Did anyone else pick up on the irony that James Cameron's megalomania was the very attitude that sank the Titanic to begin with? How can "The King of the World" criticize anyone from the Whitestar Corporation? Nonetheless, he did deserve to win for direction. It was as good as the dialogue was horrible.
As a student of human behavior, I am intrigued by the frenzy of American teenage girls over the romance in Titanic. In fantasy, young women adore the androgynous, empathic, artistically talented but downtrodden Leonardo DiCaprio character. In real life, they crave vacuous, insensitive jocks and refer to sensitive aesthetically minded boys as "band fags". This goes to illustrate the disconnect in the minds of young girls between fantasy where the ideal is a mirror of self and reality where status needs and protection take precedence. There would be more sensitive men like Leo's character if women would actually seek them out.
I also have reservations about that affair as a shining example of love. The romance was ideal because it was doomed. Had the iceberg not cut the trip short, I predict Kate and Leo would have broken up in New York. His bleak career prospects, the inevitable discussion of prenuptial arrangements, social pressures would have been disastrous.
Black activists have a better than ever case this year than ever about the nominations and eventual selections. The snub of Eve's Bayou was disgraceful.
My picks:
Best Film: L.A. Confidential (haven't seen As Good as It Gets)
Best Actor: Robert Duvall (ditto above)
Best Actress: Helena Bonham Carter (ditto above)
Best Supporting Actor: Burt Reynolds (Robin Williams as a psychologist
really annoys me. Give me Reynolds as a porn director any day.)
Best Supporting Actress: Julianne Moore
(The last category particularly irks me. Anyone who saw Basinger and
Moore knows that the Moore character was much more complex. I'm also
peeved that the real Veronica Lake never won an Oscar for Sullivan's Travels
while someone who stole her image did for a less challenging role.
Let's also be honest and admit that Basinger was too old for that role.
Someone like Cameron Diaz would have been much better.)