Oscar performances

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

On-screen acting no big deal compared with the grand performances people put on in real life. Official viewing party at Meritage Oscar fever, with a Hawai'i spin, descends Sunday on Meritage Restaurant at Restaurant Row when the Hawai'i International Film Festival presents the Hawai'i Oscar Night dinner and viewing party. The Honolulu event, a HIFF benefit, is one of 46 official Oscar Nights sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The party starts at 2:30 p.m. and includes valet parking, a red-carpet welcome, a champagne reception, a buffet dinner and the live broadcast of the 76th annual Academy Awards from Hollywood. KITV, the ABC affiliate here, is providing several screens for the event. Party tickets are $75 for HIFF 'Ohana members and Meritage customers, $100 for the general public. Reservations: 528-3456, ext. 21. For stay-at-homers, the Oscarcast will be seen here from 6 p.m. (pre-show) and 6:30 p.m. (delayed telecast) on KITV.

But when do the rest of us ever get recognized for the superbly nuanced performances we deliver on a daily basis? Who is there to hand us a gold statuette for crocodile-tearing our way out of a traffic ticket, or feigning mad-cow disease to slip out of jury duty, or wringing art out of "It's not you, it's me" and other shaky scripts?

Who likes us — really likes us — for our assumed roles as responsible parent, conscientious office worker or late-night club hoochie?

Well, we can't remedy the injustice of it all, but we did offer a few people downtown the opportunity to explain why they deserve an Oscar this year.

"I don't drive anymore, so I don't have to worry about tickets. But I'm a delinquent. I lost my bus pass, so I'm using my old Mayor Fasi (pass). They don't notice. Just a couple of drivers have told me that it's expired. Mayor Fasi will be pleased."

"Sometimes she'll act like she's so hurt. She acts shy, but she's not. She'll flirt. She knows how to flirt, just like her mom."

"For just being a father. I try to help (my son) out in life and give him directions."

"I deserve one for perseverance. Just persevering every day. It's Murphy's Law — whatever can go wrong does. You just have to realize who you are in God and go forward and keep the faith and keep going, and your dreams eventually come true."

"Every day I figure out what I'm going to do. What course of action I'm going to take on a daily basis. Depending on my mood, I decide whether I'm going to be very accomplished or be a rascal, have a good time or be very serious. (At work) the role I play is mostly myself, but I have different faces. I'm mostly a jovial, helpful person. Try to give the best service I can."

"I think I should get one because I'm a caring, giving, generous person and I don't think people recognize the positive very often. They're more prone to give you the negative information. So, do I win?"

"The part I play is hard worker. I clean, do janitorial work. You gotta work, gotta pay bills. I like to make things clean or fix things up, even if it's not my job. I take pride in my work. But when I'm with my friends, I'm loud. I like to laugh."

"At work I'm more serious, of course. You have to be more professional about it. It's kind of natural for me. I work with older people, so it's not that bad. I guess when I'm not at work I'm more myself. I like to be free and speak my mind. I'm a little more friendly."

"I'm usually very quiet, (but) at school (Remington College), I have to be really talkative and ask a lot of questions. I study medical-office practices, and you have to be very calm and usually just try to be as nice and patient as possible."