Emma Champion’s Annual Oscar® Report 2011

Emma Champion here – your first and ONLY correspondent on all things Oscar®; and well, Folks, I’m not sure how it happened, but it’s THAT time AGAIN!  This will be my 13^th Oscar® All-Nighter, and, as always, it is an absolute pleasure and delight.

Open the wine, get the popcorn a-poppin’, sit back, and absorb the buzz in Tinsel Town as the 83^rd Academy Awards Ceremony gets under way!

I’ll be up all night, working hard to bring you, not just the results, but all the magic in-between; details that so many other websites, news networks and celebrity publications often fail to disclose after the fact.  You’ll find it all here FIRST.  To one and all: a very happy Oscar® night!

23.00 – 01.30

E! Channel and Sky Movies Premiere coverage of the red carpet reveals a plethora of interesting titbits: Jennifer Lawrence of Winter’s Bone, in a Pamela Anderson-circa-Baywatch, Red, figure-hugging dress; Armie Hammer of The Social Network rocking the night’s first dickie-bow and talking about having begun filming on J. Edgar (eta 2012) with Leonardo DiCaprio; Hailee Steinfeld of True Grit in a beautiful rose-pink gown which, she reveals, that she helped design; Mila Kunis of Black Swan in a revealing,  lilac gown, speaking about how co-star, Natalie Portman, helped her to get the role along side her in the movie; Mandy Moore, vocal star of Walt Disney’s Tangled, looking effortlessly beautiful in a stunning, gold gown, excited to perform the Oscar-nominated song I See the Light; Russell Brand with his Mum, Babs, kissing presenter Ryan Seacrest on the cheek; Michelle Williams controversially repeating her much-criticised, signature look of short-sleeves and high, t-shirt neckline; Amy Adams in a glittering, navy-blue dress; host Anne Hathaway in a classic red gown; Tangled’s voice star Zachary Levi looking VERY handsome in his bow tie and speaking of his imminent duet with Mandy Moore; Jennifer Hudson’s plunging, “Tangerine-Orange” neckline; Geoffrey Rush sporting an extremely close-shaven head; Cate Blanchett wearing a VERY unusual-looking, almost plastic dress – much like something a young girl might click on to her Polly Pocket doll; Kevin Spacey offering advice to all Oscar® hopefuls: “…find the bar as fast as you can…”; Kelly Osborne applauding Scarlet Johanssen for “pushing boundaries” with her see-through, sheer-lace, burgundy gown; Ryan Seacrest reveals a rumour that there will be a “Twilight Musical Moment” in tonight’s ceremony; Justin Timberlake, who played Napster founder Sean Parker in The Social Network,  speaking about the mixed feelings he originally had about the notorious music website, having previously been in what he calls “a little group” – referring to his N-Sync days; Helena Bonham-Carter dressed uncharacteristically conservative in formal black; Steven Spielberg and his 14-year-old daughter who looks beautiful beyond her years; Dame Helen Mirren looking BREATHTAKING in charcoal grey and sporting a shorter, sassier haircut; an ageless Sandra Bullock in a backless, deep-red gown; Christian Bale showing off a big, bushy beard; Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem looking very much in love; Gwyneth Paltrow alone on the red carpet AGAIN – how could Chris Martin let his gorgeous wife go out alone, dressed in gold Calvin Klein, and when she’s due to PERFORM IN THE SHOW, no less??; Robert Downey Jr. chooses to wear a white tie with a black jacket – odd; Natalie Portman looking VERY pregnant and VERY fabulous in a gorgeous shade of deep purple; a seemingly bewildered host James Franco speaking candidly backstage before the show.

01.30 –  02.30

I am entirely thankful at the notable absence of Claudia Winkleman on Sky Movies Premiere this year.  Instead we have The Sun’s film critic, Alex Zane, whose Making of Avatar show I enjoyed so much last year.

