Pictured left to right: eft to right: Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer, Meryl Streep, Jean Dujardin. Photo Credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.
During an interview with Robert Loggia 10-plus years ago, he admitted to me that the great actor, Luther Adler once gave him a sacred piece of acting advice: “Come on Kid, we’re going to turn sh—t into lemonade.”
That’s precisely what I did during the arrivals for the 84th Academy Awards, from the worst position on the red carpet. Way up in the rafters I was able to get a number of good photos with many of the nominees.
George Clooney greeting fans on the red carpet at the 84 Academy Awards. Photo: EntertainmentHeartbeat.com/HollywoodOutbreak.com.
The highlight of the arrivals came when George Clooney worked his way to my area. I had him in my viewfinder…and boom! He was off and running to shake hands and sign autographs with the fans in the bleachers across from me. And by the way, he was the only actor to do that…at least from my perspective in the nosebleed section.
Meryl Streep on the red carpet at the 84th Academy Awards. Photo: EntertainmentHeartbeat.com/HollywoodOutbreak.com.
Still, the gowns were flowing and all the nominated actors and actresses were fashion dos rather than don’ts.
Like Best Actress winner Meryl Streep, who rocked her gold frock at the age of 62 years old. Or Michelle Williams, nominated for her performance as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn, who lit up the carpet in her strapless bright orange number.
Michelle Williams rockin' orange at the 84th Academy Awards. Photo: EntertainmentHeartbeat.com/HollywoodOutbreak.com.
So much for the Academy just saying, “No,” to Sasha Baron Cohen who dressed as General Aladeen, from his upcoming movie The Dictator, despite the Academy’s objections. Cohen strikes a mean pose and never drops out of character
Notably, no veteran Hollywood stars were on the carpet like there has been in previous years. No Ernest Borgnine (1955 winner for Marty) or Mickey Rooney (1979 winner for The Black Stallion) anywhere to be seen.
Sasha Baron Cohen in full costume at the 84th Academy Awards. Photo: EntertainmentHeartbeat.com/HollywoodOutbreak.com.
The Awards were fairly good and kept a flow going despite no blockbuster titles being nominated this year.
Billy Crystal was a smart choice as the host, but the comedy bits throughout the show played nicely as well.
Best line of the night from Crystal was to George Clooney’s latest honey, Stacy Keibler: “You’re a lucky girl. He’s a very good kisser.”
Remember the year Debbie Allen choreographed an interpretive dance for Saving Private Ryan? Cirque du Soleil jumped right in to fill the void with an amazing – albeit out of place – performance celebrating the movies. They could have trimmed 10-plus minutes off the running time by cutting that number.
Best Documentary, Undefeated produced the first F-bomb of the evening. It was used in an upbeat way – as in “F—king wonderful,” but thanks to a delay no one but the audience and pressroom probably heard it. Oh, but it will be all over the web no doubt. The filmmakers apologized backstage, of course, but added that the comment “Came from the heart.”
And seriously, what was going through Angelina Jolie‘s mind when she flashed that skinny thigh of hers out of the slit in her dress?
Christopher Plummer. Photo: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Christopher Plummer, who is the oldest Oscar winner at 82 years old, was basking in his Supporting Actor win for Beginners.
“It’ is a le creme on top and it’s lovely to be sort of accepted, because you know that beyond the pleasure of working in front of a live audience, particularly, it’s a general acceptance of your work,” he stresses. “So, it’s thrilling and I don’t pretend to pooh-pooh awards, although there’s so many of them, I can’t keep up. I mean, they’re inventing a new ones everyday.”
Meryl Streep joked about winning the Oscar for a third time – particularly because as she laughingly point out others might have “Streep fatigue.”
“I thought I was so old and jaded,” Streep begins. “They call your name and you just go into a sort of, I don’t know, white light and it was just thrilling.”
Octavia Spencer. Photo: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Octavia Spencer gave props to The Help Producer Steven Spielberg for understanding the chord the flick would strike with audiences.
“Steven Spielberg is a luminary,” she acknowledges. “He has, as far as I can remember in every decade of my life, created brilliance.”
Jean Dujardin, Leading Actor Oscar winner for The Artist, was contemplating the future. It sounds like he’s headed back to France rather than try to make a go of it here in Hollywood.
“I’m not an American actor, I’m a French actor,” he says. “I continue in France, but it’s possible…” he pauses groping for the English words, then rattles off a phrase in French for his interpreter to explain, “If he can make another silent movie in America, he’d like to.”
Well, the Academy Awards is certainly a great calling card in any language.
Check out the reactions backstage from Meryl Streep, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer and Jean Dujardin after winning their Academy Awards.
Jean Dujardin. Photo: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.
The full awards are listed below:
Best motion picture of the year
The Artist Winner (The Weinstein Company) A La Petite Reine/Studio 37/La Classe Américaine/JD Prod/France3 Cinéma/Jouror Productions/uFilm Production, Thomas Langmann, Producer
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Jean Dujardin Winner for The Artist (The Weinstein Company)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Christopher Plummer Winner for Beginners (Focus Features)
Meryl Streep. Photo:Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Meryl Streep Winner for The Iron Lady (The Weinstein Company)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Octavia Spencer Winner for The Help (Touchstone)
Achievement in directing
The Artist Winner (The Weinstein Company) Michel Hazanavicius
Best animated feature film of the year
Rango Winner (Paramount) Gore Verbinski
Adapted screenplay
The Descendants Winner (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
Original screenplay
Midnight in Paris Winner (Sony Pictures Classics) Written by Woody Allen
Achievement in art direction
Hugo Winner (Paramount) Production Design: Dante Ferretti, Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
Achievement in cinematography
Hugo Winner (Paramount) Robert Richardson
Achievement in costume design
The Artist Winner (The Weinstein Company) Mark Bridges
Best documentary feature
Undefeated Winner (The Weinstein Company) A Spitfire Pictures Production, TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas
Best documentary short subject
Saving Face Winner A Milkhaus/Jungefilm Production, Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Achievement in film editing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Winner (Sony Pictures Releasing) Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Best foreign language film of the year
A Separation Winner (Sony Pictures Classics) A Dreamlab Films Production, Iran
Achievement in makeup
The Iron Lady Winner (The Weinstein Company) Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
The Artist Winner (The Weinstein Company) Ludovic Bource
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
Man or Muppet Winner from “The Muppets” (Walt Disney) Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
Best animated short film
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore Winner – A Moonbot Studios LA Production, William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
Best live action short film
The Shore Winner – An All Ashore Production, Terry George and Oorlagh George
Achievement in sound editing
Hugo Winner (Paramount) Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
Achievement in sound mixing
Hugo Winner (Paramount) Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
Achievement in visual effects
Hugo Winner (Paramount) Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning