Fair Play To You . . . (or my favorite 2008 Academy Awards moment, which I actually missed!?!)

Anybody that knows me knows that the Academy Awards broadcast is a big deal to me.

I make a big vat half-assed cheese popcorn and some type of dessert, this year's was chocolate chip bar cookies w/ pine nuts (which next time I make that I have to remember to toast the pine nuts first b/c they kinda got lost taste-wise being raw) and I have my score card and I tally up all of the winners and I sit there making myself sick w/ too much popcorn and I watch the whole damn thing loving every minute of it. I haven't missed one since I started watching them regularly in 1991. I don't really care about any other awards show and really I usually don't even care too much about 75% of the hollywood movie up for the awards. I don't know, I love movies in general and I like the whole community of it and the history. I always really like all of the movie montages in the show and I love the acceptance speeches (especially for the lesser awards) and it's just a nice thing to look forward to in the winter time?


So, I found this year's show pretty enjoyable, it was nice that nothing really completely swept and all of the big pictures are ones that I'm actually looking forward to seeing. All of that said, I actually missed the best moment of the broadcast (I can't remember if it was b/c I was tinkling or that I had changed the channel for the commercial and didn't quite turn back in time?), it was when Jon Stewart brought back out the cute little czech girl, Markéta Irglová from the movie "Once" who had just won for the best original song but got cut off at the microphone just as she was about to speak. I remember noticing that and feeling badly for her. I was really happy for them winning although truth be told I was only lukewarm about their movie. I thought it looked nice and I liked the story but the two big ruiners for me were that I didn't like most of the songs in it (which is tough w/ a musical) and I found the main character a little too earnest for my liking. Which I think I could have looked past if I would've liked the songs? Anyway,here is some Youtube-age of what I'm babbling on about:


I had put the Youtube clip of the acceptance speeches here but my html skills are lacking to say the least and somehow everything got screwed up, I hate fooling w/ youtube. Anyway, the clip would probably have gotten taken down but while it lasts (and if you are interested you can find it here)



And here are the transcripts of both of their speeches, Glen Hansard's:

"Thanks! This is amazing. What are we doing here? This is mad. We made this film two years ago. We shot on two Handicams. It took us three weeks to make. We made it for a hundred grand. We never thought we would come into a room like this and be in front of you people. It's been an amazing thing. Thanks for taking this film seriously, all of you. It means a lot to us. Thanks to the Academy, thanks to all the people who've helped us, they know who they are, we don't need to say them. This is amazing. Make art. Make art. Thanks."

and Markéta's:


"Hi everyone. I just want to thank you so much. This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling, and this, the fact that we're standing here tonight, the fact that we're able to hold this, it's just to prove no matter how far out your dreams are, it's possible. And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don't give up. And this song was written from a perspective of hope, and hope at the end of the day connects us all, no matter how different we are. And so thank you so much, who helped us along the way. Thank you."


Two really nice speeches and really a big part of why I enjoy the Oscars, moments like those. What I especially enjoyed about Markéta's speech though (and pretty much the whole reason I'm even posting this nonsense) is her use of the Irish-ism "fair play" (which translates(?) to kinda "way to go" in blah english english) I love that expression to no end. It always makes me think of the great Van Morrison song funnily enough titled "Fair Play" from his underrated classic 1974 album "Veedon Fleece".

FAIR PLAY

Fair play to you
Killarney's lake are so blue
And the architechure I'm taking in with my mind
Is so fine

Tell me of Poe
Oscar Wilde and Thoreau
Let your midnight and your daytime
Turn into love of life

It's a very fine line
But you've got the mind child
To carry it on when it's just about to be carried on

And there's only one meadows way to go
And you say Geronimo
And there's only one meadows way to go
And you say Geronimo

A paperback book as we walk down the street
Fill my mind with tales of mystery, mystery
And imagination
Forever fair
And I'm touching your hair
I wish we would be dreamers in this dream
Oh, oh let it be

And there's only one meadows way to go
And you say Geronimo
And there's only one meadows way to go
And you say Geronimo

Fair play to you
Killarney's lakes are so blue
Hi ho silver tit for tat
And I love you for that

Hi ho silver tit for tat
And I love you for that

. . . And to make this pointlessness even longer, I just recently saw the Mumblecore tiny masterpiece "Quiet City" and it was pretty much everything that I wanted "Once" to be but wasn't.