The Academy has announced the names of many presenters for the big night on February 28th. The list includes the best actress nominee who gave us this often used gifable funny moment, reacting to the makeup in The Wolfman (2010).
A few writers from The Film Experience share 7 more favorite moments from the presenters after the jump, including Meryl, Jim Carrey and Emma Stone...
Richard Dreyfuss presenting Best Actress at the 1979 Oscars
It's wonderfully, but not maliciously awkward on Dreyfuss's part. He's clearly...altered, in his defense. And I love the look all all the nominees faces (especially Clayburgh) as they pretend to be amused as he delays the opening of the envelope with a cheeky "I'm not gonna tell you!" -Kieran Scarlett.
___________
Mercedes Ruehl, Best Supporting Actor a the 1992 Oscars
It's brief, but Ruehl's delivery of the punchline to her joke about the best supporting actor field with its wink to The Crying Game's secret twist, proves that despite Oscars and Tonys to her name, Mercedes Ruehl deserves a far better career than the one she got after winning for The Fisher King (1991). One couldn't get away with this gag today, but the slyness with which she delivered it in 1992 keeps it as a favourite presenting moment of mine. -Glenn Dunks.
___________
Jim Carrey, Best Film Editing at the 1998 Oscars.
Not as show-hijacking as his previous appearances, where he made Toy Story dolls act out Midnight Cowboy and made his butt do a gum commercial, Jim Carrey gave his best awards presentation in a career filled with them at the '98 Oscars. Brilliantly lampooning his presenter-only status in the year of his award-worthy performance in The Truman Show -"Winning the Oscar is not the most important thing in the world, it's an honor just to be nom- oh God." - before effortlessly threading in recent events (Roberto Benigni winning Best Actor) and transitioning seamlessly into the scripted speech, Carrey gave a master class in how to be a good presenter. In fact, it's a perfect example of what a good HOST should do. Given his success with presenting gigs (his recent bit at the Golden Globes was a highlight), it's a wonder he hasn't hosted an award show yet. He certainly has the chops, as this ever-watchable clip (and others) proves. -Dancin' Dan.
___________
Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep, Robert Altman Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Oscars
This is one of the perfect Oscar moments. Streep and Tomlin were both Altman veterans, most recently having worked together on 2006's A Prairie Home Companion--Streep's only foray into Altman's films. Instead of just rattling off why Altman is so great, they embodied it. They allowed themselves the freedom, the natural awkwardness, and yes, the overlapping dialogue, that are the hallmark of Altmanesque acting. And since, as they say in the presentation, it's about NOT acting, you can feel how genuine their nerves, their pleasure, and their regard for each other are. Plus, it's just so damn witty to do it that way. I mean, I'd enjoy watching these two read the dullest teleprompter, but this is SO much better. -Deborah Lipp.
It's always a good idea to get Meryl involved when you're up on the Oscars stage, but few had as good a reason - and as good a result - as Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt did, fittingly presenting Costume Design in the year of The Devil Wears Prada. It's a sharp, smart riff on their popular movie, delivered as a perfect balance between committed character work and amused in-joke, and the visual moments of pleasure range from Emily's awkward smile to Meryl's instant reappropriation of her character's icy stare. (Also, the whole presentation of this category is wonderful, with the presenting duo taking us through a live fashion display of each nominee.) -David Upton.
__________
Emma Stone and Ben Stiller, Best Visual Effects at the 2011 Oscars
This was the year after Hathaway and James Franco’s awkward hosting debacle and Stone sends up Hathaway’s theatrical high energy perfectly. It’s very funny because it’s very true.The play on being desperate to please is palpable yet not ungenerous. She makes fun but clearly aims to please too. Stiller, and Jonah Hill in the audience, play their droll parts well but the moment is all Emma. She nails it. -Murtada Elfadl.
____________
John Travolta and Idina Menzel, Best Original Song at the 2014 Oscars
It was supposed to be a charming wink to the Adele Dazeem oopsy that Travolta had made the previous year when presenting the wick-ed-ly talented Idina Menzel's performance of the ultimate Best Song winner "Let It Go". What it ended up becoming was an even more awkward ickfest where Travolta was drawn to Menzel's face like Nell to a mirror. It was later claimed to have been a fully rehearsed moment, but tell that to Idina's body language. A can't-look-away moment so uncomfortably hilarious we forgot about the mispronunciation that made it happen. -Chris Feil.
What's are some of your favorite presenter moments from the big show?