Academy Awards

The fashion choices were mostly safe rather than sorry. Still, there were winners and losers. Page 3C

Despite the high number of daring and socially conscious films nominated at last night's 78th Annual Academy Awards, the telecast was surprisingly lackluster. Don't blame host Jon Stewart, of Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. When he came to Hollywood to host the awards, he did not leave his political humor at home. Referring to the gargantuan Oscar statue behind him, Stewart said: "Do you think if we all got together and pulled it down, democracy would flourish here in Hollywood?"

Hollywood -- Crash, a film that suggests America has far to go to become a true racial melting pot, upset heavily favored Brokeback Mountain in being named the best picture of 2005 at last night's 78th annual Academy Awards ceremonies. The film, whose characters clash along racial lines, also earned Oscars for Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco's original screenplay and Hughes Winborne's editing. Haggis, also director and a producer of Crash, admitted he was "shocked" when his film was announced as best picture instead of Brokeback Mountain.

It was a night to recognize cowboys, eccentric literary geniuses and powerful 1950s senators. But the style honors went to a handful of lovely ladies who managed to pull off a nearly flawless red carpet during last night's Academy Awards. There was very little to complain about as veterans such as Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, as well as newbies such as Keira Knightley and Jessica Alba, strolled past a parade of cameras and microphones in one elegant look after another. It was almost disappointing, all that perfection.

Today's Hollywood sounded as puffed-up and platitudinous as Old Hollywood through much of the 78th annual Academy Awards. Cathy Schulman, co-producer of the upset winner, Crash, thanked everyone who embraced the movie's message of "love, tolerance and truth" - high-flown spin on a movie about racism that was pretty much a two-hour hatefest. Crash director/co-writer/co-producer Paul Haggis (who won best original script) loosely quoted Bertolt Brecht that "art is not a mirror to hold up to society, but a hammer with which to shape it."

Hollywood -- Philip Seymour Hoffman was named best actor last night at the 78th annual Academy Awards for his performance as Truman Capote in the film Capote. Otherwise, films with clear political messages dominated the early stages of last night's Academy Awards, as George Clooney and Rachel Weisz won supporting actor and actress Oscars for movies that questioned America's Mideast policy and the world's treatment of medical crises in Africa. In the evening's first award, Clooney won for playing a burned-out, overweight CIA agent in Syriana.

Jon Stewart may have been the only person who wasn't thrilled with the news that he would be host for this year's Academy Awards. "As an avid watcher of the Oscars," he said in a statement, "I can't help but be a little disappointed with the choice." Stewart, as host of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central, has built a reputation for needling the establishment. His biting, sarcastic coverage of the 2004 presidential election -- dubbed Indecision 2004 -- made him a media darling, and his fake news show is watched by 1.4 million people each night.

You know the "type." Bruce Willis, action guy (Die Hard, etc.). Milla Jovovich, seductive slayer of whatever (Resident Evil, etc.). Certain actors seem to thrive on being pigeonholed, with Willis' cop adventure 16 Blocks and Jovovich's futuristic keister kicker Ultraviolet opening today. Not exactly a stretch for either. We wonder, have you ever identified with an actor so strongly in a certain role that you were jarred when he or she tried to exhibit "range"? WHAT YOU SAY Cary Grant in Father Goose (1964)

Midnight Cowboy [MGM] $30 Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee's tale of love between two cowboys, is the front-runner to win the top Oscar prize Sunday. The film's frank and open depiction of the men's relationship has caused much controversy this award season. But it's just movie history repeating itself. Thirty-six years ago, the Academy Awards embraced another love story - albeit platonic - between two men and gave the drama Midnight Cowboy an Oscar for best picture of 1969, as well as awards for best director (John Schlesinger)

HOLLYWOOD -- The host gets the photo shoot, the nominees get the luncheon and the winners, of course, get the Oscars. But the people who make the Academy Awards telecast possible get the cool Oscar gear - sweat shirts and hats emblazoned with the show's number and famous logo. That and all the assorted "truck food" they can eat. The Academy Awards show is consistently the largest entertainment-driven live broadcast in the world, and it takes roughly 1,000 people to make it happen. At this year's production meeting, there were more than 200 in the room, representing the disparate areas of expertise the show requires, from the medical staff to the stage manager, from the set designer to the telephone technician, the limousine coordinator to the director.