The crowd are assembled, and we’re about to embark on an evening of magic…

The show opens with a comedy sketch, featuring hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway splicing themselves into some of the Best Picture nominees Billy Crystal-style with comedic effect, featuring a voice-over from Morgan Freeman who claims he was chosen for his “soothing voice”, and a cameo from Alec Baldwin.

James Franco: “Anne, you look so beautiful and so hip.”

Anne Hathaway: “Thank you, James – you look appealing to a younger demographic as well…”

The first award host of the evening is Tom Hanks, who notes the achievements of 1939, Best Picture winner, Gone with the Wind.  And a brief nod to James Cameron’s Titanic brings a nostalgic tear to my eye, featured as it won the same award over ten years ago, and was the winner at my first Oscar All-Nighter.

 

Best Art Direction:

Prediction:  Inception

Winner:  Alice in Wonderland

 

Achievement in Cinematography:

Prediction:  Inception

Winner:  Inception

 

Kirk Douglas presents the next award – he receives a standing ovation.  He says to Anne Hathaway: “Where were you when I was making pictures?”  He stalls before reading the winner, much to the amusement of the audience.

 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

Prediction:  Helena Bonham-Carter

Winner:  Melissa Leo, The Fighter

 

Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake (romantically linked in the celebrity tabloids) present the next award.  Timberlake claims: “I’m Banksy.  God, that feels good!”  He then goes on to send up Kirk Douglas’ stalling techniques from just moments before, getting a laugh from the crowd.

 

Best Animated Short:

Prediction:  Night and Day

Winner:  The Lost Thing

 

Best Animated Feature:

Prediction:  Toy Story 3

Winner:  Toy Story 3

 

Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem present next, dressed in white suit jackets and ties.

 

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Prediction:  The Social Network

Winner:  Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Best Original Screenplay:

Prediction:  The King’s Speech

Winner:  David Seidler, The King’s Speech

Seidler: “My father said I would be a late bloomer…”  Great speech, dedicated to stutterers everywhere: “We have a voice; we have been heard…”

Anne Hathaway introduces a musical number – an original version of On My Own from Les Misérables, in which she refers to Hugh Jackman as “Hugh Jackass”, as he apparently refused to duet with her.  James Franco enters dressed as Marilyn Monroe.  He says, “The weird part is, I just got a text message from Charlie Sheen…”

Helen Mirren and Russell Brand present next – she speaks in French, and he translates.  “What Helen said was, “Yo!  My performance as a Queen was much more realistic as Colin Firth as a king!””

We make out the word “idiot” in what Mirren says next.

Brand says:  “I’m very flattered Helen, but I am, of course, married now…”

Best Foreign Language Film:

Prediction:  Biutiful

Winner:  In a Better World

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

Prediction:  Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

Winner:  Christian Bale, The Fighter

Great speech from Bale – “I won’t drop the “F” bomb…I’ve done that plenty in the past…”

02.30 – 03.30

The president of the Oscar® Ceremony and the President of ABC, who broadcasts the show in the US, take to the stage, and announce they have just renewed their marriage vows.  Aww.

Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, former co-stars of the movie Australia, present next.

Best Original Score:

Prediction:  The Social Network

Winner:  The Social Network

 

Scarlet Johanssen and Matthew McConaughey take to the Kodak stage.

Best Sound Mixing:

Prediction: Inception

Winner:  Inception

Best Sound Editing:

Prediction:  Inception

Winner:  Inception

 

Marissa Tomei presents the next award, as the presenter of the Scientific  Academy Awards which are held before the actual Oscars.  We learn that the team behind Avatar win some recognition at last.

Cate Blanchett presents next.  She comments, “Gross” upon seeing a clip of The Wolfman’s make up, which gets a laugh from the crowd.

