Oscars to Celebrate Movie Heroes

It came as no surprise last year that Academy Awards telecast producer Neil Meron and Craig Zadan paid tribute to musicals, and it probably comes as no surprise that this year they chose ‘movie heroes’ as the theme of the show. It’s broad enough to include pretty much anything they want, but emotive enough to arouse curiosity.

“The show will honor big-screen real-life heroes, super heroes, popular heroes and animated heroes, both past and present, as well as the bold filmmakers who bring them to life” according to their latest press release. “We wanted to unify the show with an entertaining and emotional theme,” said Zadan and Meron. “People around the world go to the movies to be inspired by the characters they see on the screen. By celebrating the gamut of heroes who have enriched our movie-going experience, we hope to create an evening of fun and joy. And that includes the filmmakers and actors who take risks and stimulate us with provocative subjects and daring characters. They are all heroes in the cinematic landscape.”

Awww, but it’s still a cop out. They celebrate the filmmakers every single year by giving them Oscars. That’s the point.

However, it does give the Academy a decent opportunity to put on an exhibit from this Friday 17th January through to March 5th, showcasing a variety of interpretations of movie heroes. “The show,” they say, “will feature still photographs and posters from 70 titles spanning nine decades, as well as video montages comprised of excerpts from classic and contemporary films. The exhibit will include films centered on real-life heroes (Gandhi, Silkwood), super heroes (Superman, The Dark Knight), animated heroes (Shrek, The Incredibles), action heroes (Seven Samurai, Gladiator), literary heroes (To Kill a Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath) and more.

It’s exciting that they’re giving us more info about the show, but it doesn’t really affect things in the big scheme of things. Should be fun though.