I meant to write up a very detailed analysis of the Academy Awards presentation, but as it was, I missed most of the ceremony, and I didn't even have a taped copy to review afterwards because I goofed when setting the VCR. Instead, I offer a bloggy account of the weekend leading up to the Oscars.

Friday night

My wife and I go out to see Panic, starring William H. Macy as a hitman working for his father (Donald Sutherland, in a fearsome performance). It turns out to be a terrific film, both a riveting family drama and a great piece of noir, and very much worth seeing if you're lucky enough to be in a city where it's showing (see official site for screening information). There's even a generous helping of Asian-American extras, and Jesse Wine, one of the leads from Jay Koh's True, is credited as an electrician. What more do you need to know?

Saturday night

We rent the Gladiator DVD and watch it with another couple -- it's the only Best Picture nominee that none of us has seen yet. The verdict? Three hours flushed down the Commodus. (Yes, I know it's not pronounced that way.) It's twice as long as Panic and less than half as satisfying. And yet I can't help but feel that it will be winning Best Picture tomorrow...

Oscar night

5:00 pm to 5:30 pm
    Chris Connelly is chatting with folks on the red carpet, including Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat, but I'm busy preparing food and greeting guests. (What the hell is Jennifer Lopez wearing?)

5:30 pm to 6:00 pm
    I'm missing the opening monologue because my almost-three-year-old doesn't want to put clothes on or come downstairs to where the party is. Ultimately, he comes downstairs without his clothes.

6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
    I catch snippets of the show while attending to guests, corralling toddlers, and walking the dogs. I reminisce about the heyday of Asian visibility at the Oscars during the late '80s: the late Dr. Haing S. Ngor (The Killing Fields) winning the Best Supporting Actor award over Pat Morita (The Karate Kid) at the 1985 Oscars; Pat Morita returning to the 1986 Oscars to perform in the opening musical number with Dom DeLuise and Telly Savalas(!); John Lone and Joan Chen presenting an award at the 1988 Oscars and being forced to read the following exchange:

                    LONE
        You know, Joan, our film, 
        The Last Emperor, had an 
        Italian director; a British 
        producer; American, Chinese, 
        and Japanese composers; and 
        a cast and crew from over a 
        dozen countries. It was 
        truly a universal picture.

                    CHEN
        But John -- The Last Emperor 
        was released by Columbia!
    
    Charitable LAUGHTER and APPLAUSE from 
    the audience. GROANS from the rest of 
    world.

I see that Yeoh and Chow are presenting an award, but I'm unable to hear how admirably they acquit themselves, because our son and another toddler are engaged in a yell-and-response game which ends with them both shouting, "Poop dog!!!" Kids...

8:45 pm - 9:00 pm
    Tom Cruise announces that Steven Soderbergh has won the Best Director award. Totally deserved, although I'm still disappointed that Ang Lee doesn't end up with it, despite all the favorable predictions. Then, Michael Douglas announces that Gladiator has won Best Picture. Even though I expected it, for a moment, I think he's kidding.

With Lucy Liu as a presenter last year and the large number of Asian faces this year, are we perhaps entering another period of upswing for Asians and Asian Americans at the Oscars? If so, I'll certainly be here to report on it, and next time, I'll set the VCR correctly.

Let's just hope that Pat's singing voice isn't too rusty.

Media alert: "Friends", Steve Park, and James Hong

Remember actor Steve Park's mission statement from a few years back? The one where he took Hollywood to task for its treatment of Asian Americans and other minorities? Well, the episode of "Friends" in which he appears ("The One with the Ultimate Fighting Championship") -- and which figures strongly in his statement -- airs once again in syndication on Tuesday, April 3 (check local listings for times).

The episode also features veteran character actor James Hong, who will be speaking on Wednesday, April 4, at 7pm in LA's Chinatown as a guest of the Chinese Historical Society. It's even free! (Unless you live in Seattle, in which case you need to add roundtrip airfare.) Call 323-222-0856 for information.