Best Achievement in Make Up:

Prediction: Barney’s Version

Winner:  The Wolfman

Best Achievement in Costume Design:

Prediction:  Alice in Wonderland

Winner:  Alice in Wonderland

A clip honouring movie songs features Barack Obama.  Kevin Spacey introduces, singing a song and then announcing, “Hello, I’m George Clooney…”

Randy Newman performs “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3.

With Disney score writing legend, Alan Menken, on piano, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi perform “I See the Light” from Tangled.

Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhall introduce the next award, their arms linked.  They honour short films.

Best Documentary Short Subject:

Prediction:  Strangers No More

Winner:  Strangers No More

 

Best Live Action Short:

Prediction:  The Confession

Winner:  God of Love

The afore-mentioned Twilight musical tribute is a music video montage of various film clips from throughout the year made into pop tunes.

Oprah Winfrey takes to the stage.  She looks bootylicious!

Best Documentary Feature:

Prediction: Exit through the Gift Shop

Winner:  Inside Job

 

Billy Crystal!!!! He gets a standing ovation, to which he says, “Where was I?”  They laugh.  Oh, Billy, how I’ve missed you.

A hologram projection of Bob Hope presenting the Oscars® is highly effective and very moving.  He cleverly introduces Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.  They make a great double act.

Paraphrasing:

Law:  “If not for them (the audience) your closest association with a superhero would have been the time when you were busted in a cheap hotel with a woman dressed as Batgirl.”

Downey Jr.: “First of all, that cheap hotel was $1200 per night; and the woman was dressed as Wonder Woman; and it’s that attention to detail which earned the following nominees a place in the ranking…here are the nominees for Best Achievement in Visual Effects…”

03.30 – 04.45

Best Achievement in Visual Effects:

Prediction: Inception

Winner: Inception

 

Best Achievement in Film Editing:

Prediction: Inception

Winner:  The Social Network

 

Jennifer Hudson presents the next two contenders for Best Original Song.

Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine performs “If I Rise” from 127 Hours.  She has changed since her walk down the red carpet, into a brilliant orange gown.

Gwyneth Paltrow performs “Coming Home” from Country Song.  She is fantastic – a music star in the making, and fresh from her star turn with Cee Lo Green at this year’s Grammys.

Best Original Song:

Prediction:  “I See the Light” from Tangled

Winner:  “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3

Celine Dion sings Michael Jackson’s “Smile” over this year’s obituaries; the saddest of which has to be the late Pete Postlethwaite.

Halle Berry honours Lena Horne, who also passed away this year.

Hilary Swank takes the stage to present the first female winner of Best Director, from last year’s show, Katherine Bigalow.

Best Achievement in Directing:

Prediction:  David Fincher, The Social Network

Winner:  Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech

 

Annette Benning comes on stage to tell us about the Governor’s Awards, which honoured Francis Ford Coppola, and looked fantastic.  They were, sadly, not televised.

Jeff Bridges, AKA The Dude, takes to the stage to introduce the next award.

Best Actress in a Leading Role:

Prediction:  Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Winner:  Natalie Portman, Black Swan

 

Sandra Bullock introduces the nominees for the next award.  She addresses Jeff Bridges as “Dude”.

Best Actor in a Leading Role:

Prediction:  Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Winner:  Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Firth graciously accepts his award, beginning his speech with, “I have a feeling my career just peaked…”

Steven Spielberg takes the stage to announce the winner of Best Picture.

The nominees are shown in a montage of clips to Colin Firth’s speech from The King’s Speech.

Best Picture:

Prediction:  The Social Network

Winner:  The King’s Speech

 

A children’s choir from Staten Island, New York, sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to finish.  All of the night’s winners take the stage in a final curtain call.  Utterly uplifting.

So there you have it for another year.  How criminally quickly it flies by.  Until next year, I urge each and every one of you to follow your dreams, be true to your bliss, and believe – because dreams really do come true.

Happy Oscar® 83!

Image sourced at: http://www.spiceye.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/oscar_2011.jpg