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Why was it important that Halle and Denzel happen to be black? Were it not for the Leftist Liberal media forcing the race issue down my throat I would simply have been happy for a great actor and a real babe winning Oscars. Now I can't think of the award without seeing their skin color. And that's a shame.

Like many things today, the awards programs have too many categories. "Best sound editing for a black and white animation with lebaneze subtitles" It's crazy, almost like the recent olympic games. We could go nuts just inventing categories, nevermind voting on them. We could have "best use of fonts", "most capital letters", "worst spelling", "most consistent use of computer geek lingo". We'll have to come up with enough categories to cover everybody. We wouldn't want to offend anyone...

Alright, first I hit return to early, then I typed what I wanted to say, and then spell checked it in word, however when I went to paste it here I pasted the wrong thing.

Anyway what I wanted to say is why did Denzel get an award for this movie and not his other movies? His acting is identical in every film. He has the same tone, same facial expressions, and same movement and gestures in every character he does.

Well no. Ronald is white with a big red nose.

i agree plabonte. Dudzel is the black kevin cosner.

Don't get me wrong, I think Hanks is good. But IMHO Mel Gibson is the best actor. But I guess its all subjective.

The Denzel as Ronald brings a thought to mind. I once saw some talk show where a white guy put on black makeup and did comedy in the styles of that Al Jolson period. I don't know what the proper term for it is but you know that "Mammy I'm comin home" stuff. Anyway, a large number of black people found it very offensive saying he was making fun of them. His claim was that he was paying tribute to the people that did it originally.

Anyway, I'm wondering if Denzel put on white makeup and acted foolish and unintelligent like a clown would white people consider it offensive saying he is making fun of white people.

Best Actor Oscar goes to Tailgator for his role in "Sports Fans Forum" he almost convinced me that New England had a professional hockey team.

I agree with the Mel Gibson take and he is another of the versitle greats! Remember him in Mad Max? Great! Kevin Spacey, Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson to name a few moe of the "greats"! I like Hackman, but all of his parts are all the same characterizations! Talk about range in characters, look at Mel Gibson all the way to the "What Women Want" part! He is superb, but I still take Hanks as the best of all! It is a fun subject to debate, as an avowed Movie Hound I can talk film noir and throw in a few more greats: Robert Mitchum, Humphrey Bogart, Richard Widmark, Orson Welles, etc! Charlie

Talk about disappearing into a role, how about his character in Hannibal? He is one of the great character actors and can play heavies as well as anybody! Charlie

i think the real actors may be the people who appear in movie after movie in small parts. we don't know there names and we barely recognize them. sort of "wasn't he/she in another movie". we barely recognize them because they become the part but they are always sort of familiar.

JonR: First you like the Flyers, now Pauly Shore. It all makes sense now...

It seems to me that Halle Berry felt that it was very important to campaign about the race issue for weeks before her big win. I'm sure that she made her white Mother very proud! John

I saw Halle do an interview a few days before the awards. Her main point was that for many years movies were not made with black actors. When they finally were, blacks did not get lead or even significant supporting roles. Yes there are some exceptions. She was grateful that black actors are finally being given the chance to make movies and have roles making them eligible for the academy award. It occurs to me that black americans getting over slavery and Jim Crow would be about as likely as jews getting over their slavery in Egypt. It's been 3000 years or so and they (the jews) still memorialize it. Why should we expect different of African Americans?

xrundog: It's been 3000 years or so and they (the jews) still memorialize it. first: we don't memorialize it, we celebrat it. second: what is wrong with a religious holiday. you are using the term memorialize as a negative term. we also have easter at the same time as passover. i never thought of either in the negative. your problem is you are a racist and don't know it. blacks built this country with their sweat, as slaves. that means forced labor. no compensation. no family. nothing. i don't believe their descendents deserve compensation for their ancestors plight, but unless you at the minimum recognize the background, and walk in their shoes, nothing you have to say means anything. this is completely apart from our emails and trades, because i still think you are a nice guy.

Don't forget Morgan Freeman. He's had his share of dogs, but his acting is outstanding. I'd mention Tim Robbins, but I'm tired of seeing him and Susan...well I'm just tired of seeing them.

Whoa Rick! You have me all wrong. I am using the term memorialize as in the term "Memorial Day". Nothing negative about it! Any holiday is by definition a memorial. The Jewish people mark the fact of their bondage in Egypt. What I am doing is defending African Americans for the fact that they will never forget slavery. Many people say they should "Get over it"! Why should they? Am I a racist? I don't think so. I might be guilty of some cultural bigotry but it's not based on race. I am cool with Jews, Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Arabs and any other people I forgot to name. I don't like the criminal culture overtaking youth in America. I don't like the white supremacy movement. Fundamental christianity makes me nervous as does fundamental islam, as do the black muslims. I think political corruption in countries with a history of spainish colonialism is troubling. The Indian caste system is unjust. What is happening in Africa would be a tradgedy anyplace and it's a function of culutre, not race. Does this help you "see" me better?

char5353: yes, but later in our evolution. irish and italians and all "white" people were invited with their families because as a country we needed a work force. did you know that the chinese that built the railroads were not allowed to bring wives or family. they were provided with prostitutes to take care of their sex. we (the us)wanted them to build and get out. we did not want non whites to live here on a permanent basis. bet you didn't know that charlie.

char5353: you continue to amaze me.

I never said anything about being "invited"! They came to build a dream and conquer a wilderness and desert! Charlie

i just remembered an incident that happened to some friends and i when we were stationed in jersey in 1958.
four of us, one of my buddies was single the other two were married, drove to dc. we singles were going to listen to oscar peterson or some other piano player and chase woman and the married guys went to their homes. on the way back to the base we stopped at some crappy cafe on the road, i went to the bathroom and when i came out my buddies said we would get food to go. i didn't want food in my hudson hornet so i said bs, let's eat here and then go. a whisper in my ear said they wouldn't serve all of us. i'm from brooklyn and when i was younger i tended to get pi**ed off easily so i said to the owner or whatever he was "are you sh**ting me? why can't you serve all of us. my buddies pulled me out of this joint where, as i recall, i was leery of using their toilet. on the way back to the base we all talked and i learned what it like to be treated like sh*t because of color and being unable to fight it for fear of death to your family from your "white neighbors". it's over 40 years and i have not forgotten it and will take my disgust and hatred of bigots to the grave.

That's a very telling story of reality from 40 years ago. It's a shame that so many "do-gooders" have diluted the words "Biggot" and "Racist" by using them in situations where it isn't accurate. Also, since your anger is well placed, would you feel that justice is served if the son or daughter of that owner had to pay a fee to your friend of color? We can't sweep the crimes of yesterday under the rug, but neither can we capitalize on them other than the lesson learned.

Amen, Rick!

And of course at the heart of this whole thing are the sleazy attorneys who stand to pick up a truckload of money by freeloading this process to the max! Charlie

OK, I will post my 2 cents on this as another of the left leaning minority on this board. I wholeheartidly agree that the "race card" is played way too freely in todays society but (and this is a big but)there is still widespread prejudice. I do not feel that reparations are appropriate for decendants of slaves but was way overdue for the Americans of Japanese decent that were kept in internment camps. I do feel that a good bit of the white population views Halle as black and the jist of her speach was appropriate (but very long winded). Have at it guys.