Waltzing with Bashir, ordinarily the perfect vehicle for an Academy Award.  Oh well.  And the Piglet short lost too. : (

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

I hope I can function at that level when I'm as old as Sophia Lauren is! 

I think Heath Ledger would likely have been nominated anyway, but I would guess the fact it was an action movie would have pushed some other supporting actor higher.  It was partly the make-up, but damn, you never saw Ledger there at all.

OK, then pay me scale. My answer still stands regardless.

The bottom line is that people want Rourke to win not because he did a good job but because it would make a great feel-good story. If you want my honest opinion, I think that Richard Jenkins should have won out of the lot of 'em, but I knew that would never happen because Hollywood likes there to be a lesson or story to go with their winners. Which means that out of the five, the only two who had a real shot at winning were Penn and Rourke. Neither of whom really had to stretch very much to play the roles they were cast in. I'm not saying Penn is a god...I'm saying that Rourke wasn't brilliant.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

sean penn: homosexuals are not subhuman monsters

coolsprings: OH GOD MY HEAD

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper