I have not had anything positive to say about the Oscars in a long time but finally they have gotten it right. Of the three honorary Oscars being given out later this year, two will go to extremely deserving recipients: James Earl Jones, a true acting legend who has only been nominated once, and Oprah Winfrey, who will get the prestigious Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. (The third award goes to makeup artist Dick Smith, who won an Oscar for Amadeus (1984).)
Oprah was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her film debut in The Color Purple (1985). I still think she deserved the award for her impassioned performance as Sophia. She did not become a big film actress, which I think is a shame, but hey, she’s done all right for herself. If she had received a regular honorary Oscar, it would not seem right – the Hersholt is special, which is why for years I kept nudging the Academy to give it to Jerry Lewis, which they did a few years ago.
Oprah is a brilliant choice for the Hersholt award – like her or not (and yes, I do like her), she is a media empire of her own and truly tries to do good with her money. As for Jones, who is still constantly working at the age of 80, he is simply a great American actor who is long overdue for this recognition.
I have constantly chided the Academy for bestowing honorary Oscars on people when they are so old they can barely get up to accept the award or even speak. Jones is a spry and healthy 80, but with Oprah, who is 57, it is nice to see someone under the age of 60 get this honor (the only other person I can recall getting an honorary award and not being a member of AARP is Steven Spielberg, who got the Irving Thalberg Award at age 40).
Now get Billy Crystal to host the next show and maybe I will start to lighten up about the Oscars.
