"Slumdog" Sweeps Hollywood With 8 Oscars

"Slumdog Millionaire" Wins Best-Picture, Director; Winslet Takes Top Actress, And Ledger, Cruz Win For Supporting Roles

(AP)  "Slumdog Millionaire" took the best-picture Academy Award and seven other Oscars on Sunday, including director for Danny Boyle, whose ghetto-to-glory story paralleled the film's unlikely rise to Hollywood's summit.

The other top winners: Kate Winslet, best actress for the Holocaust-themed drama "The Reader"; Sean Penn, best actor for the title role of "Milk"; Heath Ledger, supporting actor for "The Dark Knight"; and Penelope Cruz, supporting actress for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

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Photos: Oscar Winners

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A story of hope amid squalor in Mumbai, India, "Slumdog Millionaire" came in with 10 nominations, its eight wins including adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing and both music Oscars (score and song).

"Just to say to Mumbai, all of you who helped us make the film and all of those of you who didn't, thank you very much. You dwarf even this guy," Boyle said, holding up his directing Oscar.

The filmmakers accepted the best-picture trophy surrounded by both the adult professional actors who appeared among the cast of relative unknowns and some of the children Boyle cast from the slums of Mumbai.

The film follows the travails and triumphs of Jamal, an orphan who artfully dodges a criminal gang that mutilates children to make them more pitiable beggars. Jamal witnesses his mother's violent death, endures police torture and struggles with betrayal by his brother, while single-mindedly hoping to reunite with the lost love of his childhood.

Fate rewards Jamal, whose story unfolds through flashbacks as he recalls how he came to know the answers that made him a champion on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

As he took the stage to accept his prize for playing slain gay-rights pioneer Harvey Milk, Penn gleefully told the crowd: "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns." (Click here for highlights of all the night's speeches.)

He followed with condemnation of anti-gay protesters who demonstrated near the Oscar site and comments about California's recent vote to ban gay marriage.

"For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think it's a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect on their great shame and their shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that support," Penn said. "We've got to have equal rights for everyone."

For his demented reinvention of Batman villain the Joker, Ledger became only the second actor ever to win posthumously, his triumph coming exactly 13 months after his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

His Oscar for the Warner Bros. blockbuster was accepted by Ledger's parents and sister on behalf of the actor's 3-year-old daughter, Matilda.

"I have to say this is ever so humbling, just being amongst such wonderful people in such a wonderful industry," said his father, Kim Ledger. "We'd like to thank the academy for recognizing our son's amazing work, Warner Bros., and Christopher Nolan in particular for allowing Heath the creative license to develop and explore this crazy Joker character."

Since his death, the 28-year-old Ledger has gained a mythic aura akin to James Dean, another rising star who died well before his time.

The Joker was his final completed role, a casting choice that initially drew scorn from fans who thought Ledger would not be up to the task given Jack Nicholson's gleefully campy rendition of the character in 1989's "Batman."

In the months before Ledger's death, buzz on his wickedly chaotic performance swelled as marketing for the movie centered on the Joker and the perverted clown makeup he hid behind.

Ledger's death fanned a frenzy of anticipation for "The Dark Knight," which had a record $158.4 million opening weekend last summer.

The previous posthumous Oscar recipient was Peter Finch, who won best actor for 1976's "Network" two months after his death.

Cruz triumphed as a woman in a steamy three-way affair with her ex-husband and an American woman in Woody Allen's romance.

"Has anybody ever fainted here? Because I might be the first one," Cruz said, who went on with warm thanks to Allen. "Thank you, Woody, for trusting me with this beautiful character. Thank you for having written all these years some of the greatest characters for women."

"OK, that fainting thing, Penelope," Winslet joked later as she accepted her best-actress prize for "The Reader," in which she plays a former concentration camp guard in an affair with a teen. "I'd be lying if I haven't made a version of this speech before. I think I was probably 8 years old and staring into the bathroom mirror, and this would be a shampoo bottle. But it's not a shampoo bottle now."

It was Winslet's first win after five previous losses.

"Slumdog" writer Simon Beaufoy, who adapted the script from Vikas Swarup's novel "Q&A," said there are places he never could imagine being.

"For me, it's the moon, the South Pole, the Miss World podium, and here," Beaufoy said.

The epic love story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which led with 13 nominations, had three wins, for visual effects, art direction and makeup.

"The Dark Knight" had a second win, for sound editing.

