Every year, the Oscars telecast gives audiences an In Memoriam segment. This is meant to highlight some of the names of folks involved in the film industry who have passed away over the course of the past year. In theory, this is a very sweet and emotional few minutes where people are honored. However, each year, it turns into this awkward segment where big names are excluded and there are odd clapping moments for some of the people, making it into this macabre popularity contest. Was your favorite deceased Hollywood legend honored, did they get applause when they were shown on screen, or were they relegated to the In Memoriam website only?
Last night’s In Memoriam segment began with John Travolta coming out, clearly emotional, as he talked about the fact that the film community has lost so many people over the past year, including his “Grease” co-star Olivia Newton-John. From there, we had Lenny Kravitz performing a song while the names and pictures of folks cycle on the screen. Joining Newton-John, among the honorees, you had Jean-Luc Godard, James Caan, Robbie Coltrane, Kirstie Alley, and more.
And yes, this year, some more major names were left off the list. Folks like Paul Sorvino, Tony Sirico, Leslie Jordan, and Anne Heche were all missing. They can all be seen on the website, however. But there were a couple of names that weren’t in the telecast that seem to strangely omitted for whatever reason.
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First, you have Charlbi Dean, the actress who last appeared in “Triangle of Sadness.” She passed away unexpectedly, prior to that film’s release. However, considering that film earned a Best Picture nomination and she was one of the stars of the film, you would think adding her to the telecast would be a no-brainer. Well, apparently not.
Then you have Tom Sizemore. Sure, he’s one of the most recognizable names and faces of those who passed away over the past year, but the fact that his death happened so recently makes it truly strange that he was not honored in the segment. Typically, when someone passes away so close to the actual telecast, they will add them in since it’s on everyone’s mind. Alas, Tom Sizemore just got a mention on the website.
You can watch the entire segment below:
