I for one was proud of Steven for making a film that wasn't so sappily melodramatic as ALL of his others, that I could sit through without feeling like I had stumbled into something "FOR 8-YEAR-OLDS ONLY". I felt like he finally got a clue, at least a step in the right direction. I was even able to forgive the little-girl-in-the-red-dress thing, choosing to view it as that Spielberg touch on an otherwise very uncharacteristic film. The movie was not a perfect piece of storytelling, and Spielberg is not the ideal filmmaker -- whoever said he is? And, of course,since when do the most deserving win Oscars? Perhaps a more appropriate topic is why those who win Oscars win them, e.g. why Schindler's List will likely win Best Picture this year, why so many critic groups have given it their Best Picture awards also. Why is that? How does one win Best Director? What exactly does it take? To me this is a more interesting topic. Sandra Barton [log in to unmask]