Feb 28 2011

Live Blog: The Oscars

“And the winner is”. With those words there will be at least 5 people holding their collective breath, while a finely coiffed and swathed celebrity tears open a sealed envelop with the closely guarded secret. Welcome to the Live Blog of the 83rd Academy Awards from fabulous downtown Hollywood or, in my case, on the couch in the family room with my lap top, a pitcher of martinis and Parmesan popcorn, Oh, and lots of napkins.

I used to chuckle at the introduction of the tuxedoed men carrying the brief case with those envelops and the silly ritual of reading of the “Rules” on how the votes were cast and who voted on what. Do they even do that any more?

The first Oscars were presented on May 19. 1929 at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood at a private brunch for 270 people. My how far they have come. Now it is the “hottest” ticket in town and the parties after for winners and losers are elaborate affairs that would keep food pantries in business for a year. I shouldn’t be too critical many of the industry’s actors, directors and producers do wonderful humanitarian work for causes that would be easily forgotten.

So have you all placed your bets on the winner? if you haven’t you’re out of the loop, since the Oscars are the most gambled on non-sporting event in the US. Even Nate Silver has gotten in on the action with four tips to win your Oscar pool but the kicker this year that even Nate admits are throwing off the odds is that there are now 10 films in the Best Picture Category. Yes, dear hearts, 10, in case you hadn’t noticed. In 2009, the Academy decided to return to its roots. When the award for Best Picture was presented in 1934 and 1935 there were 12 nominees, and from 1935 to 1943 there were 10. So adjust your pools accordingly, there are more “fish in the pond”

Here’s some more answers to those questions about the award you never thought to ask:

  • Oldest best actor winner: Henry Fonda, 76, “On Golden Pond,” 1981

  • Youngest best actor winner: Adrien Brody, 29, “The Pianist,” 2002

  • Oldest best actress winner: Jessica Tandy, 81, “Driving Miss Daisy”

  • Youngest best actress winner: Marlee Matlin, 21, “Children of a Lesser God,” 1986

  • Oldest best supporting actor winner: George Burns, 80, “The Sunshine Boys,” 1975

  • Youngest best supporting actor winner: Timothy Hutton, 20, “Ordinary People,” 1980.

  • Oldest best supporting actress winner: Peggy Ashcroft, 77, “A Passage to India,” 1984

  • Youngest best supporting actress winner: Tatum O’Neal, 10, “Paper Moon,” 1973.

  • Biggest Oscar winners: “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” 2003, 11 awards (out of 11 nominations); “Ben-Hur,” 1959, 11 awards (out of 12 nominations); “Titanic,” 1997, 11 awards (out of 14 nominations).

  • Biggest Oscar losers: “The Turning Point,” 1977, 11 nominations, 0 awards; “The Color Purple,” 1985, 11 nominations, 0 awards; “Johnny Belinda,” 1948, 12 nominations, 1 award; “Becket,” 12 nominations, 1 award.

  • The youngest person to ever receive an Oscar: Shirley Temple, 5, in 1934 but it was “honorary”.

  • The oldest person to ever receive an Oscar: Jessica Tandy, 81, in 1989 for “Driving Miss Daisy”

  • The most Oscars for “Best Actress: Katherine Hepburn with four (1932, 1967, 1968 & 1981)

  • The most Oscars for “Best Actor”: This category is shared by seven men, Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Fredric March, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks, whio each have two.

  • The actor with the most total Oscar nominations: Jack Nicholson with 12. Jack has three Oscars, 2 for “Best Actor” and one for “Best Supporting Actor”.

  • The actoress with the most total Oscar nominations: Meryl Streep with 16 nominations.

  • The person with the most Oscars: Walt Disney, who walked away with 26 Academy Awards over his lifetime. He had 64 total Oscar nominations.

  • The longest acceptance speech ever given at an Oscar ceremony: Greer Garson in 1942 for “Best Actress” in “Mrs. Miniver”. Most sources agree it was between 5 i/2 to 7 minutes.

  • The Oscar statuette weighs 6 3/4 pounds, and stands 13 1/2 inches high.

  • It was named by Margaret Herrick, the Academy librarian, who remarked in 1931, upon seeing the statuettes, “Why it looks like my Uncle Oscar!” Her uncle’s full name, by the way, was Oscar Pierce. No, it wasn’t Bette Davis.

    • Bored? You haven’t seen the production or heard the speeches yet.

    I will be your fashion and performance critic as we watch the parade down the red carpet and the main event. I can’t wait to see what get up Helena Bonham Carter wears. BTW, I always cry at the memorial tribute. Below the fold is the list and links for all the nominees. Bring on the show.

