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Monday, February 23, 2009

Scoring the Oscars: 'Slumdog Millionaire' was no surprise as big winner at Academy Awards

When does eight equal more than 1,000,000?

Only on Oscar night.


"Slumdog Millionaire," the fairytale story of an impoverished boy from Mumbai who wins the grand prize on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" scored an embarrassment of riches during Sunday's Academy Awards. It took home eight of the 10 statues for which it was nominated, including the grand prize, Best Picture.


Once threatened with a direct-to-DVD release, the film was an underdog story on the screen and behind the scenes. But it became an underdog no more as it piled up accolades at numerous awards shows, making its Oscar haul, for all intents and purposes, inevitable. Oddly, the longshot was leading nominee, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," with 13 nods; although it won for Best Makeup, Visual Effects and Art Direction, it was shut out of all major categories.

Consider Slumdog for a moment: It was shot under hectic, unpredictable conditions in India, with unproven actors, many of them children, in key roles, and a relatively miniscule budget of $15 million. It was honored by Oscar in a breadth of categories, from writing (Best Adapted Screenplay) to music (Best Score and Song, for Jai Ho) to the technical (Best Editing, Sound Mixing and Cinematography) and directing (Danny Boyle, best known for "Trainspotting" and "28 Days Later").

List of winners


Its eight wins are notable in an age of Oscar parity, and the most since "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" snagged 11 in 2004. Such diversity in achievement suggests Slumdog is one of 2008's most complete films, a notion few would disagree with. (Notably, many cried foul when star Dev Patel was snubbed in acting categories.) Critics and audiences have lauded it since its autumn debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it has grossed $98 million at the domestic box office.

But frankly, the success of Slumdog was no surprise on Oscar night. Neither was Heath Ledger's Best Supporting Actor win for his entertaining, often disturbing, portrayal of The Joker in "The Dark Knight."

As many predicted, Kate Winslet won Best Actress for "The Reader," probably less for the role of an amoral ex-Nazi who has an affair with a 15-year-old boy than for the accumulation of five previous nods with no wins. I call it the Enough Already Rule.

The most suspense came in the Best Actor category, with Sean Penn ("Milk") beating Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler") presumably by a nose. It was a timely role, that of famed San Francisco gay activist Harvey Milk, considering the outrage in California after a November vote banned gay marriage in the state.


Sean Penn accepts the Oscar for best actor for his work in "Milk."Thus, the typically humorless Penn delivered an unexpectedly funny speech, first sarcastically calling the Academy Commie, homo-loving sons-of-guns, then referring to his own prickly demeanor. "I did not expect this. I want to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me," he said, drawing big laughs.

As for the new-look Oscar ceremony? Host Hugh Jackman kicked it off with a comically lo-fi song-and-dance medley with tinfoil and construction-paper sets, Anne Hathaway playing Richard Nixon, The Craigslist Dancers and lyrics such as "I haven't seen The Reader" people just saw Iron Man a second time and Im Wolveriiiiiiiine!

The first half of the telecast, which ran 30 minutes over its expected time, had more loosey-goosey laughs than usual, but the show lost some steam, reverting back to basics as it dragged on. Which means I had plenty of opportunities to hand out my annual Serbie Awards, for the best and worst Oscar moments:

Best Comedy Duo: Tina Fey and Steve Martin, who exchanged witty banter -- and ridiculed Scientology -- while giving out the two screenplay. Once, she gazed at him longingly, and he spat, "Don't fall in love with me." Classic.

Best Straight Woman: Natalie Portman, presenting with Ben Stiller, who did a Joaquin Phoenix impression. Wearing a bushy beard and sunglasses, he wandered around the stage, muttered nonsense and plopped his gum on the podium. You look like you work at a Hasidic meth lab, she quipped.

The Meee-owww! National Enquirer Award: Goes to the producer who kept showing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie while Jennifer Aniston was on stage presenting. Gotta play up the well-worn love triangle for ratings, apparently.

Most Radiant Face: Winslet's, of course. With her hair swept back, she so closely resembled Ingrid Bergman, she had us (OK, me) melting in our (OK, my) recliners.

The Eye-Roll Political Speechifying Serbie: Penn, who deviated from levity and got on his soapbox, just like Harvey Milk. The role speaks for itself, Sean.

Biggest Train Wreck: The big Baz Luhrmann-designed production number, which I've affectionately titled How Much Junk Can We Cram Into Four Minutes? Beyonce Knowles joined Jackman on stage for a mushy mish-mash medley of movie musical tunes ranging from "Grease" to ABBA, and derailed long before Zac Efron and Amanda Seyfried jumped in. What ...? They couldn't wedge in Phil Collins singing "Against All Odds," or some Electric Boogaloo breakdancing? For shame.

And, The Goofy Bits: Philippe Petit, tightrope-walking subject of Best Documentary "Man on Wire," balanced the Oscar on his chin. The way-lovable Danny Boyle bouncing like Tigger for his kids during his acceptance speech. And Kunio Kato, director of Best Animated Short winner "La Maison en petits cubes," thanking his pencil (his film was constructed of colored-pencil drawings) and muttered the nonsequitir "domo arigato Mr. Roboto" through his very thick accent.

Moments like this mostly, almost, might possibly make it worth sitting through the Academy's annual 210-minute self-congratulatory celebration.

by John Serba The Grand Rapids Press
Monday February 23, 2009, 4:29 AM





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