Beyonce was one of the many guests.
The producers of the 81st Academy Awards promised us a different sort of Oscars ceremony this year, and they delivered... sort of. The usually prim-and-proper festivity undid its top button Sunday night, loosening up a tad with some fun but still trotting out the typical here's-your-award-now-make-a-speech formula.
The most exciting part of the night wasn't even finding out who won. For all the major acting awards, five previous winners of the award--unannounced to be presenting--welcomed the pledges to their League of Extraordinary Actors, almost secret society style--all that was missing were ceremonial robes and chanting.
Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner in a night of non-surprises, taking home best picture, best director (Danny Boyle), and a slew of other prizes. Other anti-shockers included Sean Penn for best actor, Kate Winslet for best actress, Heath Ledger for best supporting actor, and Penelope Cruz for best supporting actress.
Overall, the evening was a success because of several smart decisions from the producers. Hugh Jackman was perfectly tolerable as the evening's host, bouncing back and forth between Broadway-style numbers and flashing his suave Aussie smile. The Kodak Theater was intimate enough to feel like we were snooping in on a private ceremony. The best picture nominees were all shown alongside past winners with a common theme. But most of all, it was great that no one got their speech cut off by that buzzkill orchestra.
PHOTO GALLERY: The Oscars Red Carpet
PHOTO GALLERY: The Oscars Show
PHOTO GALLERY: Oscars Parties
A partial list of winners is below, for a full list, head over to the official Web site of The Oscars.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in The Visitor (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon (Universal)
Sean Penn in Milk (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in Milk (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in Changeling (Universal)
Melissa Leo in Frozen River (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in Doubt (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in The Reader (The Weinstein Company)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in Doubt (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis in Doubt (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight)
Best animated feature film of the year
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Best director of the year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher
Frost/Nixon (Universal) Ron Howard
Milk (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
The Reader (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle
Best picture of the year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
I wonder if Slumdog was a terrible movie, but had that same exact music if it would still have won those awards for it's music?
I did not like the fact that Slumdog won so many major awards. And to whoever criticized us people who say this about SDM are just mean. We deserve an opinion and my opinion is that the wrong movie won. Americans just liked it so much because of the foreign stars. I'm from Asia so I thought it was no big whoop. But, alas, what's done is done. Just wanted to put my 2 cents in.
I went to see it last week what a disappointment nothing special or original the fact it has done so well in the academy awards is no surprise as they only ever seem to praise mediocrity and unoriginal content
Hmmm I believe I need to watch this Slumdog Millionaire, it looks pretty cool and well its British. Wooooo common Brits we rocked this year :).
It wasn't half bad this year. Loved Hugh hosting. Only part that bugged me was the stupid camera moves during the memorial segment, I couldn't even read half the names.
"the typical here's-your-award-now-make-a-speech formula."
Well, what were you expecting? How else is an awards ceremony supposed to go?
I thought the Oscars this year were fantastic, Hugh was great, all the movie montages (especially the musicals one) were fun, the way they introduced the acting nominees was really well excecuted... as far as I'm concerned these were the best Oscars in a very long time (and SDM desereved every award it got)
I agree with BeachfrontGlass.
"perfectly tolerable" wtf! Jackman was great. The Oscars and ABC should be singing his praises. First thing either group has done right in a while!
Well, Slumdog was shocking, but other than that... there was no suprise.
TDK and wall-E should have been nominated for best pic
Slumdog Millionaire is great, I hope many more people watch it now that it has won.
Sean Penn was a shocker everyone thought it would be Mich Rourke!Too bad The Curious Case of Benjamin Button got so less Oscars!
The Oscars were great! I really enjoyed them this year, the architecture of the theater was quite impressive..I was kind of shocked that Rourke didn't win best actor, but all the other winners were expected. It's crazy that Kate Winslet won, she's a fantastic speech-giver as far as thank yous go, I loved Seth Rogen and James Franco's comedic performance in that skit, that was great. Ben Stiller's get up as Joaquin, that was priceless!
