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Were we really surprised? That awful ship took home 11 awards. I, for one, could not contain my joy when it was definitively decided that 11 would be the maximum number - if AMPAS was going to overload the overlong, overblown, over-the-top monstrosity with Oscars, the least they could do was leave Ben-Hur's record haul unconquered by so unworthy a nonentity.
A few major grouses: that overplayed awful song won the Oscar for Best Song. As Madonna so succinctly stated, "What a shock!" And James Horner should give his award to Enya, whose music was ripped-off for the soundtrack. And what was it with the costume award anyway? Sandy Powell of "The Wings of the Dove" was robbed! Since when did mindlessly pretty outfits beat out sumptuous costumes which actually shaded characters and helped tell the story?
What was nice was the level of graciousness on display on-stage by most of the winners, bar one idiot who hooted and decreed himself king, and who, in a moment of calculated crassness, induced a skin-crawling, cringe-inducing, maudlin display of fake sentimentality by exhorting the audience to observe a moment of silence. He made Tom Hanks' previous speeches seem eloquent and intelligible. Helen was graceful and gracious (and beautifully understated in Gucci), whilst Matt and Ben (whose award really should have gone to Paul Thomas Anderson) added an irreverent shot of energy to the flagging proceedings. Kim Basinger seemed genuinely surprised (has she been living in the desert or something? EVERYONE knew she was going to get it!), whilst the look of profound disappointment on Burt Reynolds' face was a joy to behold - let's hope he disappears from our movie screens again. The fact that both Jack and Helen won confirms William Goldman's theory that "As Good As It Gets" directed itself to a Best Picture nomination.
Among the presenters, Cameron Diaz seemed to be the one actress whose natural coloring suited that strange blue/grey thing going on this year, whilst Helen Hunt proved that Jamie Buchman may be the real her with that little impromptu save of her own line-flubbing. Ben and Matt again livened things up with their little gig on-stage, but Neve Campbell was either high or having a nervous breakdown. Also, something about Billy's performance this year left much to be desired. In a year with little surprise and much needless self-congratulations by some undeserving winners, perhaps it's best to remember the 70th Academy Awards as the year which honored Stanley Donnen with a Lifetime Achievement Award. His acceptance speech cum performance not only proved him talented and deserving, but also showed a high level of taste, class and charm - three things sorely lacking in the big winner of the night.