Behind the Screen: The Oscars

Desson Thomson (washingtonpost.com)

The 76th Academy Awards have been given out. Satisfied with the results? Disappointed? What did you think of the show?

In a Special Edition of Behind the Screen: The Oscars, Washington Post film critic Desson Thomson discusses the winners and losers of this year's awards.

Complete Coverage: 'Lord' of the Oscars

'Lord' of the Oscars Message Boards: 'Lord' of the Oscars Message Boards

Thomson, a movie critic at The Washington Post for 15 years, was raised in England where he was entranced, like most, by Hollywood movies. And it was a visit to see David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia," that made him realize movies had to be a part of his life.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Desson Thomson: Good afternoon and what a great afternoon it is. Glorious out there. Another Oscar awards night over, and an amazing--to quote Steven Spielberg--clean sweep by Lord of the Rings. Did we all have a good time, horrible time watching this thing? Boring? I'm sure you are bursting with opinions! I just overheard someone at work say: Every year I watch it and I'm seethed with self loathing and then I watch it again. Hmm. Makes me wonder what people believe they are owed for watching the thing. What do you all think? Oscar time!

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Washington, D.C.: nomination Could Renee Zellweger's speech have been worse? Could Uma Thurman's dress have been more hideous? And could the Fog of War winner been more preachy and pessimistic about the liberation of Iraq?

Desson Thomson: It sure wasn't the greatest speech ever made. She was clearly having difficulty. I know there have been worse speeches than that. But it does bring up an interesting subject. You think an actor would have more than average confidence to address people at the microphone. And yet, so many of them fall apart up there. And then some documentation who has won an award for a documentary short speaks with such confidence you'd think they were ruining for president. Always baffles me. As for Uma Thurman's dress, I must confess that I was looking entirely at her face. I just remember she was dressed and that was about it. I am the world's biggest fan of Errol Morris, but it did seem a little, well, preachy for a moment there. But he was genuinely pleased for getting the award. He was a long overdue winner. The Thin Blue Line is one of the great American films. Should be in the AFI treasure trove if it isn't already.

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Arlington, Va.: I thought there were more appalling moments than usual last night, despite the predictability of the winners and the five second delay. One was Jim Carrey and his totally retarded presentation to Blake Edwards. Neither have been Hollywood favorites and rightly so. More repulsive was Annie Lennox's mugging for applause re her performance of that dirge from Lord. Not even Joe Roth with the full Julia can make this show any better. Give it up next time.

Desson Thomson: Jim Carrey did seem to land from another planet last night, didn't he? But then, he always seems to be coming in from some distant star. Hey, no picking on the Scots. I thought she (Annie L.) was simply, genuinely, thrilled to have won.

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Armchair says: If I could lift a phrase from the Simpsons 'Comic book store' character:

Worst Oscar broadcast ever. Within minutes I was online announcing my displeasure.

Till next year.

Desson Thomson: Armchair leads the harrumph contingent and lays the first vote. or 2nd in this chat. Was it that bad?

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Death Montage, Ohio: Leni Riefenstahl, huh? Wow. I had joked about her inclusion but didn't expect it. I thought Keiko had a better chance than she did.
More disturbing was the apparent lack of applause granted to Jack Elam. Of course, it could have been the orchestra which was geared to ruining my usual assessment of who "wins" this competition.

Desson Thomson: Death Montage, Ohio? Wow, there's my next band name. Can I have that? As for Leni, well, I bet 99% of the country has no idea that she was Hitler's propaganda filmmaker. And I bet even fewer people recall Elam and his illustrious career as a heavy. The generations give way to others. And rogues and/or heroes of yesteryear are forgotten.

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Washington, D.C.: What do you think were some of the funniest moments in last night's ceremony?

Desson Thomson: I thought Billy Crystal was in pretty good form. So he would be pretty much most of the funny moments.

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Summit Point, W. Va.: Lord of the Rings was spectacular and deserving of all of its awards. Why in your opinion were there no nominations for best or supporting actors/actresses in that movie? I certainly think it deserved some.

Desson Thomson: Hello Summit Point. Love all these names. I think this is a fantasy in which characters are part of an overwhelming whole. They aren't individuals; they're part of the ever developing big picture. Plus, big cast equals bits and pieces for everyone. Therefore little chance to get cooking over a period of time and have yourself a long great performance. The exception was Sir Ian McKellan, who was the one who seemed to stand out in an "actorly" way.

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Ashburn, Va.: Desson,

I am not an advocate of violence, but can someone please hit Jim Carey in his smug face. How did he get the honor of introducing Blake Edwards?

Desson Thomson: Definitely his worst live TV performance ever.

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Parkville, Md.: It was sad not to see Bill Murray get Best Actor. I didn't see "Mystic River," but based on what I've seen of Pen, I have no doubt he deserved the award. But I also have no doubt he'll be deserving of the Oscar for future roles too. I think there's a sense that this role was Bill Murray's last, best shot at an Oscar.

Do you think Murray's got any Oscar-winning performances left in him? Do you think there'll be an Oscar-worthy role for him in the future?

Desson Thomson: At the end when Billy Crystal said to Bill Murray: Aaaw don't leave, I thought that was cruel. You could see Murray was devastated. I felt Bill's pain. I guess in answer to the q., voters can't be considering things like that. Whoever wins that year should be the best one in their opinion, whether it's a one-off or not. No sentimental charity.

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Anonymous: What was the deal with Liv Tyler's glasses?

Desson Thomson: I believe she is Cat Woman. I intend to report this immediately to Commissioner Gordon.

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Ashland, Mo.: With "The Lord of the Rings" success and that of Passion of the Christ, does that suggest that movie audiences have different interests and tastes than critics, who seem to like movies like Mystic River and Lost in Translation?

Desson Thomson: I don't buy your Berlin Wall intimation between critics and audiences. People did go to see Lost Translation. And many critics did give the thumbs up to Passion; perhaps many were intimidated not to. I can't speak for them, of course. Also consider this: a critic says whether thing is any good. The public doesn't have any responsibility. They just see what they want, not based on judgment as much as impulse and prejudice and any number of unpredictable reasons. We all run out to see a road accident too, right? Does that mean road accidents should be encouraged as entertainment?

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Austin, Tex.: How much power do Oscar coattails have? I don't have a problem with most of the "The Lord of The Rings" awards, but I was frustrated that it won best song over both excellent Cold Mountain songs. Were the voters listening to the songs themselves, or were they just unthinkingly caught up in the "The Lord of the Rings" wave?

Desson Thomson: Good question. I believe the coattail thing works when it's time for the final vote. And someone has informed me that all voters vote in all categories at the end, in the final count. Thus, people are voting with all of those pressures and impressions.

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Washington, D.C.: If there was an award for best dressed family, it would have to go to Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and the boys. Wow!

Desson Thomson: Maybe you're right, Judiciary. But I am glad there isn't such an award somehow.

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Silver Spring, Md.: "Return of the King" a good movie? Yes. A great movie? No. Overly long, too much reliance on computer-generated characters. Given the material they had to work with, I would have given best director award to "City of God." Academy members seemed to think, "Gee, we didn't give many awards to the first movies in the trilogy so we better give a bunch now." For me, the worst deserving big winner since "Titanic" (great special effects, horrible script). And Billy Crystal's performance was AWFUL: lots of ego, little humor, and giving him the first 15-20 minutes just made the show longer (I went to bed before the end).

Desson Thomson: Thanks for your comments. I agree that City of God was a well directed movie (was some controversy there since Fernando Mereilles was technically a co-director with Katia Lund). I guess I enjoyed Billy C more than you. I'd rather have humor that tries and tries again, even if it falls down once in a while.

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Takoma Park, Md.: I hope I don't have nightmares about Billy Crystal's almost naked pudgy body.

Desson Thomson: Hey, no spreading that fear around. Could be contagious.

