Clint Eastwood

You can't tell Clint Eastwood to shut up. When Hollywood hands out the Oscars, acceptance speeches are one of the few unpredictable things. So Joe Roth, the movie mogul enlisted to boost the telecast's sagging ratings -- and who has never produced a minute of TV -- will let his stars have their say during the Feb. 29 ceremony. "Philosophically, my feeling is that these shows are about moments. They're about moments that you get lucky with," said the 55-year-old head of Revolution Studios. "Some of it is from the casting, some is getting lucky with awards, but most of it really is trying to make an atmosphere that allows the performers to feel comfortable and speak from the heart. "Last year, Oscar producer Gil Cates delivered an ominous warning to nominees at a luncheon weeks before his telecast: "If you pull out a piece of paper and start to read a list of names, you're done. "So was his tension-filled broadcast, which took place amid the U.S. invasion of Iraq. It turned out to be the least-watched Oscar ceremony since Nielsen Media Research began keeping records in 1974.This year, Roth addressed the nominees more casually at the luncheon, not trying to shame them into being clever or fun. He just asked everyone to think ahead -- and to remember they'll be on television. Roth added, "How am I going to say (no) to Clint Eastwood? Or Sean Penn? Not only are they adults, but they are the best in their field. So really, all you can ask them to do is to try to give some sense of how special it is. "This time around, Roth is also aiming for the funnybone with the return of popular Oscar host Billy Crystal and presenters such as Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell and Jack Black.Another change: fewer musical numbers. "As a kid, I didn't really like those 15- or 20-minute musical numbers," Roth said. "When I saw ballet on the Oscars, I went out and got a sandwich."-AP

 

 

 

 

 

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