Oscars: Sean wins for Milk

Sean Penn wins best actor Oscar for "Milk"

Best Actor : Sean Penn won his second Academy Award for best actor for his moving portrayal of slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk in Milk. The win follows his first best-actor award for 2003's Mystic River.

He earned a standing ovation from the starry crowd as his wife, Robin Wright Penn, tearfully looked on. (Penn, however, didn't thank his wife; the two filed for divorce in late 2007 before reconciling last spring.)

"You commie, homo-loving sons of guns," Penn began in accepting the prize. "I did not expect this and I want it to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me often."

In this highly competitive category, Penn was up against Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon, Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Richard Jenkins in The Visitor.

Penn had already won the Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice awards as well as numerous honors from film critics groups across the country. 

"How did he do it?" fellow Oscar winner Robert De Niro wondered in introducing Penn. "How for so many years did he get all those jobs playing straight men?"

Milk was the first openly gay man elected to major public office in the United States when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. The following year, he was shot to death along with Mayor George Moscone by board colleague Dan White.

In wrapping up his own speech, Penn mentioned the protesters who lined the streets of Hollywood near the Oscar festivities, holding anti-gay signs: "We've got to have equal rights for everyone," he said.

Backstage, when asked what he would tell those protesters if he could speak to them, Penn responded, "I'd tell them to turn in their hate card and find their better self."

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Kate Winslet wins best actress for `The Reader'

Kate Winslet wins best actress for `The Reader'

NEW YORK  —  Kate Winslet pulled off the expected Sunday night, winning the Academy Award for best actress for her quietly powerful performance in "The Reader."

Winslet was giddy and emotional as she accepted her trophy.

"I'd be lying if I haven't made a version of this speech before," she said. "I think I was probably 8 years old and staring into the bathroom mirror and this (Oscar) would be a shampoo bottle. But it's not a shampoo bottle now."

She thanked her husband, director Sam Mendes, and their two children. And she also thanked her father, saying "Dad, whistle or something 'cause then I'll know where you are." He whistled back from his seat at the Kodak Theatre.

"You just don't think that these dreams that seem so silly and so impossible could ever really come true," Winslet said backstage.

This is the first Oscar for Winslet, who's been nominated five other times for her roles in "Titanic," "Sense and Sensibility," "Iris," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Little Children."

But the British actress seemed a shoo-in to win this year: She gained Oscar momentum after snagging a best supporting actress award at the Golden Globes for her role as a former Nazi camp guard in "The Reader," as well as best dramatic actress for her role as an unhappy housewife in "Revolutionary Road."

Winslet, 33, received more recognition on the awards circuit for "The Reader." Her portrayal of Hanna Schmitz — a woman having a passionate affair with a teenager who encounters her again years later while she is on trial for Holocaust crimes — was raw and restrained, netting her additional trophies at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and British Film Academy Awards.

The best-actress category was loaded with strong contenders: Meryl Streep was another front-runner with her 15th acting nomination as a prickly nun in "Doubt." Anne Hathaway played against her wholesome image as a toxic narcissist who leaves rehab to wreak havoc on her sister's wedding in "Rachel Getting Married." Angelina Jolie dug deep to portray a mother of a missing child in "Changeling." And Melissa Leo was powerful as mom who forges an unlikely friendship in "Frozen River."

(This version CORRECTS Corrects graf 3 to say that Winslet referred to Oscar as shampoo bottle, not microphone.)

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Man On Wire Film Flies Highest In Hollywood

Man On Wire Film Flies Highest In Hollywood

Jon Gripton in Hollywood

It was the bookmakers' favourite for the best documentary Oscar, and some critics even labelled Man on Wire the best film of all at this year's Academy Awards.

When I told British director James Marsh before the ceremony that the results had apparently been leaked, he shreaked "Oh God" and urged me not to tell him any more.

"We're the favourite to win so I'm assuming we won't win," he said.

"But it doesn't really matter whether we win or not. This is the end of a great journey. This is the big one. And it's the one chance in my life to win an Oscar, and be part of the circus, as it were," he said.

Only a short while later, the Academy confirmed it as its best documentary.

The film tells the story of tightrope walker Philippe Petit's incredible 1974 stunt when he strung a wire between the two twin towers of New York's World Trade Centre and then crossed between the buildings eight times in 45 minutes, taunting police as he did so.

Petit, a charming, charismatic Frenchman took six years to plan the venture as he watched the construction of the landmark buildings.