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Lake Ridge, Va.: Happy March, Desson!

Why do the Oscar people still schedule the Oscars for only three hours when they know that it regularly takes at least 3.5 hours, if not longer? What is the point in scheduling short? I suppose they figure that people are going to watch no matter when it ends, but it seems strange.

I'm a bit disappointed that "The Lord of the Rings" tied "Ben-Hur" (and "Titanic") for most Oscars won. "Ben-Hur" is a true, classic epic film. "The Lord of the Rings" (and to a great extent, "Titanic" as well) was just a lot of noise. I know I'm in the minority when I say that, but I saw all three films and while they were beautiful to watch and listen to, I felt they lacked everything else. It seems like they (and I say "they" because these awards were really for the whole trilogy even though technically were just for "Return of the King") were awarded more for being popular box office successes than anything else.

Also, could Peter Jackson be more of a slob? You'd think he'd have the decency to take a shower and brush his hair!

Desson Thomson: I can appreciate your reactions, Lake Ridge. But it's a live show and I suppose they do try to keep it short. I'm not sure what I think about Jackson's appearance. I felt the same way that, yes, he's unfashionably dishevelled. But he is who he is, right? He should be able to be who he is. I guess.

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Washington, D.C.: Who did you think gave the best acceptance speech? The worst?

Desson Thomson: In a way, I liked Sean Penn's. It seemed genuine because he was so stuck with pauses. And he wasn't so obnoxious about us all being actors and we shouldn't get prizes for such things, blah blah. Wasn't a great night for speeches. I sure did get tired of hearing about people being thanked in New Zealand, and Crystal's quip was spot on: It's official, there is no one left in New Zealand to thank.

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Washington, D.C.: The lead-in 30 minutes of runway and theater chat was absolutely awful. Some people shouldn't be granted a microphone unless they have a script to read from! That goes both for the interviewers and the interviewees. That young fellow ABC had on was so bad even the stars looked like they were trying to avoid him ...

Desson Thomson: Yes, but that's the problem with television coverage of entertainment for mass audiences. Toned down, dippy and cheesy at its worst.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: Here's one of the reasons I like Charlize Theron. When a reporter asked her backstage what it was like to kiss Christina Ricci, here's her reply --

"I don't think we had a lot of tongue action," she mused, then screamed, "I can't believe I'm talking about this while I'm holding an Oscar!"

Desson Thomson: Uh, okay then.

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Arlington, Va.: I know this chat is about the Oscars and all, but would you care to share your opinion of the Passion with your adoring fans?

Desson Thomson: Gosh. Well thanks for the a-word praise.

Uh, that's a big one. I think for the most part, people brought their pre existing religious conviction to this movie and no doubt came out with the same opinion intensified. I don't want to get too religiously involved here, but I did not feel the movie was artistically successful. It was intense and emotional but also heavy-handed. And I didn't think there was much dramatic purpose served in watching one prolonged brutalization of Jesus Christ. As for the anti-semitism question, it was made clear enough in the movie that you weren't supposed to like the Jewish religious establishment and that they were bloodthirsty manipulators. The depiction of bloodthirsty Romans beating the tar out of Christ for so long can't have been considered great for Italians either.

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Dallas, Tex.: In an earlier chat, somebody noted that "The Lord of the Rings" now officially has enough votes to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination. Ha, ha, ha, !

Desson Thomson: Funny. Expect hobbits in the White House.

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Cleveland, Ohio: I enjoyed Lord of the Rings very much, but did it really deserve all 11 awards? I thought that Annie Lenox song was a dirge, and the accomplishment of the trilogy wasn't in its writing. (I thought American Splendor should have won for adapted screenplay. It would have added at least one upset to a very dull evening.)

Desson Thomson: American Splendor should have won something, I agree, Cleveland.

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Washington, D.C.: What's your take on Johnny Depp's nom? I like his work and it seems like he could have been nominated a thousand times over for other things. But he even seemed surprised to get a nomination for Pirates.

