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Want to know what a film critic thought about this year's Oscars?

Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post sat down with readers the day after the big Academy Awards ceremony to talk Oscars and answer your questions.

Hunter, twice a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, has been reviewing movies at The Post for about a year. He had been at the Baltimore Sun since 1981. Hunter's work has been collected in a book, "Violent Screen: A Critic's 13 Years on the Front Lines of Movie Madness."

Hunter is also a prolific novelist who has written nine thrillers since 1980.

A transcript of the discussion follows:

Centreville, Va.: Why do you think that African Americans were so overlooked this year when there were several performances that deserved notice? For example, the entire cast of "Amistad", "Soul Food", "Eve's Bayou" and the performances of Pam Grier and and Samuel L. Jackson in "Foxy Brown."

Stephen Hunter: I've had several questions along this line, and it simply reflects the sad reality that Hollywood remains a white town. The very choice of Titanic as a major project demonstrates a lack of interest in the black experience. I have no answer to this problem except to say that these things appear to run in cycles and obey laws of weird fashion and that one can hope that in the future it changes. Spike Lee has done some great work in this area but he probably scares the older Academy members.

Shelton, Conn.: Mr. Hunter, why were you so quick to criticize Mr. Cameron's remark, "I'm the king of the world"? Are you aware that he was not coronating himself but rather quoting a line from the movie spoken by DiCaprio's character? Have you even seen Titanic?

Stephen Hunter: I am getting a lot of nastiness on this. The truth is, I didn't recognize it as a quote from a film which struck me lacking in quotable lines. The second truth is, HE elected to say that at that moment, and if I'm any judge of human behavior, he didn't mean it ironically. That was pure screaming rampant egoism at its ugliest and I prefer a more modest personal style from people of attainment. He didn't help matters in subsequent moments by requesting silence for the victims, then saying Let's party.

Pasadena, Calif.: Where is the logic in saying Cameron deserves to win Best Director, then saying you thought "L.A. Confidential" and "The Sweet Hereafter" were better movies than "Titanic"?

Stephen Hunter: It seems to me the question assumes an iron logic in this business. Would it then follow that every best director would get best movie? In an ideal world, possibly so, but not as the Academy votes. I think we admire Cameron for his chutzpah and his generalship rather than any artistic subtlety, which is the case for Hanson and Egoyan. One of the tasks of a big-time film director is to shepherd immense technical products through agonizing production probles and deliver the goods. Cameron did this, in spades.

Yakima, Wash.: Who was the man who won the special Lifetime Achievement Award? He stole the show . . .

Stephen Hunter: Stanley Donen was a great director in the old studio system after WWII, specializing in musicals. He's most famous for co-directing Singin in the Rain with Gene Kelly, regarded by many (moi aussi) as the greatest musical ever made. He went on to a distinguished career helming high end, slick thrillers like Charade. He also directed the much loved Two for the Road with Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney. He's an example of the self-effacing pro of the sort Hollywood seems not to turn out anymore

Bethesda, Md.: I agree with your comment that Gloria Stuart shouldn't win an Oscar for "being 87 and still twinkly," but why does Kim Basinger deserve an award for being 40 and still gorgeous?

Stephen Hunter: I think the Basinger award was more of a lifetime achievement thing, a salute to someone who's hung around a long time and refused to go away. They like that in L.A. Was it a great performance? Well, there's only about 6,567 professional actresses who could have done as well, but you have to say she was convincing, given the somewhat narrow limits of the part. Stuart, having left the business years back, and only returned by fluke, wasn't able to pick up any momentum on the basis of career longevity.

Vienna, Va.: If you subtracted "Titanic" from this year's roster of movies, which film would have dominated?

Stephen Hunter: I think that, had +Titanic= not have been around, it would have been a very good year for +L.A. Confidential.= We critcs loved it and it represented another weird little thing they like in L.A. which is when a journeyman like Curtis Hanson (Wild River, The Bedroom Window) suddenly hits the ball out of the park.

Washington, D.C.: Why do you think Leonardo DiCaprio was not nominated?

Stephen Hunter: One of the fascinations of Hollywood is how bald and ugly it can be--it's like Washington in that respect. The Academy is comprised of many older people who resent success and youth. Remember the +scanal= about the snubbing of Steven Spielberg for all those years? Now along comes Prince Leo, and he's the center of the biggest thing since sliced bread, and young, pretty and talented to boot. It would be hard for some actor who is 64 and has averaged $22,000 a year for the last 15 years to get enthusiastic about him!

Rockville, Md.: How do you think the success of "Titanic" will change Hollywood?

