“You look very appealing to a younger demographic as well,” co-host Anne Hathaway said when opening the 83rd Annual Academy Awards this past Sunday.

This year, the academy attempted a “younger and fresh” show with James Franco and Hathaway taking the hosting reigns. In my opinion, Hathaway gets a 100 percent for effort. During the night, she beamed with enthusiasm, sang her lungs out and even took on Wolverine.

As for Franco, it was pretty apparent he did not want to be there. Franco’s biggest contribution was wearing a dress and taking a jab at Charlie Sheen while in drag: “The weird part is, I just got a text message from Charlie Sheen,” Franco said.

Later on, Hathaway took the stage to sing a parody of “On My Own” from Les Misérables. Hathaway belted the words, “He stuck his fake retractable claws into my heart” at former host and Wolverine star Hugh Jackman, whom Hathaway performed with during his hosting year.

Although Hathaway should absolutely be commended for boasting such powerful pipes, the whole time I was praying Jackman would leap onstage in a sequined tuxedo. But alas, it was not meant to be.

One of my favorite moments of the night was when “The Fighter” star Melissa Leo dropped the “F bomb” during her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress. My guess is that it was her homage to “Marky Mark” Wahlberg and his Funky Bunch days.

As for Leo’s win, I believe the golden naked man should have gone to “True Grit’s” Hailee Steinfeld. Sure, she’s only 14, but remember Anna Paquin was only 11 when she took home an Oscar for “The Piano.”

Steinfeld more than earned her place amongst nominees Leo, Helena Bonham Carter and Amy Adams. When Joel and Ethan Coen were casting the film, they were worried they couldn’t find a 14-year-old who had the emotional maturity to portray the enigmatic Mattie Ross. Steinfeld steals the screen in “True Grit,” more remarkable considering she shared it with film vets Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon.

In the tradition of failing to recognize innovation, the academy snubbed Christopher Nolan for Best Director for one of my favorite pictures of the year, “Inception.” It has been a long time since a film has captured my imagination like “Inception”. or kept me up all night wondering if that ridiculous top was still spinning at the end of the movie or not.

Nolan was also later snubbed in the Best Writing (Original Screenplay) category when “King’s Speech” writer David Seidler took the win. Nolan’s script was inventive, imaginative, and may I mention it took him six years to write?

For the Best Supporting Actor category, “The Fighter” star Christian Bale was the favorite to win, taking home the award. However, when Bale took to the stage for his acceptance speech, he looked more like The Unabomber than an Oscar winner. Was it too much to ask for him to trim up the homeless-man beard for one of the most prestigious nights in television?

Next to unruly facial hair, another odd occurrence was how the majority of the hosts struggled to open the envelopes during the night. Come on people, this is not The Hurt Locker – we are not asking you to diffuse a bomb.

For the big wins, Natalie Portman took home Best Actress for Black Swan, Tom Hooper won Best Director for The King’s Speech, Colin Firth finally won an Oscar for his performance in The King’s Speech, which to my pleasant surprise took home the honor of Best Picture.

It was the year of the one-eyed Federal Marshal, the loneliest person on Facebook, “Marky Mark” in the boxing ring and stuttering royalty.

Shelley Holmgren can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction March 6, 2011:

In Friday’s issue of The Verge in the article”‘Younger and fresh’ Oscar presentation uneventful, lackluster,” Fincher was identified as winning the Oscar for Best Director. Tom Hopper won Best Director not Fincher.