The Strangest Oscars

We had a half-dozen people over for the Oscars tonight, and it was weird.

And I don't mean because there was a rare split between Best Picture and Best Director, and not even due to an actor punching one of the presenters in the face, although, yeah, that was pretty weird.

No, the weirdest thing was having people over, exerting an atrophic hospitality muscle, and opening our doors to the most people our house has seen since probably 2019.

Heck, in 2019, we didn't even have an Oscar party because I was in Texas with Pete for the Muse concert. So this was only our second party of its type in half a decade (!) and yeah, if I am being honest (which I am because in vino veritas and I took 8 shots during the March of the Dead) it provoked a bit of anxiety.

Last week I confessed to Audrey about my apprehensions and told her "I am glad we are having the party, because I am not happy we are having the party." And she was away for our niece's bridal shower and worked her other job until 5 pm on Oscar night so a lot of the prep was left to me, and after so much hiatus, it felt unreal to be doing it all. 

But I did it, and I am glad we did. 

We crock-potted up a bunch of meatballs and people brought KFC and buns and cheesy potatoes and brownies (protected for the occasion) and there was beer and wine in the fridge and it was great. And not because of the food.

This year's theme was "Movie Lovers Unite" and that's why we did it. Sure it was great to watch Jane Campion become the first woman to not only be nominated for but WIN her second Oscar for Best Director, and for Billie Eilish and her brother to become the first Americans to win for a Bond song. 

I thought for sure that Kenneth Branagh must have won before but he got his first Oscar tonight for writing Belfast. And I hope Dune's six Oscars salves  Denis Villeneuve being snubbed for Best Director.

And yeah, after Will Smith walked onstage and actually slapped presenter Chris Rock after the latter made an insensitive joke about the bald look the former's wife is sporting due to alopecia ("G.I. Jane II"), I think Oscar's Wildest Moments has a new champ, and I was very disappointed that Smith didn't apologize to either Rock or his wife for losing his cool so fundamentally after winning Best Actor for King Richard. But at least it was memorable!

And having a full(er) room of people to share and appreciate that moment and all the others, like Jessica Chastain's great acceptance speech about, well, acceptance, really, or Kevin Costner's heartfelt appreciation for How the West Was Won.

Joking and gushing about the dresses and suits, and hooting for the winners we loved and clucking our collective tongues in dismissal  of those we didn't appreciate- it was so much better than watching by ourselves in a scaled-down ceremony last year.

Malachai took the Vegas odds ("Vegas never lies") and took the award for most predictions with 15, while Andrew's 11 correct guesses ended up winning him the draw for our movie ticket door prize. 

Pete "won" March of the Dead with 12 misses, while I silvered with 10. Honestly, I may have known about some of these and forgotten since the news fo their passing was announced, but if I am surprised on Oscar night, I take a drink, because them's the rules.

• Olympia Dukakis
• Ned Beatty
• Monica DeLaurentis
• Sally Kellerman
• Sonny Chiba
• Melvin Van Peebles
• Mace Neufeld
• Paul Mooney

Yet another example of why it is important from time to time to do things that take you out of your comfort zone, even if you have done them nearly 20 times before. Thank you, fellow movie lovers!