In an effort to speed up the ceremony, various technical and art awards were given to groups already present on stage before the winner was announced and in some cases, awards were presented in the aisles. Frankly, this did little more than perplex viewers and insult nominees of the "minor" categories.
The rest of the ceremony (with the exception of the race for Best Director between Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood) evoked little tension and had few surprises. "The Aviator" and "Million Dollar Baby" took home six and four awards, respectively, but "Baby" will get the most press for winning most of the Academy's major awards-Picture, Director, Actress and Supporting Actor. When Morgan Freeman won his first Oscar, he delivered one of the evening's most poignant speeches. Hilary Swank, who was the favorite in her category, did not disappoint-or, for that matter, forget to thank anyone. Her acceptance speech ran well over the 30-second time limit.
Although "Finding Neverland" was an amazing movie, as Lim points out, it does not hold a candle to "Baby." The acting in "Baby" was impeccable, as was the directing, cinematography and writing. In addition, it was incredibly evocative, touching and even funny at times.
While Scorsese is, without a doubt, one of the best American directors of our time, the fact that he hasn't been a favorite of the Academy in the past does not mean that "Aviator" deserved to win. He will get his Oscar one day, I am sure. This time, however, it belonged to Eastwood. This was a year that overflowed with talent, and no matter how boring the ceremony may have been, it is far more important to focus one's attention on the acknowledgement given to some very gifted artists.