No Second Place at the Oscars

Well, I whiffed on my picks for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay, which means I ended up in second place in my Oscar pool. This is a little embarrassing, since I'm the only writer in the group (as Homer Simpson sings, "I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T, I am so smart!") But since there isn't a second place given at the Academy Awards, I, like Meryl Streep, will have to try again next year.

BUT...there are still outfits to discuss! I thought that it was a fantastic year, stylewise. Very few misses on gowns, don'tcha think? Though once again, my prediction was off. I thought Robert Downey, Jr. would look great, since he was my pick last year for Best Dressed Man, and he did...if you could ignore the questionable blue bow tie and the horrid shoes to focus solely on the suit, which fit properly.  But he was balanced out by his wife, Susan, whose gown rocked.  Most women cannot pull off horizontal stripes. She can.

Normally, George Clooney would be a safe bet as Best Dressed Man, but I had an overwhelming urge to grab his hand and walk him to a barber. Guiliana Rancic may have waxed poetic about Gorgeous George's longer hair during the E! pre-show, but I can't agree. Sorry, Guiliana. Instead, I have to give this year's Best Dressed Man nod to Ryan Reynolds.


Guiliana also loved the gown of RDJ's former flame, SJP. My guess is that the Fashion Police will give a thumbs-up for her yellow Chanel Couture tonight, but I hated it. At least onscreen, it seemed frumpy and ill-fitting, like an upside-down yellow silk sack with sparkles at the neck.  So sadly--and I realize it's sacrilege in some circles to say it--this year Sarah Jessica Parker is my Worst Dressed Woman.

That being said, I suspect the Fashion Police will name Charlize Theron their worst-dressed, with what I will forever think of as the Flower Boob Dress. I didn't hate it--the mauve-y pink color was spectacular on her, and the fit was perfect--but I think it would've been far, far better had the roses been big enough to cover the entire bodice, rather than separated so there was one big flower on each side. (In fact, I think her gown would've been a home run if the roses covered the entire bodice.)

What do you think? Could her dress have been saved?


And then there were the gowns I absolutely LOVED. First, the woman of the night, Sandra Bullock, gets a big thumbs-up. Classy, feminine, and perfect for an Academy Award-winning night, since her gold gown looked stunning onstage under the lights.

My other hits of the night include Vera Farmiga, in a raspberry gown that perfectly suited her coloring (and a huge, billowing style that could only be worn to the Oscars), Jennifer Lopez in soft pink, and Demi Moore in a strapless flesh-toned gown (looked much better than I can describe).  I also have to give big cheers to Elizabeth Banks, who dared to wear a drab color (I think it is best described as a gray-lavender) and own it, and Cameron Diaz, looking the best I've EVER seen her at the Academy Awards in a strapless, glittery gown with her hair down and STYLED, which seems rare for Cam.


Then there were the two off-the-chart hits:  Penelope Cruz, who earned my husband's vote for Best Dressed in a strapless wine-colored gown, and...drumroll...my Best Dressed Woman of 2010, Anna Kendrick!

I thought Kendrick looked stunning on the red carpet, but when she went onstage as a presenter and I got the 360 degree view, her gown absolutely blew me away. Great soft pink color that made her skin look luminous, incredible detail--it's hard to see the intricate folds and draping in the photos I saw online, though it was visible onstage--and just a perfect fit on her. She may not have come home with a statue, but she dressed like a winner.

Think the Fashion Police will agree? What were your hits and misses? Let me know!