Desson Thomson: I didn't think he deserved a nomination, no. But I like to see comedy gets it due.

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Rockville, Md: I wish there were an ensemble award so some of the films with a larger cast could be acknowledged. My vote would go to City of God.

On another note, did Liv Tyler seem a bit odd to you with the hair, the glasses, and the voice?

Desson Thomson: City of God was a powerful film and definitely would make a cast for an ensemble vote. Except they would have lost, groan, to "The Lord of the Rings".

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Reston, Va.: Not many surprises last night. I was happy Sofia Coppola won. My biggest disappointment was Bill Murray not winning.

It still amazes me that "The Lord of the Rings" could sweep the Oscars as being 'best', yet there was not even one nomination for acting.

Gollum was one of the all-time best supporting roles -- even though the actor playing him was CGI-ed, he was still on set acting --def. deserved a nomination. I thought Sean Astin probably . deserved a supporting nod as well.

Desson Thomson: I was saddened not to see Bill M winning. He would have saved the evening with his acceptance speech alone. I was glad to see a woman nominated for the 1st time as director. And happy Sofia won something.

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Washington, D.C.: Greetings, Desson. I actually didn't watch the Oscar broadcast. But I'm reading with interest your chat (and looking forward to the one on Oscar fashion, later on Post.com). So I'm ignorant about many of the references being made in your chat. What did Billy Crystal say to Bill Murray when the Best Actor winner was announced? I heard that Murray was upset but I don't know anything else. Thanks for the chat!

Desson Thomson: As I said: he said something like: Aaaw, don't go Bill. And then the cam cut to Murray's crestfallen face. sad business.

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Anonymous: I'm all for recycling, but usually the recycled product still holds value. Billy Crystal's performance throughout the show made me almost wish they had brought Dave Letterman back to host.

Could Billy have not found any other word to rhyme with nose other than Pete Rose? It was marginally humorous the first time he sung it, but by the 4th or 5th repeat of the line I felt I was watching instant replay after instant replay.

The opening was as tired as Billy's sagging naked body.

Jack Black and Will Ferrel did brighten it a little with their tribute to getting folks off the stage (of course Peter Jackson's cohort immediately ignored it in the following award).

Desson Thomson: Gosh everyone's in high neg over Crystal. I thought he was pretty funny. I didn't perform a back somersault with laughter. But goodness, was he that bad?

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Farragut West, Washington, D.C.: Desson:

Any word on why Sean Penn decided to attend the Academy Awards ceremony this year? His attendance makes his previous reasoning seem a bit hollow.

Desson Thomson: Well, he's human I guess. He wanted to win like anyone else, you'd have to assume. I was glad he finally beat his brains to remember to mention Robin.

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Manassas, Va.: Desson: Just a question which may be stupid, but has anyone ever looked into holding the Oscars on a Friday or a Saturday night instead of on Sunday or Monday nights (like they used to be)? Those of us on the East Coast who have to go to work the next morning can't stay up to watch the entire telecast, and, therefore, miss out on quite a bit. Is there some kind of thinking behind it that the public is not aware of?

And, my 2 cents - I thought Billy was great. He is the only reason I even tune at all to watch.

Desson Thomson: Hmm. I'm sure there's a reason. But I don't know. Anybody? Why Sunday? And thanks for your Billy vote. Not that I'm waving his flag or anything.

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Clementi Singapore: Is there any precedent for a film winning 'Best Film' but not even being nominated for an acting award? Isn't it something of a contradiction in terms: To honour Lord of the Rings: Return of the King as the best film of the year but to say at the same time that none of the actors was worthy of a nod? Can technical feats, a grand vision, great adaption and a consistent trilogy really overwhelm the magnificent acting of Mystic River?

Desson Thomson: In my opinion, you can't compare the acting in this fantasy epic to more dramatic movies. Characters in "The Lord of the Rings" are more simply nuanced than the characters in Mystic. It's the difference between a 3-speed bike and a sophisticated racer bike. And for goodness sake does "The Lord of the Rings" have ot win everything?

