The 80th annual Academy Awards aired on Feb. 24 on ABC. It was much anticipated by both the viewers and the people in attendance because this was the one of the first major award show to air since writers strike. The strike caused production on most telecasts, including award shows like the Golden Globes, to be shut down. The show started off with a star-studded red carpet which had two definite trends – the color red and baby bumps. Stars like Miley Cyrus, Heidi Klum and Katherine Heigl all showed off their gorgeous red dresses, while Jessica Alba, Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman were glowing, displaying their growing bellies.
All in all activity on the red carpet, which was hosted by Regis Philbin along with entertainment journalists Samantha Harris and Shaun Robinson, was pretty normal except for one moment that stood out. Actress Jennifer Garner was doing an interview on the carpet when Ryan Seacrest, who was conducting the interview, introduced her to actor Gary Busey. Busey proceeded to lunge at Jennifer and to kiss her on the neck . She responded by sarcastically saying, “I wish my husband (Ben Affleck) was here.” Busey apologized for the incident the following day .
After the red carpet extravaganza came the even bigger show. It was held at its usual venue the Kodak Theater, and hosted by comedian Jon Stewart for the second time. He began the show with a very funny opening monologue which poked fun at actors, directors and the current political and war situations our country is facing. Throughout the night, many more jokes were told when awards were being presented.
The big winners included Best Actor Daniel Day Lewis for his role in “There Will Be Blood,” an award which he won previously for the film “My Left Foot.” Best Actress was awarded to newcomer Marion Cotillard for her portrayal of French singer Edith Piaf in “La Vie En Rose.”
Best supporting actor was given to Javier Bardem for his riveting role as a serial killer in “No Country For Old Men.” Best supporting actress went to British actress Tilda Swinton for her role in “Michael Clayton.”
There were two definite surprises during the night. The first one was the win for exotic dancer turned screen writer Diablo Cody for Best Original Screenplay for her film “Juno.”
The other big surprise was “The Bourne Ultimatum’s” wins for Film Editing, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.
Not such of a surprise, the Best Director award went to Joel and Ethan Coen for their work on “No Country For Old Men.” The duo previously won this award for their work on Fargo in the 90s.
“No Country For Old Men” also took home the most important prize of the night Best Picture which left the Coen brothers speechless when it was time to make the last of the multiple acceptances speeches they had during the ceremony. The film took home four awards total, more than any other film.
All in all, the Oscars this year were very well put together considering producers only had nine days to put the show together due to the writers strike.
Unfortuneately. the show only grossed a record low 32 million viewers worldwide. An E! online poll stated that 85 percent of people that participated thought that this years Oscars were out of touch with movie goers due to many of the films’ serious subject matter.
Jon Stewart did an excellent job trying to relate to viewers by poking fun at serious issues and big name celebrities .
Also young Hollywood was represented with the likes of teen queen Miley Cyrus as a presenter and thirteen year old actress Saoirse Ronan, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Atonment.”
The 80th annual Academy Awards were very enjoyable and hopefully will continue to be great for many years to come.
Sam Greenberg is a first-year student majoring in English with a minor in journalism. She can be reached at SG655862@wcupa.edu.