The Academy Needs to Get the Oscars On-Air In Memoriam Right

The 95th Academy Awards were held this past Sunday and, as usual, film buffs are divided on whether it was good or not. Everyone seems to agree upon one thing though, that the on-air In Memoriam segment left a lot to be desired. Quite simply, it omitted far too many people, including many that one would have thought would have been guaranteed to have been included the In Memoriam.

Indeed, legendary actress Marsha Hunt, who appeared in Pride and Prejudice (1940) and Raw Deal (1948), did not make the cut. Robert Morse had a career on stage, in television, and in film. He appeared in such movies as The Loved One (1965) and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967). Despite this, he did not appear in the In Memoriam. Paul Sorvino had a career that spanned over fifty years and appeared in such films as The Brinks Job (1978), Goodfellas (1990), and The Rocketeer (1991). Apparently this was not enough to warrant being included in the In Memoriam. Cindy Williams was best known for television's Laverne & Shirley, but she appeared in movies as well, including the classics American Graffiti (1973) and The Conversation (1974). This wasn't enough for her to be included in the In Memoriam. The list of individuals who were excluded from the 95th Academy Awards' In Memoriam segment is not a short one. Among others, Ricou Browning, Pat Carroll, Kevin Conroy, Carole Cook, Melinda Dillon, Bert I. Gordon, Gilbert Gottried, Anne Heche, Marsha Hunt, Leslie Jordan, Yvette Mimieux, Stella Stevens, Topol, and Fred Ward were all omitted. I am sure there were others which I might have missed, for which I apologize.

The In Memoriam segment of this Sunday's Oscars was met with anger from film buffs almost immediately, and in one instance the family of one of those omitted. Dee Dee Sorvino, widow of Paul Sorvino was upset that he was omitted from the In Memoriam, and even demanded an apology that he was left out. His daughter Mira Sorvino said she was "hurt and shocked" that her father was left out of the In Memoriam and also said, "It is baffling beyond belief that my beloved father and many other amazing brilliant departed actors were left out." I can fully sympathize with both Dee Dee Sorvino and Mira Sorvino's pain at Paul Sorvino being omitted from the In Memoriam.

It was in 2019 that my dearest friend Vanessa Marquez was omitted from the on-air In Memoriam segment, despite a petition demanding her inclusion that reached over 12,000 signatures, as well as letters, at least one from an Academy member, asking that she be included. To say that I was angry and hurt would be an understatement. I am still angry and hurt. Of course, The Academy has omitted bigger names than Vanessa both before and since 2019. Believe it or not, over the years such legends as James Arness, Michael Gough, Andy Griffith, Ann Rutherford, Robert Vaughn, Barbara Hale, Adam West, Stanley Donen, Abe Vigoda, Aretha Franklin, Julie Adams, Honor Blackman, Adam Schlesinger, Ed Asner, and Michael Nesmith have been omitted from the In Memoriam segment, Here I must stress that this is a short list. A list of every single well known actor, director, writer, and composer omitted from the Oscars on-air In Memoriam would be much, much longer.

Now in past years the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has included a more comprehensive In Memoriam on the website (in 2019 Vanessa was included in this). And this year they had a QR code on the screen which one could scan to their phone and be taken to a place where they could watch a longer, more inclusive In Memoriam video. The problem I have with both of these is that it is not the same as being featured in the In Memoriam segment aired during the ceremony. As both a fan of many omitted from the In Memoriam over the years and the close friend of one of those omitted, I can safely say that we want to see our favourites honoured during the broadcast.

Of course, as much as film buffs might want to blame the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the many omissions in the In Memoriam segment over the years, they are not the only ones to blame. ABC is also a culprit. For years ABC has insisted that the Oscars ceremony be shorter, this despite the fact that the one thing that film buffs have never complained about is the length of the ceremony. Indeed, it was ABC who insisted that the Academy cut eight categories from the ceremony last year, angering both the industry and film buffs.  Because ABC insists that the ceremony be shorter, I have no doubt that the Academy feels it has to keep the In Memoriam segment as brief as possible. I have two thoughts about this. First, the Academy Awards ceremony is the Super Bowl for film buffs. If ABC had the Super Bowl, I have to suspect that they would not insist the game be shorter. In insisting that the ceremony be shorter, ABC is then showing disrespect to the Oscars' core audience. Second, if the Academy feels it has to cut time somewhere, the In Memoriam segment is not the place to do it. The In Memoriam should be of such a length that it includes every single artist who has died in the past year. TCM Remembers runs about four to five minutes and manages to include nearly everyone, although honestly I wouldn't mind if the Oscars In Memoriam ran ten minutes. ABC needs to realize that the core audience for the Oscars are film buffs and we don't care how long the ceremony is and we don't care how long the In Memoriam is. In fact, we'd prefer a longer In Memoriam segment that includes everyone to a shorter one that omits beloved stars, Indeed, people have been complaining about omissions in the In Memoriam segment for literally years. The very fact that her Stand and Deliver (1988) co-star Lydia Nicole felt the need to create a petition to include Vanessa in the on-air Oscars In Memoriam shows how badly the Academy has been omitting individuals from the segment.

In the end, both ABC and the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences should realize that the In Memoriam segment is not for the Academy's members and it certainly isn't for the broadcast network. It is for the fans and loved ones of those who have died in the past year. It is an opportunity for film buffs to say goodbye to the stars they love. To omit beloved stars is not only an insult to those stars, but an insult to their fans and loved ones as well. ABC and the Academy need to start treating the In Memoriam segment with the seriousness it deserves.