    Cast your votes

    Best Picture:

       * Black Swan

       * The Fighter

       * Inception

       * The Kids Are All Right

       * The King’s Speech

       * 127 Hours

       * The Social Network

       * Toy Story 3

       * True Grit

       * Winter’s Bone

    Director

       * Darren Aronofsky Black Swan

       * Joel Coen and Ethan Coen True Grit

       * David Fincher The Social Network

       * Tom Hooper The King’s Speech

       * David O. Russell The Fighter

    Actor in a Leading Role

       * Javier Bardem Biutiful

       * Jeff Bridges True Grit

       * Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network

       * Colin Firth The King’s Speech

       * James Franco 127 Hours

    Actress in a Leading Role

       * Annette Bening The Kids Are All Right

       * Nicole Kidman Rabbit Hole

       * Jennifer Lawrence Winter’s Bone

       * Natalie Portman Black Swan

       * Michelle Williams Blue Valentine

    Actor in a Supporting Role

       * Christian Bale The Fighter

       * John Hawkes Winter’s Bone

       * Jeremy Renner The Town

       * Mark Ruffalo The Kids Are All Right

       * Geoffrey Rush The King’s Speech

    Actress in a Supporting Role

       * Amy Adams The Fighter

       * Helena Bonham Carter The King’s Speech

       * Melissa Leo The Fighter

       * Hailee Steinfeld True Grit

       * Jacki Weaver Animal Kingdom

    Original Screenplay

       * Another Year Mike Leigh

       * Inception Christopher Nolan

       * The Fighter Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson

       * The Kids Are All Right Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg

       * The King’s Speech David Seidler

    Adapted Screenplay

       * 127 Hours Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy

       * The Social Network Aaron Sorkin

       * Toy Story 3 Michael Arndt

       * True Grit Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

       * Winter’s Bone Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini

    Foreign Language Film

       * Biutiful Mexico

       * Dogtooth Greece

       * In a Better World Denmark

       * Incendies Canada

       * Outside the Law Algeria

    Animated Feature

       * How to Train Your Dragon

       * The Illusionist

       * Toy Story 3

    Original Score

       * 127 Hours

       * How to Train Your Dragon

       * Inception

       * The King’s Speech

       * The Social Network

    Original Song

       * Coming Home Country Strong

       * I See the Light Tangled

       * If I Rise 127 Hours

       * We Belong Together Toy Story 3

    Art Direction

       * Alice in Wonderland

       * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

       * Inception

       * The King’s Speech

       * True Grit

    Cinematography

       * Black Swan

       * Inception

       * The King’s Speech

       * The Social Network

       * True Grit

    Costume Design

       * Alice in Wonderland

       * I Am Love

       * The King’s Speech

       * The Tempest

       * True Grit

    Makeup

       * Barney’s Version

       * The Way Back

       * The Wolfman

    Documentary Feature

       * Exit Through the Gift Shop

       * Gasland

       * Inside Job

       * Restrepo

       * Waste Land

    Sound Mixing

       * Inception

       * Salt

       * The King’s Speech

       * The Social Network

       * True Grit

    Sound Editing

       * Inception

       * Toy Story 3

       * Tron: Legacy

       * True Grit

       * Unstoppable

    Visual Effects

       * Alice in Wonderland

       * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

       * Hereafter

       * Inception

       * Iron Man 2

    Film Editing

       * 127 Hours

       * Black Swan

       * The Fighter

       * The King’s Speech

       * The Social Network

    Short Film, Animated



       * Day & Night Teddy Newton

       * Let’s Pollute Geefwee Boedoe

       * Madagascar, a Journey Diary Bastien Dubois

       * The Gruffalo Jakob Schuh and Max Lang

       * The Lost Thing Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann

    Short Film, Live Action

       * God of Love Luke Matheny

       * Na Wewe Ivan Goldschmidt

       * The Confession Tanel Toom

       * The Crush Michael Creagh

       * Wish 143 Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

    Documentary Short Subject

       * Killing in the Name

       * Poster Girl

       * Strangers No More

       * Sun Come Up

       * The Warriors of Qiugang

    arlethamaselli0

    215 comments

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    2. And a great year for lesbians.

      I wouldn’t know.

    3. is entirely racist and sexist.

    4. Most overrated movie ever.

    5. The movie sucked, but it was really pretty.

    6. Alice in Wonerland

    7. for Art Direction.

    9. Inception.

      They don’t spend much time on these craft awards.

    10. Fantastic Union Crew!

      • on 02/28/2011 at 02:50
      • #

      nominated in the supporting Actress category?  She was the lead character in that movie.  

      I never understand how they decide these things.

    13. so Maggie Ross is just written badly.

      I’ll try to be more charitable in the future.

    14. for The Fighter

    15. and looking very pretty

    16. The Fighter.  Melissa Leo.

    18. Someone should tell her that’s stupid and painful.

    19. is having a Suoer Bowl moment with Mila’s dress

    20. Another stupid production number.

    21. The Lost Thing.

    23. Toy Story 3

      I knew that

    24. Toy Story 3.

      Which kind of puts it out of best picture contention.

    26. True Grit ain’t gonna win here.

      Why was it even nominated?

    27. The Social Network.

      Facebook Sux.

    28. Social Network, Aaron Sorkin. Honored Paddy Chayefsky.  

    30. The King’s Speech.

    31. for commercials. I needed a refill

    32. with a parody song

      1. It is very hard to predict with 10 nominees

    34. Don’t look for them to give this much time.

    35. In a better world.

    36. was great as June Carter Cah

    39. Best Supporting Actor.

      2. They have their vocal range, Soprano, Alto… LOL

    40. That lying JP Morgan ad again.

      Fuck you, you thieves.

    42. I think she has a crush on Hugh. 😉

    43. that 9 year renewal thing

      Who cares you greed heads?

    44. Great memorable original film scores. They don’t write them like that anymore

      1. Rock Lobster Tail.

    46. a new low but none of the scores were very good

    47. Inception

      1. I have one of those

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