Warning: stream of consciousness and possible movie spoilers ahead.

I watched some of the Oscars last night. Frankly I didn’t care enough because many of the film scripts seemed to be written as a How Not to Write One.  I know script writing is different from crafting novels but aren’t stories supposed to have a payoff at the end to reward us for watching?  Manchester by the Sea is one example.  The protagonist Lee, well played by Casey Affleck, is a sad, sad sack with serious issues stemming from a tragedy that left him stunted.  We watch him flailing through life hoping that he might learn something by the end and then – that’s it.  There’s no payoff for sitting through this two hour sad, sad drama, unless Lee’s inability to deal was the point.  Such an ending might suffice in a book but it made for an unsatisfying ending for a film.

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Manchester by the Sea won for Best Script which goes to show either I don’t know what I’m talking about or the Oscars are too highbrow for me.

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I used to enjoy gown watching.  Now I don’t even know who most of the actresses are (and actors for that matter).  Must be getting old.

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I heard Justin Timberlake instead of Jimmy Kimmel did the opening number.  Is that legal?  Aren’t hosts supposed to sing?

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La La Land was the victim of its own hype.  After garnering 14 nominations, I expected Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone to knock my socks off.  While they did credible jobs, neither are singers or dancers (although Ryan did amazing key work) and I believe the awesome cinematography and retro-musical feel unfortunately highlighted this problem.  Plus the songs didn’t leave me humming anything afterwards.  I really wanted to like this movie, but it was Ho Hum Land for me.

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La La Land won 6 Oscars.  I just don’t get it.

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Denzel Washington was robbed.

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Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty did a Steve Harvey. *snicker*

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Maybe my tastes are becoming too provincial and pedestrian.