Hollywood reverted to type at this year's Academy Awards, presenting its Oscar for best picture to yet another gangster movie, while passing over that rare production, a charming, if offbeat, piece of innocent merriment, Little Miss Sunshine.

Of course, there were militating factors. The members of the academy felt it was high-time to award at least one Oscar to one of its all-time leading directors of the lucrative gangster genre.

Yet it was a sad tale and, in fact, a crime to see Little Miss Sunshine robbed of the gold for the zany entertainment in which, we note, not a single gun was fired.

We can't help but think it would have been far better to give Mr. Scorsese a lifetime achievement award and let the Oscar for best picture go to the sunny side of the street.

In the violence-weary world, the loss was enough to make one wish the lass who would be Little Miss Sunshine leaped up onto the stage and, as a protest, did a reprise of the surprising strip her grandfather taught her how to do - and, for his performance, won, as Alan Arkin, the award for best supporting actor.