Oscar night: ‘Little Miss
Sunshine’ . . . or it’s a fraud!

Robyn’s Hood
By Robyn McCloskey

Well, Hollywood’s biggest night of the year is almost here. Yes it is Oscar time again on Sunday night, time for the rich and famous to sneak in their latest nip and/or tuck, call their stylist to hold their hand while picking out gowns that cost about as much as what most of us spend on a used car, and to drape themselves in diamonds borrowed from Harry Winston and worth as much as a college education.
But being the movie buff that my mother raised me to be, I thought it would be fun to share my picks on this year’s most holy of Hollywood nights.
Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness, not just because it is the only performance I caught in this category, but because Sir Smith just happens to be one of the coolest people ever to walk the face of the Earth. He also proved that nepotism isn’t always a bad thing, as evidenced by his being upstaged by his adorable son Jayden, but I would expect nothing less from the offspring of the former "Fresh Prince of Belair" and his totally toned wife Jada. With genes like that, the poor kid didn’t stand a chance at being a slacker. And need I even mention that Will is originally from Philly?
Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine, not just because he was absolute perfection in this indie sleeper hit, but also because one time my husband, kids and I were at Universal Studios in California and his son Adam (of Chicago Hope and Northern Exposure fame) happened to walk by and graciously offered to take a family photo of us. Which not only proves that Alan is a great actor but a good father as well. It also affirms the Will Smith nepotism theory.
Besides, I couldn’t really see this award going to Eddie Murphy for channeling the spirit of the recently deceased James Brown, since he had been performing that same schtick on SNL for years. And as much as I would like to see Mark Wahlberg receive acknowledgment for all his hard work, since he did once say "Hey" to me on the set of Invincible, and then again on the set of Shooter, it’s just that I think Mr. Arkin is completely deserving of the nod.
Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Judi Dench, in Notes on a Scandal. I didn’t actually see the movie but the woman can do no wrong in my book. I did actually see The Devil Wears Prada, and frankly Anne Hathaway’s character was so stinking annoying that I couldn’t focus on the other actress who can do no wrong, Ms. Streep. But due to her poor choice of co-stars in Prada, the award should go to Dame Judith.
Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine. Yes she’s young and probably will have plenty more Oscar opportunities, but she just captures your heart in this role. And not only can she hold her own against the always amazing Toni Collette, but she proved that Dakota Fanning isn’t the only player in town under 4 feet who deserves accolades.
Best animated feature film:
Not Monster House, considering that I paid $18 for my 6-year-old daughter and me to see it. I fell asleep.
Achievement in directing:
Well, since I didn’t see any of these movies either, I’ll just go with Dirty Harry.
Best documentary feature:
Not An Inconvenient Truth, simply because Al Gore arguably is one of the most boring people on the face of the Earth. If the guy had a personality, don’t you think someone would have noticed by now?
And last but not least . . . best motion picture of the year:
Little Miss Sunshine, because in the beginning of this gem of a movie you can’t stand these characters and are so thankful they are not your relatives. By the end of the movie, you have fallen so deeply in love with each of them that you can only hope they show up at your house on Thanksgiving.
So there you have it, my wish list for the 2007 Academy Awards. I’m sure I will be proved wrong on most counts, but hey, everyone’s entitled to their opinions. What are yours? ••
Robyn McCloskey’s column appears each week in the Northeast Times. She can be reached at crmccloskey@verizon.net