Spring Break
In case you missed the Oscars, the winners are...
Ross Leonard
Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: Diversions
Sunday was the 81st annual gathering of A-list stars who waited for hours to see if their name would be called to obtain a statue of Hollywood's golden boy, who goes by the name Oscar. This year's award show had Hugh Jackman making his hosting debut, which in my opinion, was way out of left field. They should have stuck with the usual comedian to do the job. They also decided to go with a cheap-looking opening sequence that involved Jackman singing odd lyrics about the best picture nominees and sticking his head through holes cut out of a wall to simulate the lifespan of Benjamin Button.
The night's big winner was the little film that could: "Slumdog Millionaire." It racked up a whopping eight Oscars, including Best Director (Danny Boyle) and Best Picture. "Slumdog" was a movie that barley made enough funding to reach completion and was originally released in only 10 theatres in North America.
Mickey Rourke's Cinderella story, "The Wrestler," came up short when Sean Penn took the Best Actor award from under his nose. Penn won for his portrayal of gay activist Harvey Milk in the film "Milk." However, Rourke took home the Best Actor award in last month's Golden Globe Awards for his role in "The Wrestler." Kate Winslet did her best "I'm so surprised" speech after winning the award for Best Actress for "The Reader" even though she won two Golden Globes in January for "The Reader" and "Revolutionary Road."
The most emotional award of the night may have been the least suspenseful. The late Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor for his role as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." The award was accepted on behalf of Ledger by his parents and sister with an acceptance speech that brought tears to eyes of on-lookers such as Brad Pitt and Adrian Brody. The award will be handed down to Ledger's daughter, Matilda.
This year's show saw some unusual moments right from the start with Jackman's musical number. Philippe Petit, star of the Best Documentary winner "Man On Wire," balanced the award on his chin, which was fitting, being a movie about a tightrope walker. He did so after making a lucky gold coin "disappear," throwing a little magic into the festivities of the night. A father's promise to his kids was also fulfilled when Danny Boyle accepted the award for Best Director and hopped at the podium like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, as he told his kids he would if he ever won an Oscar.
The night's big winner was the little film that could: "Slumdog Millionaire." It racked up a whopping eight Oscars, including Best Director (Danny Boyle) and Best Picture. "Slumdog" was a movie that barley made enough funding to reach completion and was originally released in only 10 theatres in North America.
Mickey Rourke's Cinderella story, "The Wrestler," came up short when Sean Penn took the Best Actor award from under his nose. Penn won for his portrayal of gay activist Harvey Milk in the film "Milk." However, Rourke took home the Best Actor award in last month's Golden Globe Awards for his role in "The Wrestler." Kate Winslet did her best "I'm so surprised" speech after winning the award for Best Actress for "The Reader" even though she won two Golden Globes in January for "The Reader" and "Revolutionary Road."
The most emotional award of the night may have been the least suspenseful. The late Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor for his role as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." The award was accepted on behalf of Ledger by his parents and sister with an acceptance speech that brought tears to eyes of on-lookers such as Brad Pitt and Adrian Brody. The award will be handed down to Ledger's daughter, Matilda.
This year's show saw some unusual moments right from the start with Jackman's musical number. Philippe Petit, star of the Best Documentary winner "Man On Wire," balanced the award on his chin, which was fitting, being a movie about a tightrope walker. He did so after making a lucky gold coin "disappear," throwing a little magic into the festivities of the night. A father's promise to his kids was also fulfilled when Danny Boyle accepted the award for Best Director and hopped at the podium like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, as he told his kids he would if he ever won an Oscar.
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