Stephen Hunter: This is a very interesting question and my answer would be: not much. I think most professionals will understand to what extent it was a freakish happening, and avoid the temptation of making a series of movies based on maritime disasters. Maritania? I think not, even though I believe more people died. And then Lusitania, another bad one? Look, for example, at the success of The English Patient last year: it was so singular a film that it was difficult to clone or remake. The same will happen with Titanic.

Washington, D.C.: Just before the Best Actress award was announced, I swore that I would "run out naked in the street screaming if Helen Hunt won." Of course, it happened and I am stunned! She has no charisma, a deadpan, emotionless voice and is 20 pounds too thin. I saw all the other nominees' performances and was pulling for Julie Christie. What's up with the Academy overlooking quality for a sitcom star? I'm a woman; am I missing something about Helen Hunt's appeal/talent?

Stephen Hunter: There's no accounting for taste. I'm not a fan of her TV show (mainly because I can't stand that Paul Reiser guy) and I didn't even really care for As Good As It Gets. But I thought she really lit that movie up. Nicholson seemed to me to be doing a bad Nicholson imitation. Jim Breuer would have imitated Nicholson much better. I've seen guys doing gay jokes in lockerrooms for years who did better than Greg Kinnear. But Hunt, I thought, was weirdly special and made that very long movie endurable. I actually love her deadpan thing: on the opening of the SNL repeat, when she said, And I get to fulfill a life-long ambition--to work with Hanson, I thought she made that line hysterically funny with her modulation of the deadpan. But then I like that kind of thing; maybe you don't. I will say that nearly everyone expected her to win.

Washington, D.C.: Do you think "Amistad" was justifiably omitted from the Best Picture category?

Stephen Hunter: I can't really get upset about the lack of respect for Amistad. I understand many African Americans feel slighted on account of it, but regardless of outside meanings, the weight of history, and any decent man's hope that racial healing can somehow begin, I have to say that I didn't think Amistad was a very good movie. It was preachy, that Matthew guy from Texas seemed hopelessly miscast, Anthony Hopkins was just blowing steam, and what was Morgan Freeman doing in it except lending it his considerable dignity? Spielberg himself seemed unsure. The movie was only really affecting when the African actor playing Cinque was at the center of it and when he left, it got sort of loggy.

Peekskill, N.Y.: Shales wrote today that Billy Crystal has probably cemented his role as host of the Oscars for years to come. Do you agree? Does Crystal add to the show?

Stephen Hunter: I really enjoy Billy Crystal's handling of that job and think he adds a lot. But I thought (I haven't read Shales yet so I don't know if I'm agreeing or disagreeing) last night's edition was just about the pits. What was that animal thing that poor Mike Meyers got into? What was the point of putting all those Oscar winners on stage? If they want the thing to be a salute to old hollywood, they should tape it, then edit it for tightness. Last night, despite some great lines by Crystal (I loved, it's a bad night when your rabbi wins an Oscar!) just went on and on and on.

Washington, D.C.: Just from reading other queries, I take it you did not care for the movie "Titanic" Don't you think it is the "Gone With The Wind" of the nineties? The latter was also a movie of a tragic event. Don't you think you have to take a movie for what it is and just enjoy instead of dissecting it? It's only a movie.

Stephen Hunter: I thought Titanic was an extremely affecting piece of professional movie making, but it wouldn't even be my favorite James Cameron movie. That would be the first Terminator. As for why I dissect these things, I sort of think it's my job. I mean, I'm not the boring guy sitting next to you on the bar stool, I'm the boring guy who writes about movies for a living. Hey, it beats working.

Fredericksburg, Va.: In response to your answer about Leonardo DiCaprio: How then do you explain Matt Damon and Ben Affleck being nominated despite the fact they are so young?

Stephen Hunter: Affleck and Damon worked the town. They went to all the parties, they were polite and respectful to their elders, they worked the pub and the talk show circuits with a great deal of skill. They were like Washington lobbyists pushing a certain piece of legislation. DiCaprio didn't play by those rules, didn't do much campaigning or sucking up. If you're not going to play by the rules, you're not going to get any slack.

Washington, D.C.: How do you think the Academy would react to African Americans establishing their own set of awards that recognize not just one facet of the entertainment industry but acknowledge the works of all people? Do you think they would sit up and take notice?

Stephen Hunter: With all due respect, I don't think Hollywood would really notice, certainly not at first. It's a very inward gazing, self-absorbed town, slow to respond. To me, some kind of boycott would make more sense, because the $$$$ make them pay attention. Thanks all, for participating. This was fun, but as my hero Arnold says: I need a vacation.

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