I've put in a call to AMPAS' Sid Ganis to find out why Sunday night's video montage of great moments from the Oscars didn't feature any hosting footage of 4-timer Whoopi Goldberg or Steve Martin when everyone else was shown. Whoopi teared up about it on today's The View which, like the Oscars, is broadcast by ABC. (Didn't anyone at the network go, "Huh?") See the clip here. The View women found the oversight unforgiveable since Whoopi was the first female host, the first Oscar winner to host, and only the second African-American woman to ever win. "Did you make somebody at the Oscars mad?" Whoopi was asked. "Undoubtedly," she replied.
Also confounding was why actor Brad Renfro, who made his big film debut opposite Susan Sarandon in 1994’s The Client, was missing from Sunday's Oscar obits. Veteran actor Roy Scheider was missing, too, but an AMPAS spokesperson just told me that his death was too recent to include in the obit montage and assured, "He'll definitely be included in next year's." About Renfro, whose credits also included Sleepers, Apt Pupil and Ghost World, AMPAS insisted it was an editing decision made only because not everyone could be included. I say that's incredibly classless.
Damn, they couldn’t spend .025 seconds for Renfro, but could spend time on some agents? A category that was never listed before? Who’s running this show, Hillary’s people? These are some weird decisions.
Comment by mla28 — February 25, 2008 @ 4:44 pm
Yea - Renfro’s work in Larry Clark’s Bully was pretty brilliant. Completely unappreciated by the Academy but no less deserving - especially after Clark revealed the physical and mental transformation Renfro struggled with to take on that role.
Comment by chaderik — February 25, 2008 @ 4:58 pm
Hey, mla28 - your comment about “Hillary’s people” makes no sense.
Enough with the pathological blood thirst for Hillary.
Comment by Bruce — February 25, 2008 @ 4:58 pm
Also excluded: Alice Ghostley, Robert Goulet, Charles Nelson Reilly, Lois Nettleton, Allan Melvin, Tom Poston, Charles Lane, Merv Griffin, Marcel Marceau, Floyd “Red Crow” Westerman…and many others.
Comment by roxyc — February 25, 2008 @ 5:00 pm
I thought that was odd that this year they included Agents and Executives…had they ever done that before?? And I really don’t understand the date limitation of death. I guess I don’t realize how long it takes to insert a few second clip.
Comment by rebecca — February 25, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
Perhaps they didn’t want to remind people of quality options from the past…
Comment by pb — February 25, 2008 @ 5:02 pm
That’s the way to endear people!
Omit our heroes (Whoopi, Steve Martin, the GREAT Roy Scheider), plug in some teen person who’s never been in anything besides a concert movie no one over 21 would admit to ever hearing of, then remind us how the Oscars are for everyone!
See you next year!
Comment by e — February 25, 2008 @ 5:10 pm
Classless? Absolutely. The whole thing was summed up when they cut off the young woman who sang the song from ONCE the moment she reached the mic. This was one of the most interesting and unconventional nominations, much less wins, of the night, and they wouldn’t even let her speak! But we can get a 5 minute speech from the head of AMPAS.
This is why nobody cares- because the whole thing takes self-congratulations to a whole new level.
Comment by ihaveseenenough — February 25, 2008 @ 5:14 pm
While Brad Renfro had a few good performances, he wasn’t that major of a star. And I think it’s important for the Academy to show that the Oscars aren’t only about actors; that there are other members of the Hollywood family who are important to the art and business of movies. Include name actors and directors in the “in memorium” piece, of course, but I think it’s great that writers and art directors and agents and producers and costumers and lots of others get included. That that means some people cannot, that’s a shame. Truly. But let’s be inclusive and not just play favorites. That’s what it should be about.
Craig.
Comment by Craig Miller — February 25, 2008 @ 5:17 pm
Too recent to include in the montage? Maybe if it was the day before or something, but I think two full weeks is enough time to find a few nice clips. And cutting or not including Renfro is outrageous. As is leaving out Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin.
Comment by JoshA — February 25, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
The Brad Renfro omission is even more offensive when you consider that his supporting role in The Client propelled Susan Sarandon’s performance, which got her an Oscar nomination.
Comment by 40yearoldstitzer — February 25, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
Craig Miller is right about the need to be inclusive, and he’s a man of his word. You should see how inclusive his pants are!
Comment by Arleen — February 25, 2008 @ 5:48 pm
Bruce, I like Hillary. Her staff not so much. They have mismanaged her presidential run much like AMPAS has mismanaged the Oscars. A candidate for President needs to take criticism just like AMPAS needs to. We all have seen what happens when someone in power doesn’t. You get the last 15 years of Oscar shows and the Iraq war.