"Milk" writer Dustin Lance Black offered an impassioned tribute to Milk.

"If Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he would want me to say to all the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told they are less than by the churches, by the government, by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value, and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights, federally, across this great nation of ours," Black said.

"Man on Wire," James Marsh's examination of tight-rope walker Philippe Petit's dazzling stroll between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974, was chosen as best documentary.

The acting categories were presented by five past winners of the same awards, among them last year's actress winners, Marion Cotillard and Tilda Swinton, plus Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Kevin Kline, Sophia Loren, Anthony Hopkins, Shirley MacLaine and Robert De Niro.

It was a much different style for the Oscars as each past recipient offered personal tributes to one of the nominees, without clips of the nominated performances. Awards usually are done in chit-chat style between a couple of celebrity presenters.

After last year's Oscars delivered their worst TV ratings ever, producers this time aimed to liven up the show with some surprises and new ways of presenting awards. Rather than hiring a comedian such as past hosts Jon Stewart or Chris Rock, the producers went with actor and song-and-dance man Hugh Jackman, who has been host of Broadway's Tony Awards.

Instead of the usual standup routine, Jackman did an engaging musical number to open the show, saluting nominated films with a clever tribute.

Jackman later did a medley staged by his "Australia" director Baz Luhrmann with such performers as Beyonce Knowles and "High School Musical" stars Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron.

"Slumdog Millionaire" went into the evening after a run of prizes from earlier film honors.

The film nearly got lost in the shuffle as Warner Bros. folded its art-house banner, Warner Independent, which had been slated to distribute "Slumdog Millionaire." It was rescued from the direct-to-video scrap heap when Fox Searchlight stepped in to release the film.

"Slumdog" composer A.R. Rahman, a dual Oscar winner for the score and song, said the movie was about "optimism and the power of hope."

"All my life, I've had a choice of hate and love," Rahman said. "I chose love, and I'm here.

[avigil2]

So stealing can go both ways. Big deal. - Posted by hypnotoad72

Stealing? Explain yourself please cause your comment made no sense.

[hypnotoad72]

Posted by dirtyharry02 at 02:37 PM : Feb 23, 2009

Agreed, 100%. I am a liberal, but the PC people go overboard and often with their eyes shut too. While we (as a group) sometimes have good points, they are the ones who won't be flexible in their thoughts. The so-called "tolerant" are far less tolerant than they paint themselves to be. Never mind that for their ideals to work, everybody has to be the same way.

In short, the truth is in the middle.

[hypnotoad72]

Posted by Avigil2 at 05:16 PM : Feb 23, 2009


So stealing can go both ways. Big deal.

[avigil2]

There are really ONLY THREE Oscars:
Best Actor
Best Actress &
Best Picture
the rest is YOUKNOWWHAT!!!! Gaarbaage - Posted by valentin73

Garbage you say? Without a Director, the movie would never get made. Without a movie score, the movie would lose all dramatic effect. Without Costume Design, the movie period wouldn't be authentic. And without Sound Mixing/Editing, a movie like WALL-E would be a "silent picture". It takes many, many people to put a movie together. And without these "garbage" categories, the movie experience would be nothing.

[honestabe8]

Amazing how millions idolize,exalt, and glorify preachers while in reality their no different than the derelict on skid row. The raw fact however is that the clerics have polluted the minds of many generations with so called original sin.
Very noble and inspiring, worthy of laud and honor.


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[daviolo]

here are really ONLY THREE Oscars:
Best Actor
Best Actress &
Best Picture
the rest is YOUKNOWWHAT!!!! Gaarbaage

We can NEVER understand the winners chosen??? Who decides??? The Academy??? The movie - spenders???
A "Non-Biased" panel of Judges, some with names like Patel???

Posted by valentin73 at 04:16 PM : Feb 23, 2009

-----yeah...some with names like "big WHITE Mc-THIEF"....who stole native 3rd world book Story to make film,copied shamelessly "Bollywood" style song-dance film making,making unpaid poor slum kids to perform free acting,shooting in said streets again unpaid to studios,...& after stuffing with loot by collecting ticket money from same 3rd world audience...facilitated by none other than your Repb supporter "faux =FOX News' dist.group -not even've courtesy to invite author to show along....ya feel'g so mean to acknw merit for merit's sake ??? yeah Patel is the name you saw ...talk of unsatiable white greed there

[daviolo]

I know I''m gonna get slammed for this statement, but oh well, after watching the academy awards last night it just seems that hollywood, along with all the other media today, makes it so cool to be a foreigner. I saw "Slumdog Millon." and wasn''t blown away. It just seems that the media make it NOT COOL to be an american and espiacilly a white american. I''m just venting and so disgusted with all of the rights that are given to every other person out there who is not a native american. We''ve given the country away. Now you liberals can bash me. I''m leaving the country anyway.

