Spring Break
A night for the 'dog'
MCT
Issue date: 2/24/09 Section: Features
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"Slumdog Millionaire" took home best picture honors at Sunday night's 81st annual Academy Awards--a happy ending widely expected for the crowd-pleasing Cinderella story.
The film earned eight Oscars, including one for director Danny Boyle, for its fast-paced tale of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who competes on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." "Slumdog" was also honored for Simon Beaufoy's adapted screenplay, cinematography, song, original score, film editing and sound mixing.
"When we started out, we had no stars, we had no power or muscle," said producer Christian Colson, adding that what the underdog movie did have was "passion and belief."
Sean Penn, who won best actor for his charismatic performance as slain gay-rights activist Harvey Milk in "Milk," spoke out against Proposition 8, California's recent ban on gay marriage, during his acceptance speech, saying, "We've got to have equal rights for everyone."
This is Penn's second best-actor Oscar. He also won in 2004 for "Mystic River."
And six-time nominee Kate Winslet finally went home with a golden guy, nabbing best actress for "The Reader."
Bad times call for good entertainment, which the Academy Awards aimed to deliver.
First-time Oscar host Hugh Jackman got the recession-busting mood rolling with a musical number that was funny enough to make Billy Crystal envious.
Relying on homemade-looking props and sweatshirt-wearing "Craigslist dancers," a dapper Jackman sailed through a supposedly budget-conscious bit where he recreated "Frost/Nixon" with Anne Hathaway, admitted he hasn't seen "The Reader," and borrowed a few moves from "The Wrestler" before triumphantly declaring, "I'm Wolverine."
Ah, who needs money when you've got the sexiest man alive?
Penelope Cruz scored the first big win of the evening, nabbing best supporting actress for her sexy, tumultuous ex-wife in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."
"Has anybody ever fainted here? Because I might be the first one," said Cruz after being presented the Oscar by a quintet of past winners.
The most poignant victory of the night was Heath Ledger's posthumous win, which had the audience on his feet. He was the overwhelming favorite for his dazzling turn as the chaos-craving Joker in "The Dark Knight."
Ledger's father, mother and sister accepted for the actor, who died last year of an accidental prescription drug overdose before the Batman film was released.
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