Meryl Streep won best actress for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
REUTERS: Hollywood showed some love for its history at the Oscars on Sunday, giving its best film award and four others to silent movie “The Artist” in a ceremony that recalled why cinema is special to so many people.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also gave Oscars to Meryl Streep playing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady,” marking Streep’s third Academy Award in 17 nominations, and veteran Christopher Plummer made history by becoming the oldest winner ever at age 82 with his role as an elderly gay man in “Beginners.”
“The Artist” collected Oscars for its star Jean Dujardin and director Michel Hazanavicius, as well as for musical score and costume design.
“I am the happiest director in the world right now. Thank you for that,” Hazanavicius told the audience of stars including George Clooney, Michelle Williams, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and members of the Academy.
Dujardin was equally excited, exclaiming “I love this country” before thanking the Academy, the film’s makers and his wife, and calling silent actor Douglas Fairbanks an inspiration.
Streep’s victory surprised Oscar pundits who thought Viola Davis would win the Academy Award with her portrayal of a black maid in a southern white home in civil rights drama “The Help.”
But Streep’s turn as an elderly Thatcher who is slipping into dementia was too good to be ignored. It was Streep’s third Academy Award out of 17 nominations, and even she reckoned that Oscar voters would think she’s been there, done that. Backstage she termed it “Streep fatigue” to reporters.
“When they called my name, I could feel America saying, ‘Oh why her again?’ But whatever,” she joked. Yet even the steely veteran could not hold back the emotion of an Oscar victory. When she thanked her husband and talked about her career she came close to breaking into tears, and backstage she said it made her feel like a kid again.
MAKING HOLLYWOOD HISTORY
Veteran Plummer, a star of classic film “The Sound of Music,” won his first ever Oscar for his portrayal of an elderly gay man who comes out to his family in “Beginners.”
“You’re only two years older than me, darling. Where have you been all of my life,” he said, looking at his golden Oscar, which was celebrating its 84th awards ceremony.
Spencer, a relative newcomer in contrast to Plummer, had to hold back tears as she accepted her trophy for her portrayal of a black, southern maid in civil rights drama “The Help.”
“Thank you Academy for putting me with the hottest guy in the room,” she said holding her Oscar in her hand. She then went on to talk about her family in Alabama and could not hold back her tears as she joyously accepted her trophy.
Director Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” which like “The Artist” pays tribute to early filmmaking, came into the night with a leading 11 nominations – one more than “Artist” – and also picked up five wins. But its Oscars came in technical categories cinematography, art direction, sound editing and mixing and visual effects.
Another highly touted movie, family drama “The Descendants,” walked off with only one Oscar, adapted screenplay for its writer and director Alexander Payne and co-writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Woody Allen won for original screenplay with “Midnight in Paris,” but he was not on hand to accept his trophy.
In other major wins, the foreign language film award went to Iranian divorce drama “A Separation.” “I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, the people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment,” said its director, Ashgar Farhadi.
Asked backstage how he thought the Iranian government might respond, he said he really did not know. “I can’t predict what’s going to happen,” he said.
“Rango” claimed best animated film, while “The Iron Lady,” won a second award for makeup.
BILLY’S RETURN
The documentary category saw another major surprise for “Undefeated,” a film about football players in a poor struggling community to make their lives better. “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” had been widely picked to win by pundits.
One of the film’s makers, T.J. Martin, used an expletive onstage in a sign of his joy, but it was edited out for television audiences. He apologized backstage in the press room.
Comedian Billy Crystal, who returned to emcee the show for the ninth time, had the crowd laughing loudly with an opening video in which he was edited into the year’s top movies.
He was kissed by George Clooney on the lips in a scene out of “The Descendants” and even ate a tainted pie from “The Help.” He opened with a monologue in which he joked: “there’s nothing like watching a bunch of millionaires present each other with golden statues” and sang a comic song about the movies.
Other highlights included stars like Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler and others in brief video vignettes telling audiences why they loved movies. The clips highlighted this year’s themes of reminding people what makes movies magical.
Finally, Hollywood’s biggest fashion parade on the Oscar red carpet heated up with Michelle Williams in a stunning red dress from Louis Vuitton, “The Help” star Jessica Chastain in a dazzling Alexander McQueen black and gold embroidered gown, while Gwyneth Paltrow chose Tom Ford and white, a popular color.
A full list of recipients at the 2012 Oscars. Winners’ names appear in bold, followed by their fellow nominees in alphabetical order.
BEST PICTURE
The Artist
War Horse
The Tree of Life
Moneyball
The Descendants
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Alexander Payne – The Descendants
Martin Scorsese – Hugo
Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life
BEST ACTOR
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Demian Bichir – A Better Life
Brad Pitt – Moneyball
George Clooney – The Descendants
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis – The Help
Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Nick Nolte – Warrior
Max von Sydow – Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer – The Help
Berenice Bejo – The Artist
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Separation – Iran
Bullhead – Belgium
Footnote – Israel
In Darkness – Poland
Monsieur Lazhar – Canada
BEST ANIMATION
Rango
A Cat in Paris
Chico and Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids – Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig
Margin Call – JC Chandor
A Separation – Asghar Farhadi
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Hugo – John Logan
The Ides of March – George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
Moneyball – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin.
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy – Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan
BEST ART DIRECTION
Hugo – Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Hugo – Robert Richardson
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse
BEST SOUND MIXING
Hugo – Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
BEST SOUND EDITING
Hugo – Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Man or Muppet, from The Muppets – music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie
Real in Rio from Rio – music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown and lyrics by Siedah Garrett
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Artist – Ludovic Bource
The Adventures of Tintin
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse
BEST COSTUMES
The Artist – Mark Bridges
Anonymous
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Undefeated
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Saving Face
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
BEST FILM EDITING
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
The Artist
The Descendants
Hugo
Moneyball
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore
Dimanche/Sunday
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
The Shore
Pentecost
Raju
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Hugo – Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
BEST MAKE-UP
The Iron Lady – Mark Coulier and J Roy Helland
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