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New York, N.Y.: I admit, I wanted "A Mighty Wind" to win for best song!

Desson Thomson: Me too. I thought it might. Against the odds. It didn't. I thought the song from Triplets was amazing. Love that song. Hip. Catchy and original.

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Arlington, Va.: "Finding Nemo" was pretty good, but "Triplettes of Belleville" was easily on of the best animated films ever made. The song was also the best of the five (the other four were so boring).

Is there a built-in handicap for a non-Hollywood films at the Oscars?

Desson Thomson: Speaking of which ...

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Washington, D.C.: I can't believe people think Finding Nemo is a better movie than Triplets of Bellville. The category is "Best Animated Film", not "Best Children's Movie". Finding Nemo is the same movie Disney has been churning out forever, Triplets of Bellville was beautiful.

Desson Thomson: I disagree about Nemo being same-old same-old. I saw it twice and realized how powerful it is as a movie. In fact it's better than the usual "Dizz". But Belleville was also great, too.

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Columbia, Md.: I thought Billy Crystal was entertaining, certainly better than the rest of the evening. I fell asleep during the song section. I think in the future they should try for someone like Tina Fey or Jimmy Fallon to host though, that would be entertaining!

Desson Thomson: Like the idea of Fallon. He's wonderfully strange. Maybe too strange for prime-time.

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Overlee Knolls, Va.: Right out of the gate, no movie that is Three plus hours long should win an award for editing. Also, this may sound like bad stand-up, but how do you figure out what is an outstanding achievement in editing? Isn't the product of the editing job a bunch of clips of film that will never be seen? How can we judge editing when we don't know what was edited?

Desson Thomson: That's very funny. Use it. Overlee, you make the common mistake of thinking editing means cutting. Editing means putting something together. It means composition. It means montage.

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Georgetown, D.C.: The 5-second delay: did it kick in right after the musical number with the "Cold Mountain chorus"? The camera cut to the people in the front row looking awkward, then back to Liv Tyler who was late for her mark on the podium. Any idea what happened?

Meanwhile, does Return of the King's sweep mean that it will stay at the Uptown through, say, 2007?

Desson Thomson: I might have missed that moment.

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Boca Raton, Fla: Any idea why "In America" didn't get more nominations? It was my favorite movie of 2003 and I found it odd that it didn't get more recognition from the academy voters.

Desson Thomson: Well, it got a couple. Have to enjoy what you get, I guess.

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Washington, D.C.: I know this is being billed as an Oscar chat, but I saw "The Passion of the Christ" this weekend and wanted to share some thoughts.

This was the most powerful movie I have seen. Ever. I have spent the better part of two days reflecting on it.

The violence was actually less 'graphic' than I had thought it would be after reading the reviews, though it is still is VERY violent and intense.

As far as any anti-Semitism, I think people looking for it will find it, but I think that it is an unavoidable reaction to the the biblical story itself, rather than something done in this particular film. In fact, I think Gibson did a very good job in emphasizing that the Sanhedrin was divided (not very easily detected in the biblical story) and that only Caiphas and his minions and the crowd they paid to condemn Christ were responsible for condemning Him and handing Him over to the Romans.

Desson Thomson: Thanks for your thoughtful comments.

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Arlington, Va.: Now that the Passion seems destined to make a huge amount of money, are they going to make a sequel?

More seriously, are we likely to see a surge in movies with religious themes or movies about Bible stories? It seems readily apparent that there is a large market for Christian stories presented in a manner respectful to believers (as opposed to the revisionism of Last Temptation, or the buffoonery of Dogma).

Desson Thomson: Religiously funded movies (with Christian financing or participation) have already started making money in this way. Not sure if Passion will start up any more religious stuff. But nothing ever surprises me from Hollywood.

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Bethesda, Md.: Am I the only one who noticed that Renee Zwellwinger appeared to be channeling Dustin Hoffman as Tootsie in her speech? Having recently caught a portion of Tootise on TCM, the voice patterns were just the same--scary!