Clearly a man who likes to take his time, Petit took another year of his life to decide to make the film with Marsh.

Petit's own book of the adventure - To Reach The Clouds - dwells on the mechanics, the physics and the intricacies of his incredible feat, while Marsh's Man On Wire is presented like a classic heist-movie.

"This was the nearest thing to a miracle that you can have without divine intervention," Marsh tells me.

 

Oscar winner James Marsh (left) with Man on Wire team


"It is a fantastic drama. A present tense real-time unfolding adventure. I've used the word heist - it's like watching a bank robbery. The preparation, the disguises, the planning...

"On one level, it's a man walking around on a tightrope, but it isn't that. It's a story about the limits of what we're capable of as human beings."

Clearly the film has added poignancy from the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Marsh was living in the city at the time, and watched the collapse of the WTC 7 building as he filmed the devastation.

"Those towers were living, breathing beautiful things," he says.

"Many people were hurt by that day, directly and indirectly. And it is undoubtedly a subtext to the film. But it would have been wrong and clumsy to have mentioned it. We know many things now that we did not know in 1974."

Petit, who lives in New York but who made to trip to Los Angeles to accept the Oscar, also acknowledges the emotion of the Twin Towers.

"To me they are still there. They are there. Those towers to me they were alive. They were almost human," he said.

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Top Five Moments from an Excellent Oscar Night

Mark Blankenship

Top Five Moments from an Excellent Oscar Night

Despite the awkward randomness of Hugh Jackman's two big production numbers (and otherwise nonexistent hosting), this was a good Oscar ceremony. There were interesting changes, moving speeches, and at least one legitimately funny bit (thanks as always, Tina Fey!)

So here they are... my top five Oscar moments in 2009.

5. Winning My Oscar Pool --- For the first time ever in my life, I actually won my Oscar pool. Finally! There was no cash prize this year (because of the recession), but I did win an autographed copy of Foreigner's classic album 4, which features "Waiting for a Girl Like You."

Granted, the album is only autographed by Foreigner's drummer and is dedicated to someone named Jennifer, but I still feel honored to have received it. (Here's a picture of me with my prize.)

4. Queen Latifah's Performance --- It was easy to miss, since she was singing underneath the montage of this year's dead celebrities, but Queen Latifah sounded amazing on "I'll Be Seeing You." I mean, I knew she could sing, but I didn't know she could sing like that. I was impressed that she showed the breadth of her range without being showy. In keeping with the solemnity of the segment, she kept her voice warm and understated, even as she demonstrated her skill.

3. The Unexpected Styx Reference --- When Kunio Kato was thanking people for his Animated Short Film Oscar (for La Maison et petits cubes) he said, "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto."

This was fantastic for several reasons.

1. "Domo arigato" means "thank you very much," so... totally appropriate. 

2. "Mr. Roboto" is one of the weirdest songs ever to hit the American top ten, and it deserve this kind of attention.

3. The white Americans in Styx used "Mr. Roboto" to appropriate Japanese culture. Similarly, Kato is a Japanese filmmaker who won a major American award for a film with a French title. His reference may have been a comment on the blurring of national identities...

4. ... or it could have been a cool joke. Either way... awesome. 


2. Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn's Acceptance Speeches --- Heartfelt, (mostly) articulate, and fearlessly political, both winners used their enormous platforms to take unequivocal stands on behalf of gay rights. It helps that I agree with them, but even if I didn't, I would respect them both for being so adamant about gay rights and about the inevitable shame that will be felt for those who have voted against those rights in our time. 


I almost always respect political Oscar speeches. I didn't love the way Michael Moore roped in the other nominees when he slammed Bush during his acceptance, and even though I wasn't alive when it happened, I understand the resentment Vanessa Redgrave engendered when she made her pro-Palestinian remarks at the 1978 ceremony. But it's applause-worthy to stand up for something in the face of so much scrutiny.

If nothing else, taking a stand prompts discussion and it makes for good TV. Anything that brings both relevance and entertainment to the Oscars deserves some love.

1. The "Historical Parade" Before Each Acting Award --- Each acting nominee received a personal tribute from a previous winner in his or her category. This created nineteen personal moments (and one lovely tribute to Heath Ledger), and it gave the ceremony a sense of grandeur it has lacked for years. For the first time that I can remember, the Oscars slowed down long enough to become about the awards themselves, not the funny bits and flashy numbers in between. That patience allowed each nominee to get some highly deserved recognition, and it actually proved the old saw about the honor of being nominated. I mean, Anne Hathaway and Michael Shannon didn't take home statues, but they got amazing kudos from Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Walken. How could they feel like losers? They were being personally ushered into the remarkable legacy of the Academy Awards.

