The 81st Annual Academy Award Winners
by Brian Eggert
02/22/2009
Perhaps the nominees for the 81st Annual Academy Awards were too unanimously good, rendering the winners just not that interesting. There was no struggle. No underdog. When so many of the nominees are equals, none standing out from the others, what’s the point? And that sums up my feelings toward the ceremony this year. Per usual, the show went on too long, the winners gave their lengthy speeches, and after an hour or so, the end couldn’t come fast enough.
Luckily, Hugh Jackman’s hilarious opening song (loved those lyrics—“I’m Wolverine!”) and fantastic showmanship throughout enlivened the show’s appeal. His efforts were thwarted by the drawn-out introductions appreciating each and every one of the various nominees and clumsy behind-the-scenes production. Questions arise: Why couldn’t they get that curtain open for the first award? Why is the Lawrence of Arabia theme now a swing hit? Why do the Oscars always insist on so many montages, musical or otherwise? And why was Robert Pattinson of all people presenting an award?
Highlights include: Heath Ledger’s expected and welcomed posthumous win; Kate Winslet finally getting her due; Kunio Katô including “Domo argigato, Mr. Roboto” in his acceptance speech; WALL•E continuing the Pixar-Oscar renaissance; Ben Stiller’s riotous mockery of Joaquin Phoenix; the odd comedic triangle of James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Janusz Kaminski; Sean Penn’s surprising win; and of course Jackman. Disappointments include: Mickey Rourke’s loss; Ben Burtt’s loses on the sound awards; Hellboy II: The Golden Army losing the makup award to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, whose “makeup” was largely CGI-based.
The full list of winners is below. If you haven’t seen them, do.
Best Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire WINNER
Best Director:
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire WINNER
Best Actor:
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk WINNER
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Best Actress:
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader WINNER
Best Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight WINNER
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona WINNER
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Best Animated Feature Film:
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL•E WINNER
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Eric Roth & Robin Swicord, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
David Hare, The Reader
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire WINNER
Best Original Screenplay:
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
Dustin Lance Black, Milk WINNER
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Pete Docter, WALL•E
Best Editing:
Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Lee Smith, The Dark Knight
Mike Hill & Dan Hanley, Frost/Nixon
Elliot Graham, Milk
Chris Dickens, Slumdog Millionaire WINNER
Best Art Direction:
James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis, Changeling
Donald Graham Burt & Victor J. Zolfo, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button WINNER
Nathan Crowley & Peter Lando, The Dark Knight
Michael Carlin & Rebecca Alleway, The Duchess
Kristi Zea & Debra Schutt, Revolutionary Road
Best Cinematography:
Tom Stern, Changeling
Claudio Miranda, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight
Chris Menges & Roger Deakins, The Reader
Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire WINNER
Best Costume Design:
Catherine Martin, Australia
Jacqueline West, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Michael O'Connor, The Duchess WINNER
Danny Glicker, Milk
Albert Wolsky, Revolutionary Road
Best Sound Editing:
Richard King, The Dark Knight WINNER
Frank Eulner & Christopher Boyes, Iron Man
Tom Sayers, Slumdog Millionaire
Ben Burtt & Matthew Wood, WALL•E
Wylie Stateman, Wanted
Best Sound Mixing:
David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarten, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, Ed Novick, The Dark Knight
Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty, Slumdog Millionaire WINNER
Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt, WALL•E
Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño, Petr Forejt, Wanted
Best Visual Effects:
Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button WINNER
Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber, Paul Franklin, The Dark Knight
John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick, Shane Mahan, Iron Man
Best Feature Documentary:
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire WINNER
Trouble the Water
Best Makeup:
Greg Cannom, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button WINNER
John Caglione, Jr. & Conor O'Sullivan, The Dark Knight
Mike Elizalde & Thom Floutz, Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Best Music Score:
Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
James Newton Howard, Defiance
Danny Elfman, Milk
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire WINNER
Thomas Newman, WALL•E
Best Original Song:
“Down to Earth”, WALL•E
“Jai Ho”, Slumdog Millionaire WINNER
“O Saya”, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Foreign Language Film:
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
The Class (France)
Departures (Japan) WINNER
Revanche (Austria)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
Best Documentary Short Film:
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki WINNER
The Witness
Best Animated Short Film:
La Maison de Petits Cubes WINNER
Lavatory - Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up
Best Live Action Short Film:
Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland) WINNER