Also my Oscar party (28th annual one, thank you very much) loved Billy Crystal.

Desson Thomson: Great to hear! And funny.

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San Francisco, Calif.: How about when Rene thanked Tom Cruise, and the camera cut to Nicole? What was up with that?

Desson Thomson: Yeah, that was .. what was it? I'd be annoyed if I were her.

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Washington, D.C.: The Oscar commercials were much better than the Super Bowl commercials.

Desson Thomson: And in the end, isn't that what matters?

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Australia: Hello.

"The Lord of the Rings" won Best Picture without having any nominations for its actors. Which means that Peter Jackson was the best director of a cast that was (at the most) the sixth best going around.

Personally, I think it's plausible that the sum of a movie can exceed its parts, and you can have a memorable movie experience without remembering the individual actors who created it. But from your professional position, do you think it's a good idea to honour a movie in this way when none of the actors was thought good enough individually?

I don't mean that as sarcasm about the actors. I'm just curious that the Academy decided that the nominated actors couldn't lift their movies to the level of the best, but the un-nominated actors could.

Desson Thomson: Same comments as I said before. It is possible. I wouldn't have personally nominated anyone from "The Lord of the Rings" for acting, except maybe Sir Ian and maybe Serkis (maybe). And that's not disparaging great, great performances in Rings. They were more like well used chess pawns than individual. performers in my opinion.

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Anonymous: The delay also kicked in on something Owen Wilson said to Ben Stiller. Any clues what the verboten word was?

Desson Thomson: Yeah, I wondered about that. I thought Owen was funny. So relaxed.

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Manassas, Va.: Am I the only one who wishes Peter Jackson had at least combed his hair before going up on stage last night? If ever there was a candidate in bad need of an emergency make-over by the Fab Five he was definitely it! Otherwise, being a Tolkien nut, I was thrilled to see Lord of the Rings get Best Picture, etc.

Desson Thomson: Peter Jackson is Bilbo Baggins.

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Washington, D.C.: Desson:

What is your pick for least-deserved Oscar? Mine is Renee Zellwegger. While she did a fine job in Cold Mountain, all four other nominees in the category seemed more deserving to me.

Desson Thomson: Well, I think Master and Commander deserved more. I thought Renee was the best thing about Cold Mt., which isn't saying much. This year, best actress was v strong in the competitive sense. I liked Holly Hunter in the supporting category best. And I agreed that Theron was best actress.

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Washington, D.C.: One thing is for sure, a message I hope Hollywood gets. Conservative Christians like to go to the movies too.

Desson Thomson: Well, it looks like they're being served by those specialist films. And that's good. But Hollywood is more of a secular business for the most part and Christians cannot reasonably expect to get too many films that are clearly Christian tub thumpers. Just won't happen a lot.

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Washington, D.C.: Why isn't there a limit on the number of Oscars one film team can win?

Desson Thomson: This is America.

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Bethesda, Md.: Surprisingly enough, I got tears in my eyes with both Tim Robbins' and Sean Penn's acceptance speeches. As former bad boys (or at least passionately opinionated boys), both seemed genuinely glad to be at that point in their lives and careers. That said -- and other than the Billy Crystal moments -- most of the show was a big yawn. How the heck can "The Lord of the Rings" have swept it all when "The Lord of the Rings" and 2 didn't make a dent?

Desson Thomson: In answer to the last q., it looks like "The Lord of the Rings" won a sort of cumulative vote.

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Washington, D.C.: My vote for funniest moment: Adrien Brody spraying Binaca in his mouth before announcing the Best Actress winner.

I'm glad they reinstated the clip of each nominated performance/film/etc., as the nominees are read off. They didn't have it last year, and I sorely missed it.

And no big cheesy dance numbers, yay!

Desson Thomson: Thanks. I did chuckle at Brody's little move.

