Entertainment Tonight called it a "monumental mix-up." But whether a "big blooper" or a "full-blown flub"...let's call the "uh-oh" at The 89th Academy Awards what it really is...not the end of the world.
The Best Picture blunder at the 2017 Oscars was simply one of life's bizarre mistakes that shouldn't have happened, but did.
It was the first time in history that the wrong Best Picture was announced. But I can bet that every single presenter at future awards shows - Oscars and others - will double and triple-check what is printed on the outside envelope before they open it on stage. And prior to announcing the winner, presenters will take a good, hard look at what is typed on the inside card.
Unfortunately, Oscar winning director Warren Beatty was handed an incorrect envelope when he and Academy Award winning actress Faye Dunaway took the stage toward the conclusion of the Sunday night, February 26th telecast. And, as you undoubtedly are aware, it was an awkward and uncomfortable moment when Beatty opened what was supposed to be the Best Picture envelope, but instead he saw actress Emma Stone's name on the card with the movie title La La Land printed below it.A baffled Beatty paused...for what seemed like an eternity...and it was obvious that Faye Dunaway clearly thought that her old friend and Bonnie and Clyde co-star was joking around...simply to add to the suspense of the evening. Dunaway could even be heard saying to Beatty - in a half-kidding way..."You're awful."
I truly believe that Warren Beatty - an Academy Award nominee, a total of 14 times, for acting, producing, writing and directing - thought that the name Emma Stone on the card...was THE mistake...but that La La Land was indeed the Best Picture. Nevertheless, when Beatty announced the words, "And the Academy Award..." he then paused again...waited a few more seconds until he said..."for Best Picture." But Beatty seemed to still have a bit of doubt in his mind about what he was seeing on the card. Instead of stopping the proceedings, though, and saying... "I think something may be wrong here"...before letting Faye Dunaway see the card... Beatty showed it to her. At that point, Dunaway was undoubtedly anxious to let the cat out of the bag. So she probably didn't even see Emma Stone's name, but only La La Land...and thus...that's what she read aloud. In reality...the Best Picture was Moonlight.
Of course we all now know...that apparently one of the two accountants from PriceWaterhouseCoopers...goofed. It has been reported that the company has had a foolproof system - at least with the Best Picture envelope - for 83 years...ever since the accounting firm became responsible for tabulating the Oscar votes. Foolproof... until this year. That's not to say that PriceWaterhouseCoopers and their two accountants shouldn't take full responsibility for the fiasco. They should. And there needs to be disciplinary action - or even stronger punishment - of some magnitude.
Actually, however...superstar Sammy Davis, Jr. was given an envelope at the 1964 Academy Awards that had the wrong winner for Best Music Score printed on the inside card. But like 2017...the matter was quickly rectified and life went on.
It should be noted that the two PriceWaterhouseCoopers accountants are guarded by police and take separate routes to Hollywood's biggest event of the year. Each accountant holds a briefcase...with a full set of envelopes...with the Oscar winners names inside them. The accountants are kept apart - one at the stage left entrance and one at stage right. This way...whichever entrance is used by a presenter...he or she is able to receive the proper envelope. But somehow...after Emma Stone received her Oscar a few minutes before - including the envelope and card with her name on it - the second envelope for Best Actress was not removed from the pile. So when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway entered the stage - shortly thereafter - they were given the incorrect envelope. And...as the ABC cameras picked up - but was not noticed by anyone until afterwards - the outside of that envelope had the words "Actress In A Leading Role" printed on it...not Best Picture.
Generally speaking...why would any presenter - be it Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway or anybody else - ever look at the outside of the envelope? Trust me. For now on...they will.
As for the rest of the show...even with the snafu with the Best Picture envelope - the 2017 Oscars was one of the all-time best productions for the Academy Awards. Host Jimmy Kimmel was outstanding and masterful. He - along with the writers and producers - outdid themselves in the creative imagination department. Certain segments were everything from funny to warm and fuzzy. There were the tour bus riders whose surprise visit to the Oscars was a stroke of genius...and there was a delightful snippet of mirth and merriment when bags of candy dropped from the ceiling to the stars below.
The program began with a thoroughly entertaining production number starring Justin Timberlake and his always awesome singing...and featuring stellar choreography and dancing by Timberlake and a first-class troupe of hoofers.Appearances by Shirley MacLaine and Michael J. Fox were true treats, as they were honored and saluted by Charlize Theron and Seth Rogan, respectively. It was also heartwarming to see so many Oscar nominees escorting their mothers to the awards ceremony.
And then...there was the "fake feud" between Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon, which has been a feast of fun that has been milked for about eleven years, since the third season of Kimmel's late night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! But at the Oscars...Kimmel added playful fuel to the fictitious fire...as the phony fight came to a hilarious head...when Damon joined his childhood buddy and his Oscar winning screenplay partner for Good Will Hunting, Ben Affleck...to present the award for Best Original Screenplay. But, as a gag, Kimmel had Music Director Harold Wheeler "play-off" Damon every time he spoke. It was classic comedy.
There was no shortage of politically generated remarks - which I applaud - from Jimmy Kimmel's hilarious one-liners between awards...to a variety of acceptance speeches and ad-libs by presenters...some of which slammed Donald Trump...praised Hillary Clinton...and assured Americans who oppose and may be fearful of the incompetence and ineptitude of Trump...that Democrats and liberal progressives will prevail.
But it was Viola Davis' emotionally powerful words that highlighted the evening's acceptance speeches. With tears in her eyes, Davis was passionately grateful upon receiving the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the movie, Fences. "I became an artist and thank God I did...because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life." Crying...Davis recognized with appreciation...her mom and dad...and her husband and daughter. "And to Dan and Mary Alice Davis...who were and are the center of my universe. The people who taught me good or bad, how to fail, how to love...how to hold an award... how to lose. And to my husband and my daughter...my heart. You teach me everyday how to live, how to love. I'm so glad that you are the foundation of my life."The 2017 Oscars was chock-full of meritorious moments. As for the Best Picture gaffe...it was not a matter of life and death. "Let's remember," as Jimmy Kimmel reminded us..."It's just an awards show." And with all the horrors going on these days...in our country...and around the world...the Best Picture faux pas was merely a blip...in the grand scheme of things.
Kudos to La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz for his most gracious demeanor when he learned it was Moonlight - not his film - that actually won the Best Picture Oscar. "There's a lot of love in this room," Horowitz stated with genuine sincerity. And in a dignified and classy manner, Horowitz expressed that he wanted to give the gold Oscar statuette to the Moonlight producers. "I'm going to be really proud to hand this to my friends from Moonlight." Meanwhile...with much respect, reverence and courtesy...Barry Jenkins - who earlier won the Best Director Oscar for Moonlight - complimented Horowitz. "That was so gracious and generous. My love to La La Land. My love to everybody."There was one other inaccuracy at the 2017 Academy Awards. And this "oops" was much more shameful. Costume designer Janet Patterson - a four-time Oscar nominee - died in 2016. But during the "In Memoriam" tribute...the video montage showed Patterson's name with a photograph of producer Jan Chapman...who is still alive. Chapman told Variety that she was "devastated" and "disappointed" by the error.
The production team of The 89th Academy Awards were in no way at fault for the Best Picture slip-up. Yet Jimmy Kimmel poked at himself at the close of the show...that he was responsible for the chaotic boo-boo with the envelopes. The Emmy Award winning Kimmel joked..."I promise I'll never come back." I surely hope that he will return to host the Oscars again. To borrow the words of two legendary film critics...Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert...I give Jimmy Kimmel and the 2017 Academy Awards..."two thumbs up."And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.
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Photo credits: Us Weekly and wennermedia.com (Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty), E! and eonline.com (Jimmy Kimmel #1), People and USA Online News (Justin Timberlake), Vogue Australia (Viola Davis), NBC News and nbcnews.com (Jordan Horowitz and Barry Jenkins) and E! and eonline.com (Jimmy Kimmel #2)
Copyright 2017 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
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