MTV News compiles our guesses for who will win — and our opinions on who should win. By MTV News staff Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Will “The Artist” dominate the 2012 Oscars ? Should “The Artist” dominate the 2012 Oscars? Might wonderful films like “Hugo” get shut out in the major categories? Can the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honestly not bestow a single statuette on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”? These are the sorts of questions that have been preoccupying the MTV Movies team as of late. For the last two weeks, we’ve been doing our best to predict the Oscar winners — and oftentimes pointing out that the one that will win isn’t always the one that should win. Below, we’ve gathered together all our predictions. With just hours to go until show time, take a look at our picks and see how they stack up against your own: Best Music (Original Score) Who will win : “The Artist” Who should win : “The Artist” Best Animated Feature Film Who will win : “Rango” Who should win : “The Adventures of Tintin” (even though it’s not nominated) Best Visual Effects Who will win : “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Who should win : “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) Who will win : Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants” Who should win : Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Best Writing (Original Screenplay) Who will win : Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris” Who should win : Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation” Best Supporting Actress Who will win : Octavia Spencer, “The Help” Who should win : Octavia Spencer, “The Help” Best Supporting Actor Who will win : Christopher Plummer, “Beginnings” Who should win : Christopher Plummer, “Beginnings” Best Actor Who will win : Jean Dujardin, “The Artist” Who should win : Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Best Actress Who will win : Viola Davis, “The Help” Who should win : Viola Davis, “The Help” Best Director Who will win : Martin Scorsese, “Hugo” Who should win : Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris” Best Picture Who will win : “The Artist” Who should win : “Tree of Life” The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and head to Next Movie for a printable Oscar ballot . On Sunday, tune into MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners. To join the live conversation, tweet @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos 2012 Oscar Nominees
From ‘Shakespeare in Love’ to ‘Crash,’ a look back at the Academy Awards’ most memorable upsets. By Kevin P. Sullivan Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes in “Shakespeare in Love” Photo: Miramax Not every Academy Awards winner is met with praise and cinematic glory. Some past winners have come as surprises and even major disappointments to the audience, and among these, a handful will go down in history as outright injustices. Though a surprise victory on Oscar night can be thrilling, it can also deeply upset the viewers at home who’ve picked their favorites. As we gear up for the 2012 Oscars, here’s a look back at some of the most controversial wins in Academy Awards history. “How Green Was My Valley” Upsets “Citizen Kane” (Best Picture) Even though “Citizen Kane” has been touted as the greatest American movie of all time by the American Film Institute, back in 1942, it couldn’t even win the Academy Award as the year’s Best Picture. John Ford’s tale of a family struggling to make ends meet in a Welsh mining town beat Orson Welles’ masterpiece to take the honors and become the foremost example of Oscar injustice. “Ordinary People” Upsets “Raging Bull” (Best Picture) It upsets people when the film they feel is the best of year doesn’t win the top prize on Oscar night, but when the supposed film of the decade doesn’t win in its respective year, that’s a thing of controversy. Martin Scorsese’s gem about troubled boxer Jake LaMotta earned Robert De Niro an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1981, but Robert Redford’s family drama took the top honor. “Ordinary People” has since gone down in history as the film that stole the Oscar from the best movie of the 1980s. Marisa Tomei Wins for “My Cousin Vinny” (Best Supporting Actress) One of the most famous Oscar controversies in recent years came at the 1993 ceremony, when Jack Palance presented the award for Best Supporting Actress to Marisa Tomei. Many theorized Palance had misread the card, mistakenly giving the Oscar to Tomei. In the years since, the actress has gone on to earn two additional Academy Awards nominations. “Shakespeare in Love” Upsets “Saving Private Ryan” (Best Picture) The film that ushered in the era of Miramax domination in the awards scene, “Shakespeare in Love,” stole away Oscar glory from the one pegged as the odds-on favorite. Steven Spielberg’s sprawling World War II epic was heavily favored heading into the 1999 Academy Awards, and even though Spielberg took home the award for directing, many still hold onto the disappointment from the top category. “Crash” Upsets “Brokeback Mountain” (Best Picture) One of the best examples of the power of Best Picture backlash, the 2006 Academy Awards saw the tides turn away from Ang Lee’s tragic love story “Brokeback Mountain” and toward Paul Haggis’ “Crash” in the weeks leading up to the ceremony. If you need to better understand the shock that occurred, go back and watch Jack Nicholson announce “Crash” as the winner, throw his hands up and say, “Wow.” The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 26, tune into MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners. To join the live conversation, tweet @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars. Related Videos 2012 Oscar Nominees Related Photos Oscars’ Most Controversial Winners