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Aspen Hill, Md.: Regarding the music: I think that the Academy judges the music on its merits and not because some people thought it was "boring." What does that even mean? While my heart wanted "A Mighty Wind" To take the Oscar, I knew it wasn't as musically well crafted as the Kraus or Lennox songs.

And people should realize that animated, mass distributed films can be wonderful and meaningful. Don't dismiss something just because it has a McDonald's tie-in. In the same vein, just because a movie is an independent with limited exposure doesn't mean it's a hidden treasure. Rather, there could be a good reason why no one's seen it.

Thanks!

Desson Thomson: And thank YOU Aspen Hill.

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Charlotte, N.C.: Here's what I'd have loved to see: What winners who never got to do their thank-you's on stage said to their co-winners who took up the entire 30 seconds -- and then some -- with their own over-inflated egos. I'll never look at Annie Lennox the same way, after she talked on and on after winning best song and relegated who co-writers to flacks who never got to the mike. And the documentary guy -- I forget who -- who talked until they made him leave. The look his co-winner gave him was priceless AND deserved. So, do these things erupt into full-fledged fights backstage afterwards?

Desson Thomson: Yes, there were some boring speeches. I'm sure the fights you mention are little mutters since everyone is watching, even backstage. But then they probably pick up on the fight a day or 2 later!

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Lexington, Ky.: Can anyone explain Renee Zellweger to me? She always looks as though she's been crying for hours, and has the most unattractive tics and spasmodic movements.

Desson Thomson: Oooh mean. I do think, sometimes, that she might be a descendant of Mister Magoo. But I think she's a great actor and I like her. She never calls me though. I hate that.

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Gettysburg, Pa.: Am I being petty in wishing that Sofia Coppola would be a bit more animated and less of a, well, slouch?

Desson Thomson: She is who she is. Very unassuming and shy. I saw a lot of her at the Toronto festival. And she was the same.

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Washington, D.C.: So where was Jack Nicholson? He turned up in Crystal's opening film number. But his hysterical presence at the show was missed.

Desson Thomson: Yeah, where was Jack. Grinning Jack. He was missed. Was there a Lakers game?

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Arlington, Va.: Any truth to the rumor that there will be a five-hour director's cut of last night's Oscars?

By the way, Johnny Depp cleans up well when he wants.

Desson Thomson: Ha ha

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Anonymous: I had no idea who Blake Edwards was until they started showing the clips of his work. But I have to say that his speech was great. It seemed genuine. Your thoughts?

Desson Thomson: He was noble and charming. A great man.

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Arlington, Va.: I'm still amazed that Minghela was snubbed for both director and picture. Don't you think "Cold Mountain" deserved to be represented in at least one of those categories?
Also, don't you think Robin Williams should sometimes realize that the moment isn't about him? You dream and work for a moment like last night to hear your name mentioned, and he is up there doing an Elmer Fudd impersonation? Lame and rude.

Desson Thomson: Va.: I'm no fan of CM so I am only grateful it had few awards. It's always hard to understand how a movie is great on one level and then ignored in another.

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Washington, D.C.: Sofia Coppola isn't the first woman nominated for Best Director. She's the first American Woman. Jane Campion was nominated for The Piano.

Had she won, Sofia Coppola would have been the first woman to -win-. (And deservedly so, I loved that movie and think she has amazing promise.)

Desson Thomson: Thanks for setting the record straight.

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Silver Spring, Md.: So good to see Deny's Arcand win for Barbarian Invasions. For those looking to see more of this great director's work and also yearning for an intelligent alternative to Gibson's Passion, I would highly recommend Arcand's Jesus of Montreal. This sublime film delivers a biting satire of the Catholic church while at the same time a providing a surprisingly uplifting take on the true message of Jesus' life.

Desson Thomson: Thanks for passing that along. And I'd like to conclude by saying, I have met Denys Arcand and he's another charming gentleman and I was happy for his win.

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Desson Thomson: Thanks everyone. Hope you enjoyed this session! Nice to hear from all of you. And I'll see you at the next chat in 2 Mondays from now at 12:30. Cheers!

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