War could curb Oscars frivolity

By Scott Bowles
USA Today

"The Oscars have always been a reflection of our lives," says Gil Cates, who is producing his 11th Academy Awards. If the United States is at war with Iraq, Cates says, he is considering war updates and news crawls during the show.

He says he hopes that award presenters don't opine politically, but winners can use the allotted 45-second speech however they choose. "I'd like them to focus on their work, but obviously things will be more sober if our soldiers are fighting."

Iraq notwithstanding, Cates says he has plenty of details to iron out by March 23, including who will perform the nominated songs.

Eminem, whose "Lose Yourself" from his movie debut "8 Mile" is up for best song, will not be present.

"He'll still be on vacation during the Academy Awards," says Interscope Records' Dennis Dennehy.

Cates, who has tried to convince nominees to perform their own songs since he began producing the show in 1988, says that Eminem's snub presents a wrinkle.

But "there's no rule that the nominees have to sing or that you even have to include all of the numbers in the show," Cates says. "I could do a medley or no songs at all. ... It's a very fluid show with few constraints."

Cates has vowed to have the best-picture winner announced by midnight, Eastern time. That would put the ceremony (which will air at 6:30 p.m. on ABC in Hawai'i) at 3 1/2 hours. "I think we can do it," he says.

"I've worked three months on the show, and we're prepared for anything. This is going to go on, and it's going to be live. Everyone will see if you screw up."

Because this year marks the 75th Oscars and the 50th on television, the show's musical numbers, movie clips and guest stars will span the decades.

He says he has "contingency plans up the gazoo" if war should change the tenor of the show, but neither he nor ABC gave specifics.