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| Liza Minnelli appears in the TV doc. |
Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
Produced by Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, Christopher Pavlick and Rick Spalla
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In celebration of the Academy Awards, Turner Classic Movies presents this documentary about the Oscars. The made-for-TV film touches on the history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as well as some of the winners over the years. Amidst the talk of some notable films that Oscar ignored are short breakdowns of the categories. Of course, there are interviews with various subjects on the Oscars, personal highlights and the lore of the grand ceremony, coupled with archive footage of the event. Though less than 100 minutes, the film manages to cover a lot of ground.
However, this special is more like an appetizer for Oscar fans. It merely touches base on what could've been a full series of specials, perhaps one for each decade. With a history of over eighty years of awards and the coverage that goes with them, the film cannot delve into too many areas of the Academy Awards. It merely scratches the surface, which is fine, if disappointing. The interviews are mostly enjoyable, and the category breakdowns, though disjointed, do provide a nice pace. Meanwhile, the archival footage is very interesting, and it leaves the viewer only wanting more. It's a swift glance at a milestone in Hollywood, but a pleasant one at that. Although it doesn't fully tackle all of the behind-the-scenes issues and memorable moments from the Academy Awards, it's a must watch for any Oscar fan.
Oscar Potential: None (not eligible)
I admit that it's not a great film but certainly an enjoyable one as far as what the Oscars meant. I would've loved to see more about some of the ceremonies including the notorious one in 1989 that was produced by Alan Carr in which Rob Lowe nearly killed his career singing a duet with Snow White.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I could've watched a much longer documentary, which should've featured that Snow White moment.
DeleteOh cool! I'd so watch this. I wonder if it'll be available online somewhere.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope TCM will make it available online then! :)
DeleteNice recap! I think it tried to mix a little bit of everything, which was nice but as you said a little disjointed. It's an enjoyable "surface" documentary that covers a lot of ground but doesn't dig very deep.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I really want a massive documentary on the Oscars. :)
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