Posted by dirtyharry02 at 02:37 PM : Feb 23, 2009
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yes do that...walk away...& before you leave tell your neocons repbs fella white americans to hold back all American produces= Levi/Wranglers/Ford-GM cars/Compac-Microsoft-Motorola-Dell-Oracle/Dupont-Teflons/Reebok-Converse-Puma/KFC-MnDonalds/Pepsi-Coke-Sprite-7up.. etc etc etc...from follwg. you & flooding erstwhile 3rd world countries.to stay put in your native america only....so that way may the american economy go further downhill or... you can take a paycut & latch on to a job in Mumbai-India & do as the natives that side of the world do!

[valentin73]

There are really ONLY THREE Oscars:
Best Actor
Best Actress &
Best Picture
the rest is YOUKNOWWHAT!!!! Gaarbaage

We can NEVER understand the winners chosen??? Who decides??? The Academy??? The movie - spenders???
A "Non-Biased" panel of Judges, some with names like Patel???

[notfooled]

I didn't read this article.

Who gives a rat's azz which overated "actor" got glamorized in this "pat themselves on the back" non-event.

I gotta get going, I have a life.

[avigil2]

The best speeches of the night were from Sean Penn (for winning his Best Actor award for MILK) and Dustin Black (screenplay for MILK). Those were touching. If only people can let go of their prejudices, ignorance and hate, the world would be a better place.

[dirtyharry02]

I know I'm gonna get slammed for this statement, but oh well, after watching the academy awards last night it just seems that hollywood, along with all the other media today, makes it so cool to be a foreigner. I saw "Slumdog Millon." and wasn't blown away. It just seems that the media make it NOT COOL to be an american and espiacilly a white american. I'm just venting and so disgusted with all of the rights that are given to every other person out there who is not a native american. We've given the country away. Now you liberals can bash me. I'm leaving the country anyway.

[jankebenz]

Amazing how millions idolize,exalt, and glorify actors while in reality their no different than the derelict on skid row. The raw fact however is that the "stars" and producers of most films and shows,have polluted the minds of several generations with violence, lust,pornography,murder,swearing,ect.
Very noble and inspiring, worthy of laud and honor.

[piercetheval]

Hey, does anyone know what the name of the band or the tune that they closed the Oscars telecast with last night?

...it was pretty good!

Posted by piercetheval at 12:44 PM : Feb 23, 2009
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must be the Indian composed one...surely...


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Posted by pehbek at 01:19 PM : Feb 23, 2009

...well, I did find out that it was a new rendition [or re-write] of Bob Dylans' "Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat"...but can't find out who did it...anyone?

[pehbek]

Hey, does anyone know what the name of the band or the tune that they closed the Oscars telecast with last night?

...it was pretty good!

Posted by piercetheval at 12:44 PM : Feb 23, 2009
---------------------
must be the Indian composed one...surely...

[pehbek]

Dev Patel,the latest Indian-Brit sensation ...should certainly've got Best Actor award...if not for the clear discrimination..movie SlumDog was average..too many Bollywood films much better than this plain jane...may be they gave best film to it perhaps to do some backscratching to the Indians....so Americans can sell them more Levi/Wrangler jeans or more Compac PCs or more Coke/Pepsi or more Ford/GM cars...too commercial ...of course Indian music composer AR Raman too deserved his Oscar award....

[thgdriver1]

I was glad for Oscar night, finally, for 24 hours, the actors stopped worshiping Nobama and worshiped themselves instead.

[thgdriver1]

Hollywood gives an award to the drug addict and women beater Ledger, Who is surprised by that?

[piercetheval]

Hey, does anyone know what the name of the band or the tune that they closed the Oscars telecast with last night?

...it was pretty good!

[whatsup49]

whoooooooooohoooooooooo, glad brangelina didn't get a thing.

[nosocialism2]

While I enjoyed the Oscars, there was too much glitter (which I thought was too much given the world crisis) and not enough humor (particularly from the host). I did not mind that Bollywood movie won. Now I will go and see it. Many things were predictable and Oscars as usual (like the person who won the best actor).