Comment by mla28 — February 25, 2008 @ 6:46 pm
Omitting Renfro is entirely offensive and unforgivable. The producers of this pathetic show only succeeded in creating the most boring and increasingly irrelevant show ever. Fukc the Oscars! Fukc ‘em!
Comment by Tim — February 25, 2008 @ 6:47 pm
The Oscars are over. Everyone knows that the best films in the world are rarely recognized at the Oscars. There is no time of the year in Hollywood that is more disgusting than Oscar (c) time. This years telecast seems like it was written by Wikipedia. Do we really need to see a short clip from every Best Picture winner ever? Did my grandfather write the script this year? It was like being at someone’s house and watching home movies. And the tubes…what was with the tubes?
Comment by waltmink — February 25, 2008 @ 7:10 pm
I seem to remember that River Phoenix was also omitted in the obit montage the year he died. if i recall correctly, i saw a news item back then that the decision was made that a drug overdose wasn’t something they wanted to glorify or something ridiculous like that. I could be off base here (haven’t tried to check my facts) but i just assumed that Brad Renfro fell into the same category and was omitted on purpose…
Comment by Voyeur — February 25, 2008 @ 7:20 pm
There’s a simple reason the Oscar telecast sucked. It’s the same reason the DGA negotiated a shitty deal with the AMPTP (which then begat the shitty WGA deal). The reason is that Gil Gates, Oscar producer and DGA negotiator, IS A FUCKING DOPE.
Comment by StickingWithMyUnion — February 25, 2008 @ 7:36 pm
A candidate for President needs to take criticism just like AMPAS needs to.
mla: I can’t speak for Bruce so I’ll just speak for myself. Your theory should apply to Barack Obama as well. It doesn’t, to the frustration of many.
Comment by Hold the kool-aid. — February 25, 2008 @ 9:32 pm
AM I the only one who clapped when they showed Jack Valenti’s face? Was that terrible? Do I need therapy for not mourning the death of a man who made it his life long mission to stifle creativity and freedom of expression in movie making? Is it wrong that I offended that they took the time to show him but omitted Roy Scheider’s?? No time my foot… No time for that but plenty of time to see an infinity of clip shows…oh for shame… for shame.
Comment by Wael — February 25, 2008 @ 9:46 pm
Brad Renfro died too recently for an obit? I call BS. Heath Ledger died a full week later, yet he was included. I guess the In Memoriam editors had other reasons for excluding him. I think the assertion that they may not have wanted to glorify a drug problem may have been spot on… but then again, didn’t Heath die of an overdose?
Double standard if you ask me.
Comment by Brad — February 25, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
Roy Scheider died on Feb 10th and it listed (for the first time I believe) that it encompassed Feb 1 2007-Jan 31 2008 so he would be in the next one. As far as renfro it was in January so if they could include Johnny Grant and a bunch of agents and executives they could have included him.
Comment by Steve — February 25, 2008 @ 10:20 pm
“Hold the Kool Aid” - We’re discussing people who are failing miserably at their jobs. Obama is succeeding spectacularly. (I’m not commenting on his politics just the management of his campaign). When Hillary wins another primary (or at least has someone faint during her speech) or when AMPAS can get people to faint at one of their Oscar shows because it was that good (let alone watch the thing) I’ll shut up.
Comment by mla28 — February 25, 2008 @ 10:39 pm
this was a shameful display by Oscar. They can pay all the lip service they want to including the whole Hollywood community, but lets face facts, people watch the Oscars to see Actors first and foremost and directors second. Putting agents in the obit role is an absolute joke if they are going to omit Renfro who despite being in some clunker films never put in a bd performance. That is to say nothing of his starring in several Oscar nominated films. Reward the people who’ve made you money Oscar.
Renfro gave his all to this town and was torn to shreds by it because he couldn’t deal. The least they can do is give him .5 seconds of recognition on the death reel.
Comment by manny — February 26, 2008 @ 4:40 am
This years telecast seems like it was written by Wikipedia. … Did my grandfather write the script this year?
Waltmink, wait - is Wikipedia your grandfather?
Comment by Garrett — February 26, 2008 @ 6:16 am
Definitely classless to leave Brad out. I’m glad the Oscars had crap ratings.
