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Celebrity Chatter: Oscars Filled With Shock, Surprises

Michael Moore Makes Wartime Speech, Eminem Wins?

Michelle Solomon, Staff Writer

It was refreshing to take a short break from war news and escape for just a little while. Isn't that what entertainment is all about -- to allow for a little bit of escape?

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's decision to go on with the show was a back-and-forth struggle up to the last minute. With the country involved in a controversial war, was it appropriate? Would stars use the Oscars as a platform to air their war views? Well some would, some wouldn't.

In the end, moving forward was the best thing.

For the Oscars, having its 75th anniversary celebration in the midst of war was both a bane and a blessing. There were plenty of film clips and pre-production to fill television time with some notable homages to past celebrations and previous movie winners.

Steve Martin was an amiable host and kept the comedy light, relying heavily on taking jabs at celebrities in the audience.

Martin proved himself to be the right man for the job of Oscar host in wartime. His introduction addressed the war, but kept it casual.

"Well, I'm glad they cut back on all the glitz," he said during his opening monologue. "You probably noticed there was no fancy red carpet tonight. That'll send them a message."

Later in the evening, as filmmaker Michael Moore kicked off the first of a few onstage comments about the war, Martin offered a quick comeback for Moore's display.

"It's so sweet backstage," he said. "The Teamsters are helping Michael Moore into the trunk of his limo."

Here are some other Celebrity Chatter observations.

The Oscar For "Least Expected Moments" Go To:

Sharon Stone's appearance in advertisements for America Online was a surprise. Did she opt to do the commercial rather than not parade down the red carpet? Oh, right, there was no red carpet.

Adrien Brody's uninvited kiss with Halle Berry was as uncalled for as Michael Moore's scathing speech. I hope Eric Benet, Berry's husband, has some choice words for that ridiculous and highly embarrassing moment for Ms. Berry. Did the camera catch her wiping her lips?

Eminem wins the Oscar for Best Song for "Lose Yourself" from "8 Mile"? Marshall Mathers can now add Oscar to his resume, but the fact that he beat out legends like John Kander and Fred Ebb for "Chicago" and the gifted and talented Bono and Paul Simon makes the Academy seem like a bunch of buffoons. When will Mathers stop being glorified for writing lyrics that are foul, hateful and demeaning to women? The gifted and prolific actor Peter O'Toole has to wait his whole lifetime to get an honorary Oscar and some potty-mouthed rapper gets one for talking words above a repetitive music track. Go figure.

Of course, the award upsets included Brody beating actors such as Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine and Nicolas Cage for Best Actor and Nicole Kidman taking Best Actress away from sure-shot Renee Zellweger. Roman Polanski, who was obviously unable to attend, won deservedly, but surprisingly for "The Pianist."

How About The "I Knew It Was Going To Happen" Awards:

Moore's blistering speech was as predictable as "Chicago" winning Best Picture. It was almost the identical speech he delivered at the Indie Awards Saturday night. Moore's backstage speech would have been more appropriate for audiences to hear if he was going to choose to make public war comments. Moore, talking about his win for best documentary for "Bowling for Columbine," told reporters backstage: "What was the lesson that we taught children of Columbine this week? That violence is an acceptable means to resolve a conflict."

Susan Sarandon's peace sign was a subdued touch for the outspoken actress. Sarandon has been known for her grandstanding at public events in times of turmoil. It was a smart move for the academy to put Sarandon in charge of delivering the In Memoriam segment of the show. She would have seem highly disrespectful spouting antiwar rhetoric before a tribute to memorialize gifted and talented Hollywood legends lost last year.

Joan and Melissa Rivers laborious two-hour preshow on E! was painful. The two were struggling to fill time and had little to do high above the arrival area at the Kodak Theater, across Hollywood Boulevard, this year at the Roosevelt Hotel.

Fashions were subdued, but not entirely boring. Red carpets were also absent at the pre- and post-Oscar parties. As is the usual practice, around midnight as the post-Oscar Governors Ball drew to a close, trucks from Angel Harvest, a nonprofit agency that provides food to those in need in the Los Angeles area, was expected to arrive at the Hollywood and Highland complex to pick up food for the homeless. The food will be the same Wolfgang Puck cuisine enjoyed by the Hollywood stars who attended the ball. That includes dishes such as lobster salad, Puck's pizzas, and creme brulee with 75 bean Tahitian vanilla ice cream.

Yum!

Michelle Solomon's gossip column, Celebrity Chatter, appears each Monday. E-mail us with questions or comments. Michelle Solomon@Celebrity Chatter.

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