Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Richard Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow

On Saturday, The Gryphon and I had a nice night out, just the two of us.

We returned to the Positano Coast, where we'd had drinks as part of our Valentine's Day celebration.

It was a little pricier than most restaurants we frequent, because it's served family style, where you order entrees and side dishes separately and share them.

We tried a little of everything, starting with an appetizer which included of oysters on the half shell, clams and sushi grade tuna. For our main course, we split a salmon entree and then also shared three sides: risotto, garlic spinach and some crunchy tuna. Even the bread was unbelievable, as they put rosemary in the olive oil, which we used for dipping.

For dessert, I had an blood orange sherbetta, which was an orange sherbet served with a couple slices of bright red blood oranges. Delicious. I also had espresso. We were pleased with the meal and agreed it's a good place to celebrate special occasions.

Then we walked up to the Ritz at the Bourse to see Good Night, and Good Luck. I'd wanted to see at least one more movie nominated for best picture before Sunday's Oscars ceremony. That was the one that we were both interested in seeing.

The Gryphon really loved Good Night, and Good Luck, and we got into a great conversation about how Edward R. Murrow's brand of journalism would be received today. Unfortunately, he'd most likely get shouted down by the O'Reillys and the Hannitys.

The film was constructed much like a feature length news piece, concentrating on the facts of what happened, with much of the dialogue coming directly from television scripts and columns. Leading man Richard Strathairn was incredible, the way he could convey so much emotion with a simple look.

The theater was full of people who seemed to enjoy it. They'd laugh with Edward R. Murrow as he made a point or tsk-tsk, in sympathy.

As I understand it, the voting was close for best picture. One entertainment reporter said that, of the 20 people he'd interviewed, just under half had voted for Crash.A few less had voted for Brokeback Mountain, with a few voting for Good Night, and Good Luck. So Edward R. Murrow might have made the difference for Crash's surprise win.

I was a little shocked, because so many of the award ceremonies had awarded best picture to Brokeback, including the Golden Globes, the Director's Guild and the British Film Association. But a lot can change in a few weeks, and I think the studio had an aggressive campaign for Crash right before ballots were due.

Last night, the most pleasing surprise was Jon Stewart as Oscar host. He was funny, charming, self-deprecating and kept the show moving. He teased audience members without being rude or nasty, and he even capitalized on some things that happened that evening, such as the fact that "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" won for best song. He must have thought that was a gift from the gods, because it made for a great running joke.

He didn't lower himself to ridiculous stunts or strange costumes for cheap laughs. Instead, he introduced a few pre-produced pieces which were highly amusing, such as political style ads he claimed the best actress nominees had been running.

One of my favorite moments was at the beginning of the show, when he said, "Let's talk about the elephant in the room, Brokeback Mountain." He said that the movie broke the noble tradition of westerns, because "there's never been anything remotely gay about westerns." Then came a montage of clips from classic westerns with lines like "Show me your Winchester." Very well done.

I was impressed with his performance and think he'll be asked back next year. Whether he does it or not, of course, probably depends on whether he was having as much fun as he appeared to be.

Copyright 2005 by Alyce Wilson

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