The Academy Awards are over for another year. Here are the top 5 changes I'd make if I were producing the show next year:

1- Drop the music added this year during acceptance speeches. While the show was markedly shorter than previous years, the annoying music immediately resulted in subdued acceptances that were, for the most part, rushed. It also made it extremely difficult to hear what was being said. Yich, who's stupid idea was that?

2- Drop the music interludes for best song. This isn't the Grammys. It has always amazed me, during a show about the best in movies, more time is devoted to a song award (most of which were never heard by movie goers since they usually play during the credits) than any other single award of the evening. Original scores, sure, and having Pearlman there was a great touch. But drop the musical numbers. Show more movie clips instead. Show some clips of the best acting winners. Show some behind the scenes of the nominated films - anything but the songs.

3- Let the speech for Best Picture run over time. Sheesh, would they have cut off Spielberg if he had won? Cutting off Crash producers (even before Haggis got to the mic) was in extremely poor taste. Given the show had already trimmed off an hour from previous telecasts, I would think another minute wouldn't have hurt late night news ratings that much. Crash winning Best Picture was the highlight of the event, the only notable surprise in amongst mostly predictable wins. The viewers were robbed of the only dramatic moment of the entire night. It's no wonder ratings continue to slip for this event.

4- Be sure to recognize all the actors who have passed over the previous year. There were 3 notable misses, given their passing was fairly recent (Darren McGavin, Don Knotts, Dennis Weaver). In previous years, this segment was virtually up to the minute; this year it seems it was put together a month before the show.

5- Have a little respect and stand up when you're in the face of greatness. Lauren Becall, clearly not feeling particularly well, is one of the few remaining Hollywood icons. It wouldn't have hurt the audience to get up and recognize her as such. Mickey Rooney, likely one of, if not the oldest person in the audience, should also have been recognized, if for nothing more than to recognize his presence.

6- (I know, I said 5). Uma deserves more screen time. She looked awesome (just ahead of Selma and Nicole). This kind of beauty should be on the screen for more than a minute.

joel

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