As evidenced by the fine films nominated this year in various Academy Award categories, movies can be magical.
As evidenced by Sunday night's spectacle, the Oscars award show itself was anything but.
Giving Hollywood a new definition of a viral hit, actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock after the comic joked about Smith's wife's hair. Jada Pinkett Smith is affected by alopecia. A vulgar exchange ensued, muted for U.S. viewers of the show but picked up by international feeds.
While there's honor in defending a loved one, it's dishonorable to do it violently. Smith was unquestionably wrong, and the Academy, often so self-assured (even sanctimonious) about its values, was wrong to not address it in real time, instead allowing Smith to sit front and center until he won the award for best actor. In a tearful acceptance speech, he apologized to his fellow actors and the Academy, but not to Rock.
Afterward, the Academy, without mentioning Smith or Rock, initially tweeted that it "does not condone violence in any form." But it did, in real time, in front of the world. (By Monday afternoon, it issued a stronger statement condemning Smith and said it would "explore further actions and consequences.")
In his speech, Smith compared himself to the man he portrayed, Richard Williams, the father of tennis greats Venus and Serena. That's an unfair comparison — to Williams.
And it's also unfair that Smith overshadowed Williams instead of honoring him. But it wasn't the only moment when Sunday's Oscars lost its continuity.
Rock, for instance, barely referred to the category he was awarding — best documentary — opting for often cheap comic takes on stars instead of shining light on often obscured films.