Does Eddie Murphy read The Washington Examiner? That was my first thought when my editor asked me a few days ago whether I’d heard that he had stepped down as host of the Oscars. I joked that perhaps the actor had read last week’s column, in which I declared that Murphy, whom Forbes had proclaimed the second-most-overpaid actor in Hollywood, should have been barred from the Academy Awards for appearing in the obnoxious “Norbit” right after his Oscar-nominated turn in “Dreamgirls.”
That’s not why he gave up his first shot at one of the entertainment world’s most high-profile gigs, of course. Murphy left because the director of his latest film, “Tower Heist,” had been pushed out of his job of producing the Oscar telecast.
Brett Ratner is a veteran, having directed the “Rush Hour” franchise, among other films. But his over two decades as a director and producer don’t seem to have taught him what is and isn’t acceptable in Tinseltown.
After a “Tower Heist” screening, someone asked Ratner what preparation he puts his actors through. His response? “Rehearsal’s for f–s.” Cue outrage from the Gay & and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and just about everyone else in town.
Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, denounced Ratner’s line as “dumb and insensitive,” but added, “I believe he didn’t mean it,” and didn’t move to fire him. But GLAAD and others put pressure on him — and then Ratner opened his mouth again. On “The Howard Stern Show,” the 42-year-old revealed he made the troubled 25-year-old Lindsay Lohan get tested for sexually transmitted diseases before he slept with her. A day after Sherak defended him, Ratner resigned. And then Murphy followed suit.
The Academy immediately hired Brian Grazer to produce the show — a decision that should result in a classier ceremony. Grazer produces films directed by his business partner, Ron Howard, including “Frost/Nixon” and “A Beautiful Mind.”
The 84th ceremony, to take place Feb. 26, won’t just be classier — it will be more entertaining, too. The Academy has already found a replacement for Murphy: Billy Crystal. It’s a safe choice, especially after the debacle last year with a deer-in-the-headlights Anne Hathaway and a seemingly stoned James Franco. Crystal has already hosted the Oscars — eight times, in fact — and made a well-received appearance during last year’s otherwise dismal show.
It’s a win-win for the Academy and the audience — not to mention the new host himself. Crystal has all but disappeared from the big screen since 2002’s “Analyze That,” save for voice work. He tweeted his own announcement: “Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. Looking forward to the show.”
Kelly Jane Torrance is The Washington Examiner movie critic. Her reviews appear weekly and she can be reached at [email protected]