I dont believe Slumdog is that overrated, for me it's undoubtly the righteous winner. Many people probably didn't like the fairytale ending, but still, it's been quite a while since a movie that good came out. After I saw it, I said immediately, "this one is going to win the oscar", and I'm very glad that it did :)
Seriously...Slumdog Millionaire is too overrated...winning an oscar just jumps the shark
heath deserved it:P
Woohoo for Heath and "Slumdog". -rant, complete-
Also, I dont think many people saw "Doubt", Viola Davis brought me to tears and that aint easy to do. I'll say again that "The Curious Case of Forrest Gump" was the biggest piece o' crap since "Titanic".
"Milk", "Curious Case of Forrest Gump" and "The Wrestler" all sucked balls! People will eat anything up. To win a award all you have to do is portray a gay person, a diseased person or mentally ill person. A gay-mentally ill person with AIDS would be a sure thing for best actor. What a joke!
So slumdog millionaire was the biggest winner last night. I never seen the movie, so I don't know why. Glad Heath got an award for the dark knight. Knew that was gonna happen. I didn't like the fact that Bill Maher's movie Religulous didn't get nominated.
How come there was not a huge and amazing Oscar feature like there was for the grammy's?
I am tired of watching foreign based Oscars.
I was so sure that Mickey Rourke would win. But I was sure that Babel and Eddie Murphy would win when they were nominated. And I wasn't too keen on Kate Winslet and Penelope Cruz winning also. The only bright spot was Heath Ledger winning. Though I equate his win to when Paul Newman and Don Ameche won.
No surprises here, then.
Mickey Rourke said in a recent interview that due to the fact that he burned so many bridges in Hollywood, voting members would not forgive him for it. He predicted that Sean Penn would win and if anyone saw MILK, his performace was truly Oscar worthy. I thought MILK or The Reader were better films than Slumdog Millionaire but the subject matter may have scared off older voters. Slugdog was a good film but I wouldn't say it deserved best picture.
Mickey Rourke should have won but as he said in a recent interview, he's burned so many bridges in Hollywood and he was aware that many voting members of the academy would remember that. He predicted Sean would win and he seemed ok with that. MILK or the Reader should have won best picture but the subject matter may have scared away some oler voters.
Im glad Ledger won not because he is death i mean that's another thing he really deserves the oscar for his astonishing and amazing performance as the Joker really the best Joker ever
To bad he did really bad :(:(
XO XO
:(:(:(:(
Im glad Ledger won not because he is death i mean that's another thing he really deserves the oscar for his astonishing and amazing performance as the Joker really the best Joker ever
To bad he did really bad :(:(
XO XO
:(:(:(:(
I prefer to watch real tv, not award shows for rich people. Whats the point? They already get paid millions! Why do they need a pat on the back too?
Mickey Rourke should've won. Then Stephen Colbert would've gotten all five of his Oscars predictions right.
you guys who think Slumdog didn't deserve or either you didn't watch the movie , you weren't paying attention or you like the same kind of movie every time you go to the cinema.
Slumdog Millionaire is too overrated and Sean Penn ?! I tottaly disagree !! The only winners I'm happy about are Heath Ledger and Kate Winslet.
Slumdog Millionaire is totally worth it. First time ever I agree with this award :)
why Slumdog Millionaire ???????????????????????????????????????????????
is just a normal movie
Slumdog Millionaire so many Oscars?! For what???
About the buzzkill orchestra - wasn't one winner cut off? I don't remember exactly, but I think it was one of those where more than one people won and the second person got cut off. Unfortunately I can't recall the category.
Sean Penn is a great actor but I thought Mickey should have won. Slumdog was great Im happy it won most of the awards. Glad Heath Ledger won and Penolpe Cruz. Kate Winslet Finally won :D well done Brits :D
Mickey Rourke should've won.