Oscars and the 'Oh, wow' factor
By Daryn Kagan
CNN
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CNN anchor Daryn Kagan
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Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Frank Pierson and Oscar winner Marisa Tomei announce the nominations for the 75th Academy Awards. (February 11)
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Editor's note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news around the world.
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- I've done the Oscars the last few years, as one of my side beats. I think it's particularly fun not being a full-time showbiz reporter because you still have the "Oh, wow!" factor when you go out on the red carpet and there are these big stars that are standing there. But if you're doing this day in and day out, it becomes a little blase.
Today's announcement is a prelude to that day on the carpet and it doesn't take nearly as much preparation. The biggest preparation for the announcement is seeing all of the movies that might be featured in the various categories, and I had already done that several weeks ago to get ready for the Golden Globe awards.
The movie I enjoyed the most was "Chicago." It is the one movie out there that is really a movie that you go to see and have a good time and be entertained. A lot of the other pieces are kind of heavy and depressing -- worthy of film but not necessarily fun.
"Chicago" received nominations in 13 categories, many of them top categories -- best actress, best picture, best supporting actor -- making Richard Gere's failure to secure a nomination for best actor for his role in the film even more conspicuous. When you get that many nominations it tends to carry a weight and a karma with it.
I was surprised that Dennis Quaid was not nominated for best supporting actor in "Far From Heaven." He was nominated in that category for a Golden Globe award. I think his performance was just very subtle, and I think he doesn't get a lot of appreciation when he turns in a performance like that. So he was my big surprise, but there is no one big, big surprise where people are saying, "Can you believe so-and-so didn't get something?"
This is the first time in over 20 years that two foreign language films have been nominated for best original screenplay. So there is definitely a strong Spanish buzz going.
For nominations, the only preparations are seeing the movies and getting up early. But for the awards ceremony, I need to take care of more logistics, particularly since I am on standby to go to Kuwait. There is a very strong possibility that I would come from Kuwait straight back here to do the Oscars.
You have to talk to designers and the people who let you borrow jewels ahead of time anyway, but now I am under particular pressure to get that all done because you can't exactly line that up from Kuwait City.
Kuwait is the unspoken story out here. If we are at war will the Oscars go on? There is really a sense that the show will go on, but the Academy is making contingency plans for scheduling and tone. Whether or not the United States initiates an attack two days before the ceremony or three weeks before makes a difference.
If a war just started, people won't be very into the Oscars, but if it's been going on for awhile, people might want a diversion. They've been delayed only four times, but never because of war. The Academy stopped the show for a flood, after the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King and the shooting of former President Ronald Reagan.