Meanwhile, those of us at home were shown glamour and prestige... exactly what the Oscars should provide. I hope this format becomes an annual tradition.

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Smile Pinki fetches Oscar for Mylan

Smile Pinki fetches Oscar for Mylan

"Smile Pinki", the tale of a Uttar Pradesh girl and her fight against the social stigma of a cleft-lip, won the Oscar award for Best Documentary (Short).

Directed by Emmy-award winning Megan Mylan, the film was shot in Mirzapur and Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh.

Elated at the victory, Mylan thanked the eight-year- old girl, who could not smile due to her cleft-lip and was teased as "othkatti' (one with a cut lip) for letting her tell her story.

"Thank you Pinki. Thank you for letting me tell your incredible story," said Mylan while accepting the Oscar.

Pinki then underwent a simple surgery with the help of social workers that almost changed her life.

Mylan also thanked the NGO Smile Train, which funded the surgery and Pinki's Los Angeles trip to attend the Oscars.

Mylan also thanked Dr Subodh K Singh, who performed the surgery.

"Smile Pinki" edged past "The Final Inch", which was also shot in India and documents the struggle of polio workers as they travel from village to village to administer polio drops under the polio eradication programme of India, to win the award.

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JERRY LEWIS TO RECEIVE HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Welcome From Jerry Lewis

JERRY LEWIS TO RECEIVE HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD AT 81ST ACADEMY AWARDS®

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Actor, director, writer and producer Jerry Lewis has been voted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy President Sid Ganis announced today. The award, an Oscar® statuette, will be presented to Lewis during the 81st Academy Awards ceremony on February 22, 2009. 

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry. 

“Jerry is a legendary comedian who has not only brought laughter to millions around the world,” said Ganis, “but has also helped thousands upon thousands by raising funds and awareness for those suffering from muscular dystrophy.” 

Lewis began making local and national televised appeals on behalf of the newly founded Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in the early 1950s. He has been the organization’s national chairman since 1952 and has served as the “number one volunteer” of the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon since 1966, raising more than $2 billion for the cause. 

Born in 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, Lewis first found fame as part of a groundbreaking nightclub act with his partner, Dean Martin. The comedy team of Martin and Lewis made their screen debut in “My Friend Irma” (1949) and starred in 16 films together through 1956. Lewis went on to star in more than two dozen films, including “The Bellboy” (1960), “The Ladies’ Man” (1961), “The Nutty Professor” (1963), “The Disorderly Orderly (1964), “The Family Jewels” (1965) and “The King of Comedy” (1983). A series of lectures on filmmaking that Lewis delivered as an adjunct professor at USC was published as The Total Film-Maker in 1971. 

The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. 

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

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Child stars of 'Slumdog Millionaire' to attend Oscars

Child stars of 'Slumdog Millionaire' to attend Oscars

LOS ANGELES: The child stars of "Slumdog Millionaire" will be celebrating two firsts this weekend: a trip on an airplane and a ticket to the Oscars Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday. 

"The kids are on their way to the Oscars! Everyone is very excited," the film's British director Danny Boyle wrote to Daily News in an email on Friday. 

The three main characters of the rags-to-riches story are played by nine actors, showing them in three stages of their lives, and all will attend the star-studded ceremony at the Kodak Theatre Sunday, Fox Searchlight Pictures said. 

The older actors are no strangers to the limelight, including British-Indian Dev Patel, 18, and Freida Pinto, 24, labelled a new style icon by Vogue magazine. 

But for the younger co-stars, Rubina Ali Qureshi, 9, and Azhar Mohammed Ismail, 10, this will be their first time out of India, and first taste of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. 

Fox Searchlight said it was paying the bill for visas, travel and accommodations for nine children to fly to Los Angeles for the Oscars. 

The film makers were accused last month of exploiting the children. Boyle and producer Christian Colson have rejected the charge, saying the children were paid above local Indian wages for their work and that the film's makers were also paying for their education. 

"Slumdog Millionaire" has been nominated for 10 Oscars-the industry's highest honours-including best picture and best director. It already has won at the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild, and the British BAFTA awards.

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