Did the Oscars Get It Right?

Hollywood's biggest celebrities took time out of their busy moviemaking schedules last Sunday to attend the most glamorous prom on the face of the planet. While stars like Nicole Kidman and Tom Hanks strolled down the red carpet in their haute couture forcibly twirling about for the gauntlet of paparazzi, average Joes (like myself) glued our butts to couches to witness this escape from reality and determine who is the "best" in Hollywood for ourselves.

Despite the annoying Joan Rivers wannabes attacking the red carpet, this year's Academy Awards was succinct, semi-enjoyable and had an excellent roster of worthy films. It didn't seem as long and drawn out like I have remembered. Being a "serious" watcher of this must-see awards show for the past decade, it's nice to see that the novelty I thought it lost is finally coming back.

In a nutshell, Jon Stewart kept things interesting at the event with his witty, less-political-than-usual, banter and even though it was a bit "edgy" for the Academy Awards, dirty south rap group Three Six Mafia nabbed a Oscar for best original song, "It's Hard Out There For a Pimp" (as heard in "Hustle and Flow). I'd never thought I'd see the day when the word, "pimp" would be correlated with "Oscars." Nonetheless, we'll bypass all those other technical, less exciting Awards and go straight for the jugular. Did the Oscars get it right? (And by "right," I am referring to my own, rational choices.) Who won and who really should have won this year?

Best performance by an actor in a supporting role:

Nominees:

- George Clooney, "Syriana"

- Matt Dillon, "Crash"

- Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"

- Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain"

- William Hurt, "A History of Violence"

Who won: George Clooney, "Syriana"

Who should've won: Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"

Although he did play a decent racist bastard in "Crash," Dillon wasn't a big favorite here. Mr. Gyllenhaal wowed by default and William Hurt is merely a filler for the category. Clooney may have gave justice to the oil-based political drama, but he's been given more credit than he deserves. Giamatti should've won. He's a great character actor and although "Cinderella Man" wasn't his best, I was rooting for him to spite Clooney.

Best performance by an actress in a supporting role:

Nominees:

-Amy Adams, "Junebug"

-Catherine Keener, "Capote"

-Frances McDormand, "North Country"

-Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"

-Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain"

Who won: Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"

Who should've won: Catherine Keener, "Capote"

There isn't much discrepancy in Weisz's win, but I still have to stand by my choice of Catherine Keener. Keener did a powerfully subdued Harper Lee in the Truman Capote biopic. With Philip Seymour Hoffman delivering a brilliant performance as the resilient soft-spoken author, Keener just added more texture to the already compelling piece of cinema.

Best performance by an actor in a leading role:

Nominees:

-Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"

-Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow"

-Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"

-Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line"

-David Strathairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck."

Who won: Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"

Who should've won: Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow"

Yes, I know that I said that Philip Seymour Hoffman performed brilliantly, but there was just something more than spectacular about the gritty performance delivered by Terrance Howard. For years, I have seen him jump off the screen in various supporting roles. He stole the show from 50-cent in "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" and he even stood out in "The Best Man." Without a doubt, his craft fights toe-to-toe with Hoffman, and it should've given him that golden bald man. His character in "Hustle & Flow" contains elements of the human condition that more of us common folk can relate to.