The one about me winning my first Oscar pool

Anyone who watches Friends "gets" my title. I don't really watch Friends, or like it all that much.* And actually, I get a little frustrated when people title their Facebook photo albums in this manner (seriously, I have multiple "friends" who do so). Regardless, I present you "The one about me winning my first Oscar pool."

*There is one exception to this statement. In an early episode Phoebe gets possessed by some old lady who intends to inhabit her body/mind until she has seen everything. Cue lesbian wedding. Despite the homophobic overtones of this episode, the point at which Phoebe, witnessing the union between woman-woman, screams out, "Now I have seen everything!", purging her of her ghostly possessor, still makes me laugh hysterically.

I have watched and loved the Academy Awards my entire life. Okay, this is not entirely accurate, but I have been watching and loving them for a really long time. (I have definitely watched the entire telecast every year since 1996. Before that, I admit, my viewership was a little more spotty. I was 10, 9, 8, 7...and foolish.) Last year was the first year I put my Oscar adoration to the test by hosting an Oscar party and organizing an Oscar pool. Before then I would usually watch the Oscars alone (which is delightful, but in a different way) and compete in online Oscar pools which I would always lose. I would have a favourite or combination of favourites (1998 - Matt and Ben for the Good Will Hunting screenplay and (sorry) Titanic, 1999 - Malick's unrecognized The Thin Red Line, 2000 - probably a combination of Girl, Interrupted, The Sixth Sense and (sorry once again) 'NSync (they performed the nominated "Music of the Heart"...I will never live down the shame), 2001 - Erin Brockovich (and Soderbergh), Almost Famous (and Crowe), the entirely underappreciated, greatest film ever, Wonder Boys and Dancer in the Dark, 2002 - at the time probably only Jennifer Connelly in A Beautiful Mind, though I would later come to LOVE Moulin Rouge!, Amélie, Gosford Park and Memento, 2003 - CHICAGO (especially Catherine Zeta Jones who I remember really wanting to win), 2004 - anything but the third and final installment of Lord of the Rings which Peter Jackson really should have considered editing (and won for editing), 2005 - KATE in Eternal Sunshine, CLIVE in Closer and either CATE (in The Aviator, who won) or Natalie (in Closer), 2006 - Reese in Walk the Line and Brokeback, but definitely NOT Crash (fuck Crash, the most undeserving Best Picture winner in the history of the Oscars), 2007 - Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson, KATE in Little Children, the screenplays for Little Miss Sunshine, Little Children and Children of Men (where was Clive's nomination this year?) and the look of Pan's Labyrinth) but mostly it was about simply basking in Oscar's glow. I have always loved the telecasts unconditionally and intend to do so as long as they keep airing them.

[Just to note:

Last year (2008) - Javier Bardem and/or Josh Brolin for No Country (except Brolin wasn't nominated), CATE in I'm Not There, something for Sweeney Todd and I guess I did sort of want to see Diablo Cody win for Juno

This year (2009) - KATE (The Reader) and Mickey (The Wrestler)...oh and Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler" (not nominated), The Dark Knight and Nolan for The Dark Knight (not nominated, not nominated), Howard/Zimmer for The Dark Knight's movie-making score (not nominated) and KATE (again) for Revolutionary Road (not nominated)]

The meaning of Oscar has changed now with the advent of my party. For one, the weekend leading up to Sunday night is considerably busier. Pajamas are no longer suitable attire, and I'm usually buzzing (and not just on Oscar-related adrenaline) by mid-telecast. There is also the slight change of having, like, 20 people around as I laugh, cry, yell, pout, celebrate and delight in every last second. And of course, there is the pool.

I didn't win last year. I came pretty close, top five or something like that. But I totally didn't win. I guess it wasn't all that shocking as I tend to cave and pick with my heart (aw) and I was also somewhat relieved that the pool creator didn't suspiciously walk away the victor. I was still very pleased with the pool, as it turned out to be an excellent way to keep otherwise only mildly interested Oscar viewers glued to the set.

This year, however...this year, I ruled. I ruled and won. I still can't decide whether Kate finally winning an Oscar or me finally winning a pool was more exciting, but either way I am talking about some serious excitement. In terms of categories, I only slipped up on two: Best Actor (Sean, not Mickey...curse you, heart!) and Best Foreign Language Film (but let's be honest, no one saw that coming). Otherwise I did moderately well on the generalized questions I had included in the pool; questions about the In Memoriam video, Hugh Jackman's hosting, whether or not anyone would thank Obama and/or the Academy and so on.

I could go through and offer a blow-by-blow summary of the night and what I liked about it, but you can find something similar on any of the entertainment websites/blogs. I thought Jackman did a pretty good job and personally I loved the musical number choreographed by Baz, probably because I love Baz and musical numbers and this one made me smile. The actor-on-actor (that sounds dirty) nomination introductions were a little lengthy and awkward but the nominees seemed really touched by them so I suppose I would vote for their continuation (in a, perhaps, somewhat edited-down format?). The "Romance," "Action" and "Drama"-style videos were ridiculous and awful, with the exception of the Apatow-directed "Comedy" (anything involving James Franco is always a winner). The grouping of boring (I mean, lower profile) categories was a great idea but the lame people selected to present multiple awards were not (I'm talking about you, Will Smith, Sarah Jessica). The seating arrangement was fine and the sparkly blue curtains were either horribly or wonderfully retro, I have yet to decide. Tina Fey and Ben Stiller were hilarious. Kate Winslet won the night and Kate Winslet's dad is a very impressive whistler under pressure.

I think that is all I will say about this year's Academy Awards. Once again I had a fabulous time and I will no doubt be back next year. As for my bathroom mirror acceptance speech, I give it ten years until you finally get to hear it, at which time I will compare solo Oscar parties to group Oscar parties and pools to attending the event itself, and emerging victorious.