{3 26 2000} The 72nd annual Academy Awards did not hold many surprizes for this viewer. As hoped for "American Beauty" was the recipient of many of the coveted statues affectionately called 'Oscar'. Also "The Matrix" captured all in the categories I believed to have showcased it's strongest capabilities. As of this writing, I have not yet reviewed this film, but the moment I saw the clips representative of the categories for which it ultimately was recognized, I nailed them all. Who needs polls for such things, I ask you :-) . Highlights of the evening for me were the presentation of the Thalberg Award, the opening cinema montage, all of musical director Burt Bacharach's efforts, announcer Peter Coyote, and the return of true Hollywood glamour. Even Cher acknowledged that sometimes it is fun to dress "like a grown-up". All in all, I'd say the Fini~Zanuck's did a great job, though I could have done without the exceedingly long and not terribly amusing Crystal song paradies. For anyone out there who may have missed the event or whose VCR may have been on the blink, here's a complete list of the Academy Award recipients:
