When you think Hollywood you don’t think Keanu Reeves, Demi Moore, Tina Fey or, gasp, Miley Cyrus.
Yet all were on stage during the 82nd annual Academy Awards show last night.
Now, throwing a Cyrus into the mix is a bald – and likely unsuccessful – attempt to woo younger viewers to the broadcast.
Cuz you know teens love three-plus hour award shows, right?
It’s easy to excuse such naked ratings stunts. What’s harder to figure out is why so many bona fide movie stars stay home on the biggest night of their industry’s year.
Need some help, Hollywood? Why not let these folks on stage:
Mel Gibson. Al Pacino. Robert De Niro. Glenn Close. Diane Keaton. Dame Judi Dench. Reese Witherspoon. Denzel Washington. Clint Eastwood. Sophia Loren. Jodie Foster. Tom Cruise. Will Smith. Julia Roberts. Harrison Ford. Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Paul Giamatti. Billy Crystal (If he can’t host, let ‘em on stage, for crying out loud).
You know … movie stars.
(More Below)
I’ve yet to read why Jack Nicholson is no longer seated in the front row on Oscar night.
The bigger mystery is why the Oscar telecast can’t draw top talent. Is it a reflection on the Oscar’s diminishing clout? Is it a sign actors simply don’t appear unless there’s a promotional angle in it for them?
Say what you will about this year’s hosts, the award winners and the musical numbers, but the lack of star power proved a stunning, sad development.
(Photo: Movie star Will Smith, seen here in “Hancock,” was one of many no-sows at th )
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I think in the most general sense, the people who are at the Oscars are the people who were either IN nominated (or popular) movies for the year in question, or who have big movies on the not so distant horizon to promote.
And I also think “biggest” is highly debatable. Mel Gibson? Didn’t he just have his first starring role in SEVEN years? Al Pacino? What’s he been in this century? Glenn Close and Sophia Loren? Same question. Even Jack Nicholson has slowed down considerably in the past few years.
I’d much rather that the big movie stars NOT be there than to see them unnecessarily nominated just so they WILL be there.
I do want to know where the hell Brad Pitt was though.
I, for one, am thrilled whenever Julia Roberts is nowhere to be seen.
Miley Cyrus is ridiculous, though. Shouldn’t an actor appear in at least one good movie before they’re allowed to attend the Oscars?
Three hours and nothing to imbibe. Too many photogs, reporters
and TV hosts to wander through. Acknowledging fans and lookee loos and other lesser humans for hours on end. Watching lesser
talented stars pickup awards for roles that were turned down.
The adolation is worth while but limited by the sheer number of other lesser stars intruding. The “Big Stars” stay at home, watch it
on TV and party while commenting on the quality of the event without them.
Since the Academy moved to the tiny Kodak theatre the rules for attending have changed. Now, each nominated movie gets 10 seats per nomination and the rest of the tickets are put into a lottery system. Members send in their application and $750 (the last time I tried) per ticket (2 tickets max). If your application is picked they keep your money and send you two tickets. If not, you get your check back.
The lottery system is the only possible way Gary Bussey got in last year.
“Is it a sign actors simply don’t appear unless there’s a promotional angle in it for them?”
YES. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, Christian. Unless they’ve been nominated, there’s nothing in it for them.
I was absolutely dumbfounded at the appearance of Miley.
Despite my delight in The Hurt Locker winning big, I think the Oscars are going downhill.
Best part of the evening? Ben Stiller as a blue person. Pure awesomeness. I knew Avatar couldn’t win Best Pic after that!
How could you be dumbfounded by the appearance of Miley Cyrus at the Oscars? She’s been there for the past 2 years, and is currently promoting a Nicolas Sparks movie (which is why she presented with Amanda Seyfried, who is also currently starring in a Nicholas Sparks movie). Say what you want about those puke-fest love stories, but they tend to bring in a considerable amount of money.
It’s all about eye candy. Why is Cameron Diaz a presenter every year? Because she looks great all dressed up in a gown and strutting out on stage.
Paul Giamatti may be a fine actor, but he is not on my list of bona fide movie stars.
Nikki Finke live-blogged the Oscars, and she said that everyone in Hollywood hates the show, except for the seat-fillers. I think that most of the nominees wanted to be there.
There are way too many awards shows now. I remember when the Golden Globes were an absolute joke.
This is a good point,that is where are the big names in the movie business on Oscar night? When past winners aren’t there I get a feeling of disconnectedness…the AMPAS people don’t do enough to showcase movie history. Afterall the moviegoers weren’t always addicted to fusion blockbusters with loads of fantasy and CGI and feature length animated movies. By the way it would have been nice to see Russell Crowe.
The movie stars stopped showing up when the I.R.S. started taxing the $40,000.00 SWAG bags as income that were handed out to the attendees……… after all, diamonds are for the stars and taxes are for the little people………
Dollar, dollar bill, Y’all
It IS about the money – and the swag tax definitely undercut the “promotional perk” that once attracted the big stars to these events, which in turn drive up the Nielsen ratings that finance these events.
(and I agree with some of the posters: many on your list no longer are, or never were big stars – making a distinction between “fine actors,” like Giamatti and Hoffman.)
It also may be noteworthy to observe that the historic glamor once associated with the Oscar presentation ceremony has been losing its luster successively for years now – the “star” in starpower has a different, downward-trending definition these days…
D
Scoff all you want, but Tina Fey is more of a “bona fide” movie star than Julia Roberts (not to mention more entertaining, and I say this while not agreeing w/her politically) these days; Baby Mama and (most likely) the upcoming Date Night grossed more than anything the Pretty Overrated Woman has starred in in close to a decade…
Well, with the old studio system long gone, the studios can’t force them to go. And apparently, if they don’t have any immediate skin in the game that year, they don’t go. And they don’t care that the overall “Hollywood glamour” factor is pretty much gutted if only the nominated show up.
I’m sorry, but Tina Fey does not say Hollywood glamour. Steve Carell? Yeah, they’ve made a couple movies, but they aren’t movie stars, they’re TV people.
The Hollywood fantasy is dead.
Instead of getting MORE stars who don’t seem interested in being there anyhow, I think we can all agree one that should go for good (at least re. presenting)- buzzkill Sean Penn!
To: KXB
Amen.