Til next year Oscar...(Sandy Kenyon)

I've often said if a reporter covering the Oscars no longer gets excited at an hour before show time on the Big Night.then that reporter better retire. Me? I get jazzed by seeing all the stars together. There was a wonderful moment when Cameron Diaz was working the press line and past winner Faye Dunaway stopped by to say "I've always wanted to meet you because I really admire you!" Cameron smiled and then turned back to the press corps and said "Oh My God, that was FAYE DUNAWAY!"

I'm close enough to see the little, serpentine tattoo on the back of Jessica Alba's neck.
She was radiantly pregnant, and so was Cate Blanchett. Both looked lovely along the red carpet. The children of privilege stopped to stare on their way to their coveted seats inside the Kodak theater. This being LA, the 13 and 14 year olds sport major bling: diamonds and emeralds with couture dresses to match.

The fans in the stands are true movie fans. You can tell because Helen Mirren gets a bigger cheer than Miley Cyrus. George Clooney gets the biggest reaction of anybody. One of our fashion experts told us, "this year it's all about the men." Now, I heard this comment elsewhere, and I couldn't help thinking: 'how do they know & what does that mean??' But, the sharpest stars on the red carpet did seem to be Mr. Clooney, Colin Farrell, and Viggo Mortenson who came with his young niece.

The show featured the most beautiful set I've ever seen for an Oscar telecast, though I did feel the show lacked star power along with those big moments that one remembers even after many years. Absent was the emotion, for example, of a Halle Berry or even a Cuba Gooding. I like it when at least one winner goes over the top (Sally "You like me" Fields or Jim "King of the World" Cameron).

Jon Stewart showed a lot of class, but my favorite host after Carson & Crystal was Chris Rock. He was the only one to tweak the tender egos of the famous which I thought was hilarious. They take themselves way too seriously to ever allow him back in the room.

Hollywood may be synonymous with filmmaking, but the craft is practiced all over the world. Each of the performers who won for their acting hails from outside the U.S., and the work of each is worth seeing. Not many of you have seen the films up for Best Picture (except for Juno"), but each one is worthwhile and each went home with an Oscar for something. The best part of this whole circus is the way it draws attention to films that otherwise might get lost. The pull of the gold guy is such movies get made that otherwise would not. And that is a good thing.

Your Oscar crew from WABC-TV spent most of the night dressed in formal wear in a truck graciously lent by our sister station KABC-TV. No parties for myself, Cat McKenzie or Mike Thorne. I just keep writing and they keep translating that into sound & pictures for you. Thank God for 'em because the Oscar show is no place for rookies.