How do you measure the success of an awards show season?
Is it by how many of your favorite films walked away with statuettes? By how many winners are played off stage before they can finish their acceptance speeches? By how many Emmys “Modern Family” wins?
The methods of determining a successful awards show season are infinite, but the verdict is often written on the wall. On rare occasions, we are graced with the beauty of an awards show season that celebrates raw, genuine talent. It’s hard to forget the cornerstones of pop culture that have been delivered to us via the Academy Awards. Sally Field’s iconic “You like me! Right now! You like me!” acceptance speech in 1985. Halle Berry’s tearful acceptance for Best Actress in 2002 — the first Best Actress award for a black woman, no less, thanks to her incomparable performance in “Monster’s Ball.”
And, more recently, a Best Picture win for “The Hurt Locker,” when all signs pointed to “Avatar” standing in the winner’s circle.
It is awards seasons like these that bring a little bit of meaning to the endless cycle of sleazy entertainment with which we are so often plagued. Sure, some years don’t always hit the bullseye. Though I have nothing against the fantasy genre, I have never been so bored during an Academy Awards broadcast than in 2004, when “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” dominated almost every category. Similarly, “The Sopranos’” pervasive presence on cable television for eight years significantly lowered the suspense of every Emmy Awards ceremony for nearly a decade.
But this year’s awards show season was equal parts sensitivity and unpredictability. For the first time in recent memory, the Golden Globes, SAG Awards and Academy Awards delivered accolades to three different movies for Best Picture, or the equivalent of Best Picture (“The Descendants,” “The Help” and “The Artist,” respectively).
It was an awards show season that had viewers on the edge of their seats, cheering (or jeering) at their television sets and wiping their eyes after such powerful speeches as Meryl Streep’s Best Actress acceptance, full of humility and grace.
It was, finally, an awards show season we could appreciate. And for that, we’d like to thank the Academy.