by Lisa Bennett-Haigney, NOW Publications Manager

Special Oscar Report

Moving Forward:  The Academy awarded some progressive movies and ideas this year. Hilary Swank won best actress for "Boys Don't Cry," playing Brandon Teena, a young woman who felt most natural living as a man. Michael Caine won supporting actor for playing an honorable doctor who delivers babies and performs abortions in pre-Roe v. Wade days in "The Cider House Rules."  John Irving, who won best screenplay for his adaptation of his own novel "The Cider House Rules," thanked both Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.

Holding Back: The running joke of the evening was the fact that best actress nominee Annette Bening was nine months pregnant and due very soon. Forget her acting—this woman's really pregnant!  In the year 2000, the fact that an actress is about to give birth should not be a big deal. A few comments about "what if she goes into labor" would have been understandable, but the endless references to it overshadowed the fact that Bening was there because she gave one of the best performances of 1999.

Moving Forward: The line-up of presenters featured many women and men of color, as well asactors and directors from around the globe. Taking the stage were Erykah Badu, Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz and Lucy Lui — performers we hope to see winning awards some day.

Holding Back: Of the twenty acting nominees, two were people of color—both men.  The acting categories are known for their lack of diversity (last year the nominees were all white) and there are a number of excellent performances by actors of color that many critics feel didn't receive their just rewards—among them Denzel Washington as Malcom X and Angela Bassett as Tina Turner.

Moving Forward:  Speaking of Erykah Badu, she gave the ceremony an exciting jolt fashion-wise while staying true to herself.  We should also mention that she gave a strong performance in "The Cider House Rules."

Holding Back:  Entertainment reporters showed just how old-fashioned and ethnically narrow Hollywood still is by treating Badu as if she had just entered on a space ship. Her tall turban inspired almost as many wisecracks as Bening's pregnancy.

Moving Forward: In the categories that are not gender segregated—actually, all of the categories except for the acting ones—more women seemed to be making trips to the stage than usual. Barbara Schock and Tamara Tiehel won for Live Action Short Film.  Susan Hannah Hadary shared the award for Documentary Short Subject with William A. Whiteford, and she was the one who gave their acceptance speech.

Holding Back: Women still made up a small portion of the movie-making awards, and none of them were in the technical fields, like editing, sound or visual effects.  Instead, they took home awards in make-up and costume design.

Moving Forward:  Despite the procession of young, thin, gorgeous actresses capturing camera time, there were plenty of 40+ women on hand giving maturity a good name. Being single obviously becomes Jane Fonda, who looked fabulous, classy and confident at 62. Dame Judi Dench was regal and distinguished. And Meryl Streep, Angelica Huston, Angela Bassett and (believe it or not) Cher added some much needed authority to the show.

Holding Back: However, Cher was the most visible example of a sad trend. So many women's gowns featured long trains than were tripped and stepped on.  Since the women's fashion choices are focused on so relentlessly by the press, the actresses go out of their way to make a splash, which usually includes revealing cuts and dresses that look incredibly uncomfortable.  Not to mention impossible to walk in.  On the red carpet trek into the ceremony, the men fielded questions about their craft and upcoming projects, while the women answered mostly questions about their appearance, leaving little time for talk about their profession.

This week's feminist media picks:

Best Actress Nominee Meryl Streep:  For two very distinct movie experiences, rent Streep's "Silkwood" (1983) and "The River Wild" (1994).  "Silkwood" is the true story about one woman's crusade against bureaucracy at a rural nuclear plant. "The River Wild" is an action movie about a family's rafting trip hijacked by thugs.  Both movies feature impressive performances by Streep as strong women who rise to the challenges presented them.

Best Actress Nominee Annette Bening:  You don't really have to rent "The American President" (1995) because it's frequently on TV, but it helps not to have to watch the commercials. Written by the creator of NBC's "The West Wing" the movie stars Bening as an environmental lobbyist who gets the job done and sticks to her principles.

Best Supporting Actress Angelina Jolie:  For something completely different, rent "Foxfire" (1996), a grrrl movie that's a cut above your usual teen flick.  Jolie's drifter character comes to town and helps a group of high school girls fight back against bad parents and sexual abuse. "Foxfire" is a very frank look at being a teen today and it also kicks butt.

Another Jolie-related recommendation:  "Girl, Interrupted"—the movie Jolie was nominated for—was based upon a book by Susanna Kaysen.  Kaysen tells the real story about her lengthy lock-up in a mental hospital when she was a young woman.  The book is revealing, wonderfully written and an insightful depiction of how society viewed women's rebellion not long ago.

Best Supporting Actress Nominee Toni Collette:  Collette is best known for her title role in the 1994 Australian movie "Muriel's Wedding."  If you haven't already seen this wonderful movie about an unpopular young woman's obsession with love and ABBA, rent it now. Collette gives a brave and forceful performance.  She's also tough and touching in the movie she was nominated for, "The Sixth Sense," which is just out on video.

(Note:  Nothing is perfect, particularly in our society's media. These picks represent those works of entertainment or information that are for the most part woman-positive and socially responsible.)