Oscars 2006: The Recap
10:04PM EST
Lily Tomlin and thirteen-time Oscar nominee Meryl Streep appear, and Meryl looks absolutely fantastic in a plunging eggplant neckline. They both seem drunk at first, although Lindsay Lohan will rasp much, much later on E! that they’re actually in character from A Prairie Home Companion. They’re here to introduce Robert Altman’s Honorary Oscar. Five minutes of patter later, Tomlin says the popcorn is actually peyote buttons, and these two have officially hijacked the Oscars. After the clip reel, Altman says, “I feel like I’ve made just one long film,” and those of us who made it through Gosford Park heartily agree.
10:18PM EST
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, who looks impossibly dapper in a black velvet tux jacket, intros the Original Song nominee from Hustle & Flow, performed by Three 6 Mafia. Apparently the words “ho” and “bitch” made it past the Academy and ABC censors. As did the costumes worn by the various hos.
Oscar nominee Queen Latifah, presents the award for those songs. And my Lord, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” wins. Every person of color in the audience is on his or her feet, including Hustle & Flow producer John Singleton. When the Three 6 Mafia finds the correct microphone, Jesus gets his first shout-out of the night, and something in the acceptance speech is bleeped out. Jon Stewart cracks that it has just gotten easier out here for a pimp. He wonders aloud why the gentlemen in the Mafia are the most excited people in the Kodak tonight. Perhaps due to the much lower Botox–to–body fat ratio in the Three 6 Mafia.
And now, another series of faux smear ads for the Sound Editing nominees. Jennifer Garner trips on her way to the microphone and cracks, “I do my own stunts.” King Kong.
George Clooney, freed from the clutches of the rapacious press room, comes in to harsh everyone’s mellow with the annual reel of dead people. Chris Penn, Brock Peters, Shelley Winters, Anne Bancroft, and Richard Pryor get the big applause.
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Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal starred in the much talked about Brokeback Mountain. Both were nominated (Best Actor, and Supporting Actor respectively), but neither won. The film did win Best Director (Ang Lee) and Best Adapted Screenplay.
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