Washington’s Sarcasm Seemed to Be Lost

I take strong exception to Gina Piccalo’s coverage of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. Awards ceremony Jan. 22 (City of Angles, Jan. 24). Ms. Piccalo’s remarks about comments made by Denzel Washington in accepting his award for best actor and by me after Mr. Washington sat down at his table cannot go unchallenged.

Piccalo wrote: “Then, Denzel Washington surprised the crowd by suggesting straight-faced that his award for best actor in ‘Training Day’ should have been presented before [Sissy] Spacek’s [award for best actress]. ‘Is that sexist or something?’ he asked. After Washington left the stage, the association’s president, Jean Oppenheimer, took the podium and sniped back: ‘That was a real electric performance.’”

Piccalo seems to have been the only person in the room that night who didn’t realize that Mr. Washington’s remarks were made in jest. When Mr. Washington sat down at his table, I clearly remarked that I personally had found the actor’s performance in “Training Day” to be electric, something that I feel so strongly about I even included the compliment in my opening essay on the first page of the program, or awards, brochure.

I find the overall tone of Piccalo’s article to be mean-spirited and sarcastic, not at all in keeping with the mood of the room that night.

JEAN OPPENHEIMER

President, Los Angeles

Film Critics Assn.