You may know Sidney Poitier as the first black man or woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, but how many of his movies have you actually seen? Below is a list of his 10 best films, watch a few for the first time or watch them again and enjoy a true master at work. Poitier was born in 1927 in Miami, Florida, to Bahamian parents, and he grew up in the small village of Cat Island, Bahamas. At the age of 16 he moved to New York City and soon began working as a janitor for the American Negro Theater in exchange for acting lessons. After performing in plays throughout the 1940s he made his acting debut in the 1950 film “No Way Out. No Way Out.” The rest is cinematic history. Sidney Poitier Bio from PBS Disagree with the list? Did we miss one? Let us know what you think in the comments area below. 10. The Bedford Incident (Columbia, 1965) Ben Munceford (Poitier) is a reporter who is onboard the USS Bedford to interview the captain (Richard Widmark) when a Soviet submarine is detected. Widmark’s character relentlessly pursues the submarine to the bitter and horrific end. The movie is an edge of the seat thriller and Poitier delivers as the lone civilian on the ship trying to find out what makes the captain tick. 9. Edge of the City (MGM, 1957) One of many movies tackled by Poitier that explores relationships between whites and blacks. In this film, Poitier’s character, Tommy Tyler, befriends a white young drifter, Axel Nordmann, played by John Cassavetes. Tommy mentors Axel and teaches him how to stand up for himself. When tragedy strikes near the end of the film the lessons from Tommy spur Axel into action. The film was one of the firsts to portray an interracial friendship and would help lay the ground work for future films that would portray interracial romantic relationships and eventually marriage. The movie was priased by the NAACP, Urban League and the American Jewish Committee. Poitier got his first acting award nomination for his role earning a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. 8. To Sir, With Love (Columbia, 1967) 1967 was a banner year for Poitier who released three films, including “To Sir, With Love,” which earned him the title of top box office star of the year. The first time a black actor earned that role. Poitier is sharp as Mark Thackeray, a teacher who deals with social and racial issues in an inner city London school. This was a role reversal for Poitier who earlier in his career played the disruptive student in the 1955 film “Blackboard Jungle,” which dealt with similar issues. 7. Blackboard Jungle (MGM, 1955) Glenn Ford plays the lead as an idealistic teacher trying to get through to inner-city youths, but Poitier comes alive and owns the screen in one of his early roles as Gregory Miller, the leader of the troubled students at North Manual High School. 6. A Patch of Blue (MGM, 1965) The film depicts the relationship between a black man (Poitier) and a blind white teenager (Elizabeth Hartman) and the obstacles and prejudice they encounter as they fall in love in the racially charged and divided 1960s. The film was modified when it was shown in the south, removing the scenes of Poitier and Hartman kissing. Poitier was nominated for his fifth Golden Globe Award for his role as Gordon Ralfe, something he did not receive for his other major depiction of an interracial relationship in “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner.” 5. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Columbia, 1967) Poitier shares the screen and matches acting chops with heavyweight stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in a drama about parents coming to terms with their white daughter bringing her soon to be black man husband home. The movie was groundbreaking in its positive depiction of interracial marriage, which had been illegal in most state and was still illegal in 17 southern states until June 12, 1967 when the Supreme Court ruled on Loving v Virginia and ended all race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the US. 4. Lilies of the Field (United Artists, 1963) His Oscar role! Poitier’s portrayal of Homer Smith, an itinerant worker who helps a group of nuns construct a new chapel, earned him his second Academy Award nomination and one and only win. It was the first time a black man or woman had ever won a Best Actor award. Interesting fact, when Smith sings “Amen” it’s actually Jester Hairston singing and not Poitier. Poitier did however do all his own acting, and he earned his Oscar. 3. The Defiant Ones (United Artists, 1958) Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis play two prisoners who escape a chain gang while still shackled to one another. The two are of different races, different backgrounds and they have a mutual distain for one another, but they must cooperate in order to evade law enforcement officials constantly tracking them. The role of Noah Cullen earned Poitier his first Academy Award nomination, Curtis would also be nominated for his role in the film but both actors lost that year to David Niven. 