Comment by Rob — February 26, 2008 @ 6:34 am
Not only was Brad Renfro hugely talented, he appeared in multiple big-budget Hollywood films. That’s enough for me. He may have gone out a heroin addict and a total mess, but he was still a human being who embodied the talent that keeps this town chugging along.
Yet again, this omission proves that the Academy and the H’wood establishment are totally out-of-touch and tone-deaf — which might explain why these ceremonies suck uncontrollably and tend to make odd and forgettable choices.
Comment by Tim — February 26, 2008 @ 9:16 am
There were some goofs in the Grammy montage last year as well.
But Renfro being a victim of “editing” - that’s just as unforgivable as Whoopi being left out. Smells political to me. (not in the presidential sense though. PAUUULEASE.)
Comment by shelly — February 26, 2008 @ 9:27 am
At least there were a handful audience close ups on Gil Cates’ wife, Dr. Judith Reichman.
Comment by Cyd — February 26, 2008 @ 10:23 am
For “Voyeur”
River Phoenix was included in the Obits in 1994 (imagens from “Running on Empty”). Actually, that was the first year they had the “In Memorian”. Introduced by Glenn Cloose.
Comment by Nuno Antunes — February 26, 2008 @ 11:19 am
The Whoopi thing is WAY overblown. They showed her in the montage of oscar WINNERS - is it so horrible that they realized that she was covered and didn’t think it necessary to show her in TWO montages? And to make matters worse, some news reports on this get it wrong and make it sound like she wasn’t shown in any of the montages.
Renfro definitely is an oversight, they botched that one. But they did put a range of dates on it (which I don’t ever remember seeing before), they said they’ll show Scheider next year, now they just need to remember do it.
Comment by milo — February 26, 2008 @ 11:40 am
While Brad Renfro’s movies may have been small of late (though he did pop up in THE JACKET alongside Kiera Knightley and Adrien Brody), he’d just finished the Bret Easton Ellis adaptation THE INFORMERS alongside Kim Basinger, Billy Bob Thornton, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke and Jon Foster so I don’t believe any of this talk about him not being include because he wasn’t a big enough star. He’s been in plenty of well known movies.
The fact that the Oscar people are now backpedaling and trotting out multiple reasons now that the first excuse (not enough time) was obvious bullshit says it all.
I mean, they had plenty of time to show clips of people waking up from bad dreams but they couldn’t give three seconds to Renfro?
I’m apalled.
Someone suggested that perhaps Renfro’s drug habit may have led to him being omitted from the obit montage. Bullshit! If they didn’t include drug users, there wouldn’t be more than a handful of people included in the montage each year. Heath Ledger died of a drug overdose a week after Renfro but was included and do you think Robert Downey Jr. won’t be included when it’s his turn?
AMPAS ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Comment by Francine Fishpaw — February 26, 2008 @ 11:42 am
If they were to do a montage of everyone who’s ever been in a movie who also kicked the bucket the past year, the show would last forever, as opposed to merely feeling like it lasted forever. They can’t pay tribute to every B-list actor, and they certainly can’t honor those, like Charles Nelson Reilly, Marcel Marceau, Merv Griffin, who didn’t have an impact on film. It’s tragic that Renfro died young, but more tragic that, unlike Heath Ledger, he didn’t accomplish all that much in his brief life in his chosen trade.
Comment by Steve Smith — February 26, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
Cates phoned it in. It was an obvious clip show; they assembled all those montages during the WGA strike to cover their asses, and rather than buckle down with the same old tired writers and actually work hard to do a real show, they went with what they had, and didn’t have the sense or the commitment to talent to recognize Roy Scheider (a two time nominee, FGS!, and the others already mentioned.
Tired old people doing a tired old show. And a director who wants the job so much he keeps cutting to a non-pro whose only qualifications for preferential seating are her celebrity gynecological practice and the fact that her husband’s producing the show, and hires the director.
Comment by Elrod Stroop — February 26, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
Steve, Renfro was in 25 movies (some of them major) which is far more movies than Ledger ever did. He just finished a movie with two Oscar winners to be released this year.
It’s not a case of including everybody in the biz who has died in the past year. It’s about the glaring omission of a young actor who was well-known and should have been included instead of agents and execs who nobody outside of the biz would know if they fell over them.
You may think Renfro is a B-list actor but just wait until an actor you admire dies and the Oscar fogies decide for whatever reason that said actor doesn’t deserve a three second mention in a three and a half hour show.
For a lot of people, this was the final straw. I know I won’t be watching the Oscars ever again. It’s become irrelevant.
Comment by Francine Fishpaw — February 27, 2008 @ 8:18 am