The 2009 Academy Awards

by Athena Voulgaropoulos

The 81st Academy Awards came and went. The big winner, as predicted, was Slumdog Millionaire. Slumdog took home eight awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Kate Winslet won the Oscar for Best Actress. Penelope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress. Heath Ledger’s family accepted his posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The only real surprise of the night came during the award for Best Actor, which went to Sean Penn. Even Penn himself seemed surprised that Mickey Rourke’s name wasn’t called.

There seemed to be a lot more heart during these Oscars than in previous years. There were many first-time winners and a diverse group of winners altogether. Best Supporting Actress winner Penelope Cruz set the tone with a heartfelt story of growing up with nothing, never believing something like an Oscar would be possible. When winners paid tribute to their fellow nominees, it never felt like lip service. Even the presentations for the acting categories focused on praise and inspiration, not competition. What a bunch of hippies!

That said, save the singing and dancing for the Tony Awards. Hugh Jackman, I want Jon Stewart back. For a full accounting of Oscar night, read on.

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7:00pm CST

The ceremony is set to start in less than 10 minutes. Red Carpet coverage began on ABC at 7pm. There is a flurry of beautiful dresses and screaming fans. E! and TV Guide Channel began Red Carpet interviews hours ago. Of the many Red Carpet hosts, I’ve been debating a winner.

Tim Gunn stands out among the shameful ABC crew. One guy, Jess Cagle, seemed completely incompetent as a celebrity handler. He gave a backhanded compliment to Mickey Rourke and didn’t seem to know Robert Downey Jr.’s date was Mrs. Downey. His spots were awkward and embarrassing. No wonder the camera cut back to Tim Gunn so abruptly and so often. Now that man is a true professional. An eloquent fashionista. I wish I could hang with Tim Gunn. Lisa Rinna and Joey Fatone, the chubby ‘NSync member, were fine. But I have to say – and hate to admit it – the closest competition for Tim Gunn was Ryan Seacrest. He really does have that Dick Clark hosting personality.

My Favorite Dress on the Runway: Taraji P. Henson.

7:35pm CST

Ah, enough covering the coverage. The Oscars are on!

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7:50pm CST

Hugh Jackman opens the Academy Awards making self-deprecating jokes about his films and the economy. Then he sings a silly little tribute to the nominees. The Boy From Oz has a nice voice; he’s clearly a showman. He pulls Anne Hathaway onstage to help him act out Frost/Nixon. I’ll admit it was pretty funny to hear the two of them banter romantic while calling each other Frost and Nixon. But frankly the Broadway performance is a little too contrived for me.

All the big acting nominees are seated in the front row – Anne Hathaway, Frank Langella, Kate Winslet, Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei. The seats wrap around the stage, so any which way Hugh Jackman turns, there’s someone there to poke fun at. About Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – “I don’t actually have a joke for them. But I’m contractually obligated to mention them at least five times during the show.”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

And then a retrospective of past Best Supporting Actress acceptance speeches. Five former winners, Eva Marie Saint, Anjelica Huston, Whoopi Goldberg, Goldie Hawn and Tilda Swinton, all step out onto the stage to present the Best Supporting Actress.

Viola Davis – Doubt

Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona * WINNER

Amy Adams – Doubt

Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler

Penelope Cruz is the winner for her electric, multi-lingual performance in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (directed by Woody Allen). Penelope gives the sweetest acceptance speech I’ve heard in a very long time. She looks beautiful and her cream-colored vintage gown is absolutely stunning.

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8:10pm CST

Tina Fey and Steve Martin present the next award, for Best Original Screenplay. They engage in a comedic battle trying to one-up each other as they introduce the nominees. They also poke fun at Scientology with jokes about their own invented religion. Can Tina Fey do wrong? I don’t think so.

Dustin Lance Black picks up the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Milk. I think Dustin Lance Black is about 19 years old. He looks like a child! He gives an honest and tearful 30-second memoir, and turns his spot into a pro-LGBT call to action. Considering the film he wrote and received a nomination for, hardly a surprise.

– I apologize if I fall slightly behind, I really can’t type as fast as Hugh Jackman can sing.