2. A Raisin in the Sun (Columbia, 1961) Poitier shows off his acting chops in this adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s play of the same name. The film has a simple plot, a black man, Walter Lee Younger (Poitier), shares a small apartment with his wife, son, sister and mother. They struggle to live their lives and when they receive $10,000 from an insurance policy paid after the Younger patriarch’s death they must decide how to use it. Most of the movie takes place in their small apartment and it’s really up to the actors to command your attention and keep the movie moving and Poitier and the supporting cast do just that. The movie is at times uplifting and other times heart wrenching but always powerful and poignant. Acting at its best. 1. In the Heat of the Night (United Artists, 1967) Drama doesn’t get any better than this. Poitier plays Philadelphia Detective Virgil Tibbs who becomes entangled in a southern murder mystery and battles intense racial prejudice, even risking his life, while solving a crime in Sparta, Mississippi. The interaction between Poitier’s Tibbs and Police Chief Gillespie (played by Rod Steiger) is as honest and raw as it is intense. The movie was so successful and powerful that it spun off another Poitier movie “They Call me MISTER Tibbs” and a television show by the same name in the 1980s. Watch the trailer below. Disagree with the list? Did we miss one? Let us know what you think in the comments area below.
The 2nd Annual YouReviewers Movie Awards aired on YouTube this past weekend, and we’ve got to say, it was quite a show! This year, our friends at ENTV played host as YouTube heavy hitters Jeremy Jahns, The Schmoes, and a host of other notables from the ever-opinionated YouTube film community presented their favorite films, performances and trailers (because, after all, this is YouTube) of 2011. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out the full show below – we think it’s safe to say that in the never-ending glut of awards shows this time of year, there’s nothing else like it. Or you can skip to the full winners list below to see what the small-screen scene picked as the best of the big screen. 2012 YouReviewer Awards Winners List: BEST PICTURE Drive 50/50 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes The Artist Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2 Hugo The Descendants Midnight in Paris Warrior BEST DIRECTOR Nicolas Winding Refn ( Drive ) David Fincher ( The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo ) Martin Scorsese ( Hugo ) Steven Spielberg ( War Horse ) Michel Hazanavicius ( The Artist ) BEST ACTOR George Clooney ( The Descendants ) Ryan Gosling ( Drive ) Joseph Gordon-Levitt ( 50/50 ) Michael Fassbender ( Shame ) Brad Pitt ( Moneyball ) BEST ACTRESS Rooney Mara ( The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo ) Viola Davis ( The Help ) Emma Stone ( The Help ) Charlize Theron ( Young Adult ) Michelle Williams ( My Week with Marilyn ) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Nick Nolte ( Warrior ) Christopher Plummer ( Beginners ) Albert Brooks ( Drive ) Jonah Hill ( Moneyball ) Andy Serkis ( Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes ) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Octavia Spencer ( The Help ) Shailene Woodley ( The Descendants ) Elle Fanning ( Super 8 ) Melissa McCarthy ( Bridesmaids ) Carey Mulligan ( Shame ) BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR Joel Courtney Michael Fassbender Ryan Gosling Jean Dujardin John Boyega BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS Rooney Mara Shailene Woodley Berenice Bejo Jessica Chastain Brit Marling BEST ANIMATED FEATURE The Adventures of Tin Tin Arthur Christmas Rango Puss in Boots Kung Fu Panda BEST VILLAIN Albert Brooks ( Drive ) Voldemort ( Harry Potter ) Kevin Bacon ( X-Men: First Class ) Loki ( Thor ) Bryce Dallas Howard ( The Help ) BEST HERO Rooney Mara ( The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo ) Gosling ( Drive ) Harry Potter (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2) Moses ( Attack the Block ) Caesar ( Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes ) BEST SCORE Drive The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo War Horse The Muppets Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Super 8 Hugo Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Rise of the Planet of the Apes Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon BEST TRAILER The Dark Knight Rises Trailer 2 The Hobbit The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Avengers Prometheus MOST UNDERRATED FILM Warrior The Adjustment Bureau Win Win Hanna Attack the Block THE I’M SHOCKED IT DIDN’T SUCK AWARD Real Steel Fast Five (tie) Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (tie) MI:4: Ghost Protocol
Band set to kick off big, bad tour in support of Some Nights next week. By James Montgomery Nate Ruess of Fun. Photo: MTV News Momentum has been building behind Fun. ‘s Some Nights album since September, when the band unveiled the teaser clip for “We Are Young,” their stirring anthem that is spending its second week in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 (alongside usual suspects Katy Perry, Adele and Rihanna), cementing its status as the first out-of-nowhere smash of 2012. Since that teaser, they’ve been the subject of innumerable “Next Big Thing” pieces and released a proper video for the song, and earlier this week, Some Nights finally hit stores. So with their single sitting high on the charts and a full-scale tour in support of their album set to kick off next week, one has to wonder what it’s like to actually be in the band at this very moment, as they stand perched on the brink of big-time success. “I think we’re very aware of what’s happening around us, and I think there’s a level of excitement, but I feel like there’s so much more to accomplish, and we do want to accomplish all of that,” frontman Nate Ruess told MTV News. “So any sort of victory that we might not have had the privilege of having over the last 10 years that might be coming now, we only give ourselves about a second and then we think, ‘All right, what’s next?’ ” “Also, having done this for such a long time, we’ve put all the emphasis on the artistic victories, so we’ve always just been trained for those to be the most satisfying ones,” guitarist Jack Antonoff added. “So anything that’s happening on the other side of things, I think the three of us just think, ‘It’s so exciting. Now we can make this artistic dream come true.’ If people are finding out about the band [now], we can have this elaborate stage set up that we’ve always dreamed of, or we can work with this producer, or get this instrument that we always wanted.” And if their enthusiasm seems somewhat tempered, well, you can’t blame them. After all, all three members of Fun. have logged time in previous bands (the Format, Steel Train, Anathallo), and they’ve each seen how quickly fortunes can change. Still, they’d be lying if they didn’t say they’re looking to take full advantage of their sorta superstar status — and you’ll be able to tell on their upcoming tour. “We’re taking every penny we can squeeze out of the band to create some sort of wild show, and I think we’re always going to do that,” Antonoff said. “So if you see us in a club that holds 1,000 people, you’re going to get a big show for that size club. … We’re always going to push it” So with one smash hit under their belts, Fun. will push on into 2012 looking to expand both their fanbase and their reach — which, of course, is going to require a bit of sacrifice. Then again, after slogging it out for 10 years, the guys in Fun. are sort of used to all that. “I’m kind of annoyed, because I finally got an apartment on the Upper West Side, and I was looking forward to being there, just, you know, the calm before the storm,” Ruess laughed. “Because I know how we are; we’re just going to be on tour for the whole entire year. So there’s not going to be any time at home. Oh well.” Will you check out Fun. on tour? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists fun.
Band set to kick off big, bad tour in support of Some Nights next week. By James Montgomery Nate Ruess of Fun. Photo: MTV News Momentum has been building behind Fun. ‘s Some Nights album since September, when the band unveiled the teaser clip for “We Are Young,” their stirring anthem that is spending its second week in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 (alongside usual suspects Katy Perry, Adele and Rihanna), cementing its status as the first out-of-nowhere smash of 2012. Since that teaser, they’ve been the subject of innumerable “Next Big Thing” pieces and released a proper video for the song, and earlier this week, Some Nights finally hit stores. So with their single sitting high on the charts and a full-scale tour in support of their album set to kick off next week, one has to wonder what it’s like to actually be in the band at this very moment, as they stand perched on the brink of big-time success. “I think we’re very aware of what’s happening around us, and I think there’s a level of excitement, but I feel like there’s so much more to accomplish, and we do want to accomplish all of that,” frontman Nate Ruess told MTV News. “So any sort of victory that we might not have had the privilege of having over the last 10 years that might be coming now, we only give ourselves about a second and then we think, ‘All right, what’s next?’ ” “Also, having done this for such a long time, we’ve put all the emphasis on the artistic victories, so we’ve always just been trained for those to be the most satisfying ones,” guitarist Jack Antonoff added. “So anything that’s happening on the other side of things, I think the three of us just think, ‘It’s so exciting. Now we can make this artistic dream come true.’ If people are finding out about the band [now], we can have this elaborate stage set up that we’ve always dreamed of, or we can work with this producer, or get this instrument that we always wanted.” And if their enthusiasm seems somewhat tempered, well, you can’t blame them. After all, all three members of Fun. have logged time in previous bands (the Format, Steel Train, Anathallo), and they’ve each seen how quickly fortunes can change. Still, they’d be lying if they didn’t say they’re looking to take full advantage of their sorta superstar status — and you’ll be able to tell on their upcoming tour. “We’re taking every penny we can squeeze out of the band to create some sort of wild show, and I think we’re always going to do that,” Antonoff said. “So if you see us in a club that holds 1,000 people, you’re going to get a big show for that size club. … We’re always going to push it” So with one smash hit under their belts, Fun. will push on into 2012 looking to expand both their fanbase and their reach — which, of course, is going to require a bit of sacrifice. Then again, after slogging it out for 10 years, the guys in Fun. are sort of used to all that. “I’m kind of annoyed, because I finally got an apartment on the Upper West Side, and I was looking forward to being there, just, you know, the calm before the storm,” Ruess laughed. “Because I know how we are; we’re just going to be on tour for the whole entire year. So there’s not going to be any time at home. Oh well.” Will you check out Fun. on tour? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists fun.
