What could have saved the generally boring Oscars?

Every Monday, CBC Arts runs down the latest arts and culture news on State of the Arts, a live chat between our very own Amanda Parris and Peter Knegt. And this week, it was all about the Oscars...

While both Amanda and Peter found some nice things to say about the overall festivities — namely Frances McDormand's speech, some Canadian shoutouts and Get Out and Call Me By Your Name's screenplay wins — ​they also had some visions for an alternative universe where the Oscars were a little less...boring. 

Watch their discussion below, or scroll down for some quick takes on their suggestions. You can also add your own to the comments of the video.

Amanda's picks:

​Best score would have gone to Phantom Thread
I have no memory of the music that accompanied The Shape of Water. However I am haunted by the orchestra that created the sweeping and dramatic soundscape for Phantom Thread. Jonny Greenwood was robbed.

Justice for Michael Stuhlbarg!
In my alternate reality, Michael Stuhlbarg would have been nominated for best supporting actor and would have won the award. His performance was subtle yet riveting and he delivered one of the best monologues in recent cinematic history.

Dee Rees would have graced my television screen
Actors are great and it's cool to see their reactions but the decision by Oscar producers to not show the faces of the nominees in other categories meant that individuals who had made history with their work were barely seen or not seen at all throughout the night. Dee Rees was the first Black woman to ever be nominated for best adapted screenplay and she was not shown once. Unacceptable.

Peter's picks:

Someone with the initials "L.M." would have won best supporting actress
Love her, but did Allison Janney really need to win every single award for best supporting actress? Laurie Metcalf and Lesley Manville gave (arguably, I suppose) far superior performances in Lady Bird and Phantom Thread and I would have loved to have seen them surprise. Or, really, I would have loved to see any surprises in the acting categories, which seemed sewn up for months.

Better speeches
Part of the downside to predictable winners is that there's a lack of drama in the speeches. They all know they're going to win, and the excitement of their speeches suffer. With the very notable exception of Frances McDormand, none of the night's speeches were especially memorable.

The Shape of Water wouldn't have won best picture
Yes, at least it wasn't Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but The Shape of Water was by no means my dream winner for the night's big prize. Get Out, Lady Bird, Call Me By Your Name, Dunkirk and Phantom Thread are all near-masterpieces as far as I'm concerned, and any of them would have made for a much more inspired best picture.

Watch State of the Arts live every Monday on CBC Arts' Facebook page.