Thursday, December 28, 2000
The search for Steve - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- About three weeks ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the people in charge of handing out Oscar every spring, announced that Gilbert Cates would produce the 2001 Academy Awards telecast. It was no surprise as Gil Cates produced that show nine times previous, save last year’s show that saw American Beauty capture Best Picture.
The 72nd Oscars (last year’s) were produced by Dick and Lili Zanuck, who amid the ballots and then the statuettes going missing, produced a reasonable show, hosted by the reasonable Billy Crystal. Besides Isaac Haynes disappearing within the smoke of dry ice, the show went off pretty good, but it was clear some departures from the traditional Oscarcast, probably signaled they weren’t to be asked back. Good on the Academy for that one, as too much change can be upsetting for the status quo loving Academy.
So what can Gil Cates bring to Hollywood’s annual love-in? Well judging from the 71st show that was hosted by the unstable, but remarkably dressed Whoopi Goldberg - not much. The surprises were pretty kitsch and except Roberto Benigni’s pratfalls, Gil Cates’ worked looked tired. This year Billy Crystal won’t be back, as he’s busy shooting the picture American Sweethearts, the flick that has seen Robert Downey Jr. flee, pending charges. (I’ve heard Hank Azaria, will step into his role. Azaira, late of his work on The Simpsons and Oprah’s Tuesday’s With Morrie.)
The quest for Oscar host 2001 was on. Billy’s out, and Whoopi would refuse to host due to the undue criticisms that were lobbed her from her work of two years ago. Would David Letterman take over the hosting chores? I’m told he’d never do it again, after the whole misread, “Uma, Oprah” bit. Would his rival Jay Leno bring his dull humour to the stage of the Shrine Auditorium? No, as the Shrine is a room too big for the too chinned one? Robin Williams, who himself a past host, has publicly stated he’d never host again. He would rather have a root canal. Eddie Izzard, the obscure and popular comedian who won a pair of Emmy’s this past year was considered as was Jim Carrey who in the last couple of years was snubbed for a pair of two pretty good performances (The Truman Show and Man On The Moon.) Jon Stewart, the terrific comedian who hosts Comedy Central’s The Daily Show was tapped, but that buzz quickly faded. What looked to be a long search for the Oscar host ended quickly when two weeks ago Steve Martin was picked to be Oscar’s troubadour on Academy Awards night 2001.
The low-down of Steve? Well, nothing much wrong with that. Unlike Billy Crystal, Martin is a most literate comedian. Coming from the school of Mike Nichols and Neil Simon, this guy’s got chops that’d make Art Buchwald blush. Steve Martin is a playwright, an actor, comedian and an all around entertainer. He’s got a hell of act to follow as people will compare him to Billy Crystal, and rather unfairly. I don’t expect Martin to sing Oscar night, as to do so would render that deadly comparison to Crystal. He could stand in front of a podium much like past Oscar hosts Johnny Carson and Bob Hope, who if I may add made hosting the Oscars a most dignified job; but then again he could be compared to Bryant Gumbel’s unfunny job at the Emmy’s 3 years ago.
Steve Martin has his work cut out for him. The hard part is over. He’s got the job, but the job itself is one the world will watch for.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .