Hollywood’s greatest gathered to honor their own at the Kodak Theatre for the 80th annual Academy Awards last night, and the night was full of glitz, glamour and Oscar-sized surprises. The Emerald breaks down some of the biggest awards of the night.
Best Motion Picture – “No Country for Old Men”
The contenders for best picture this year left entertainment predictors and fans alike puzzled as to which film would lead.
Blockbusters “Atonement,” “Juno,” “Michael Clayton,” “No Country for Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood,” each vied for the biggest award of the evening. But the thrilling suspense story “No Country,” an adaptation from Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel, prevailed over much-hyped “Blood” in a somewhat unexpected victory and left “Atonement” with only best original score. “No Country,” which also earned Javier Barnem best supporting actor, captured a chilling plot of a circle of people who become connected over a heroin drug deal, a hefty sack of money and the desert.
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – Daniel Day-Lewis
The audience waited in anticipation for the award for best actor nearly all night, until Daniel Day-Lewis finally rushed to the stage for his brutal, heartless performance as Daniel Plainview, a self-proclaimed oil man who allows greed to get the best of him, in “There Will Be Blood.”
Day-Lewis, who won his only other Oscar in 1990 for his leading role in “My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown” despite two more recent nominations, starred as a gluttonous big wheel in “Blood,” making his clean-shaven, real-life persona on stage seem remarkable.
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role – Marion Cotillard
As usual, the academy favored performers who embodied the roles of real people, awarding the golden statuette to French newcomer Marion Cotillard for her role in “La Vie En Rose.”
This was Cotillard’s first Academy Award nomination and win.
The academy honored her over fellow nominees Cate Blanchett, Julie Christie, Laura Linney and fan-favorite Ellen Page.
Cotillard looked stunning on stage in a white, mermaid-inspired Jean Paul Gaultier gown, and in her acceptance speech she proclaimed, “Thank you life, thank you love… there are some angels in this town.”
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Javier Bardem
The buzz has been on Javier Bardem ever since his fiercely horrific role as Anton Chigurh in award-nominated “No Country for Old Men,” where his gross haircut further conveys how psychotic he really is.
Bardem won the golden statue over Casey Affleck, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Holbrook and Tom Wilkinson.
During his acceptance speech, Bardem spoke to his mother in Spanish, before walking away with his first Oscar. The Spaniard has also been nominated for his 2000 role in “Before Night Falls.”
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Tilda Swinton
The categories for actresses have historically been tough to call, and this year’s race for Best Actress In A Supporting Role was no different; while Cate Blanchett and Amy Ryan were clear favorites among critics, Tilda Swinton ultimately came out on top.
The “Michael Clayton” actress has never been nominated before this year.
Besides Blanchett (who was also nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role) Ryan, the other nominees were Ruby Dee and Saoirse Ronan.
Achievement in Directing – Joel and Ethan Coen
Though this year’s stage presence cannot match that of Martin Scorsese’s much-awaited Oscar snag last year, it took the audience by surprise when the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, received the achievement in directing for “No Country for Old Men” over the comparably gruesome film “There Will Be Blood.”
The two struck a stylistically pleasing balance of serene countryside shots and high-tension chase scenes in the film.
The brothers, who have been making movies since childhood, won an Academy Award for their screenplay “Fargo” in 1996.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) – “No Country For Old Men”
“No Country for Old Men” continued its winning streak last night when Joel and Ethan Coen won the award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay).
The Coen brothers were previously nominated for their writing on “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” in 2000, and they won Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for “Fargo” in 1996.
The other nominated films this year were “Away From Her,” “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “Atonement” and “There Will Be Blood.”
During their acceptance speech, Ethan Coen went against the night’s norm and kept his thanks short with a simple, “Thank you very much.”
Writing (Original Screenplay) – “Juno”
Newcomer phenom Diablo Cody won the screenwriting award for her witty and touching script for “Juno,” a surprisingly successful film about teenage pregnancy.
The former stripper had never been nominated previously and has repeatedly been recognized for her work on “Juno.”
Cody and her baby movie beat “Lars and the Real Girl,” “Michael Clayton,” “Ratatouille” and “The Savages” for the award, but the race wasn’t even close – Cody was by far the favorite going into the night.
Achievement in Art Direction – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
This year’s nominated films for artistic achievement presented the academy with a particularly grueling challenge as it had to choose one of five brilliantly creative films. From “American Gangster” to “Atonement” to “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” each film traveled through a world enriched with culture. For set direction and art direction, Francesca Lo Schiavo and Dante Ferretti, respectively, came out as winners for their work in the visually dazzling “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
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