And the Oscar Goes To... (2014) Reviews

• "It's good to be recognized by your peers." - Warren Beatty

  classicsoncall2014-02-02

  If I'm correct about this documentary debuting last night (2/1/2014) on the Turner Classic Movie Channel, then a couple of film lovers already beat me to the punch with a review here. That's a quick turnaround I must say. Anyone tuning in to the program will be rewarded with a neat if only surface skimming history of the Academy Awards, but with that in mind it was a credible effort. I particularly enjoyed some of the older clips dating back to the origins of the Academy, and to my mind it would have been a disservice not to mention the winner of the first 'Best Picture', but they did and even showed a brief clip from "Wings", a film about World War I. I was reminded of my own recollection of the first time I ever watched the Awards with Bob Hope presenting during an era when he was a perennial host. Actors appearing who voiced personal comments about the awards included Helen Mirren, George Clooney, Benicio del Toro and Cher, but it was Dustin Hoffman in an acceptance speech clip who voiced possibly the best perspective on the Oscars when he stated that even though only one film or actor can win a given category, no one should feel like a loser in such esteemed company. I guess that's a healthy way to look at it, but at the same time I wondered what would have gone through his mind if he hadn't been able to give that speech. Anyway, I'm pretty sure this will get a rerun or two on TCM, so if you have the chance, give it a look. Long time film fans will doubtless have fun trying to identify some of the former celebrities who appear in whiz time fashion from clip to clip.

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• What More Can You Do in an Hour and a Half?

  Hitchcoc2015-02-04

  This is a power packed 90 minutes. Granted the whole history of the Oscars should be a mini-series, maybe produced by Ken Burns, but for a quick historical perspective and a look at the glamor of the whole thing, this isn't bad. We get to see a multitude of stars, a few acceptance speeches, features on the different categories, all done in snippets, and there is a friendliness and honesty here that isn't usually present in these kinds of shows. I always look forward to the Oscars and ever time I'm bored and disappointed because the show is often so dull (the first five minutes is usually the best with a great production number) and endless. The other problem lately is that it's like watching election coverage where all of the races are already called before the show starts. The internet and the press usually tell us who all the winners are ahead of time. Granted, in close races, there are some surprises, but you immediately know that three of the five nominees don't have a chance. Anyway, I thought that for a little insight into the Academy Awards, this was a nice job.

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• Good documentary

  preppy-32015-02-02

  Documentary about the Academy Awards. It covers how and why they came into being and how they evolved and changed over the years. It consists of actors, producers and directors talking about getting nominated and getting (or not getting) the award. It also shows footage from Oscar TV telecasts and some of the more memorable acceptance speeches. The most amusing were seeing Ben Affleck and Matt Damon winning Best Screenplay for "Good Will Hunting" and Michael Moore winning Best Documentary for "Bowling for Columbine". They even cover the technical awards. All in all I was entertained but wanted more. They totally ignore the Best Song category and (for some reason) go into detail about animated films being recognized. So it's worth seeing but is lacking.

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• lots of fun

  blanche-22014-02-09

  "And the Oscar Goes To..." is a 2014 documentary shown on TCM recently. Some of the interviews, like the one with Jane Fonda, were not recent, but most of them seemed like they were. The documentary took us through the early days of the Academy Awards through to the 21st century, though more recent years seem to have been left out. I think the latest clip was in 2010 announcing The Hurt Locker as best film. Lots and lots of clips of past Academy Awards, including hosts Whoppie Goldberg, Bob Hope, and Billy Crystal; past winners -- Hattie McDaniel's heartfelt speech after winning for Gone with the Wind, Michael Moore winning for Bowling for Columbine, Jane Fonda for Klute, Sasheen Littlefeather accepting for Marlon Brando (Godfather), "Good Will Hunting" stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Henry Fonda's win accepted by Jane Fonda; Dustin Hoffman, Ruth Gordon, Marlon Brando (the first win) and many others. There was a discussion of the McCarthy era and the blacklist; and footage from backstage, where the press and photographers meet the winners. So I'd say they packed a lot into 90 minutes. Also, there was a look at some of the classic stars announcing the awards: Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart, etc. Narrated by Angelica Huston. Highly entertaining.

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• And the Oscar Goes To....

  Michael_Elliott2014-02-01

  And the Oscar Goes To... (2014) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Very good documentary taking a look at the history of the Oscars. That's pretty much the only plot description that this thing needs as the 90-minute running time is all about the big event. We learn about the very first awards and how it came to be. We learn about various rule changes that have taken place over time. We also get to hear from countless winners as they talk about what it's like getting up there to give a speech but we also get to hear from the other side in what it feels like to lose. Just about every topic is covered including some winners who started controversy, the smaller categories that most people don't care about and there's even a list of people who never won the award and it's just as impressive as the list of winners. AND THE Oscar GOES TO... is a very entertaining look at the end, which is full of interviews with current winners but I thought this was the least entertaining thing. Do we really need to hear from Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg again? Yes, it's always great seeing these two but we've already had so many other documentaries about their films and careers. I thought the most interesting moments were the ones dealing with the older footage that we don't get to see as often. This includes Hattie McDaniel's acceptance speech for GONE WITH THE WIND and various clips of Bob Hope hosting the event. The stuff dealing with the legends of Hollywood who are no longer with us are clearly the best moments of this and it makes you wonder why these full shows (and the AFI tributes) aren't available for viewing.

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