The two-time Sexiest Man Alive landed his third Oscar nod for “Moneyball,” but he has yet to take home gold. By Kara Warner Brad Pitt in “Moneyball” Photo: Sony Pictures For all the swoons and sighs associated with any mention of Brad Pitt , the two-time Sexiest Man Alive has proved to be so much more than a pretty face. He’s a worldly, respected father of six and a highly successful, award-winning actor/producer who picked up his third Oscar nomination for acting this year for his portrayal of beloved Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane in “Moneyball.” Pitt is nominated for Best Actor, going head-to-head with best buddy George Clooney (“The Descendants”), Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”), Demi
The two-time Sexiest Man Alive landed his third Oscar nod for “Moneyball,” but he has yet to take home gold. By Kara Warner Brad Pitt in “Moneyball” Photo: Sony Pictures For all the swoons and sighs associated with any mention of Brad Pitt , the two-time Sexiest Man Alive has proved to be so much more than a pretty face. He’s a worldly, respected father of six and a highly successful, award-winning actor/producer who picked up his third Oscar nomination for acting this year for his portrayal of beloved Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane in “Moneyball.” Pitt is nominated for Best Actor, going head-to-head with best buddy George Clooney (“The Descendants”), Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”), Demi
‘The Bodyguard’ actor relives pop diva’s first screen test in a poignant eulogy on Saturday at New Hope Baptist Church. By Rebecca Thomas Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner in “The Bodyguard” Photo: Warner Bros. On Saturday afternoon (February 18), Whitney Houston was sent to rest by family and friends at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, during a stirring funeral dubbed her Home-Going. While the pop diva’s onetime leading man Bobby Brown reportedly left moments before the noon ceremony began, the pop diva’s onscreen leading man Kevin Costner delivered a poignant eulogy in her honor. In 1992, Houston made her film debut in “The Bodyguard,” a star turn that paired her in the lead with Costner in the title role. Written by Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Mick Jackson, the romantic drama followed Frank Farmer, a Secret Service agent-turned-bodyguard tasked with protecting pop star Rachel Marron from a stalker. The film would go on to gross more than $400 million at the worldwide box office, and the diamond-selling soundtrack spawned Houston’s game-changing rendition of “I Will Always Love You” , the best-selling single of all time. But according to Costner, Warner Bros., the studio behind “The Bodyguard,” not only had to be convinced that the film’s signature song should be a cover of Dolly Parton’s country tune — but also that the part should go to Houston. “At the height of her fame as a singer, I asked her to be my co-star,” Costner recalled on Saturday. Filmmakers were concerned, however, suggesting they should “think about another singer … maybe somebody white.” Though Costner conceded “nobody ever said it out loud,” he agreed that the implications were fair considering how much was at stake. The only problem was, as Costner put it, “I thought she was perfect for what we were trying to do.” Costner remained steadfast about his casting choice, even delaying production by a year so that Whitney could complete a tour. And though the actor knew he’d already all but given her the part, he submitted her to a screen test because he wanted to be “fair.” Houston, possibly the biggest pop star at the time, was frightened. Costner went to her trailer the day of the test and to reassure her, holding her hand and telling her that she looked beautiful. Still, the singer zeroed in on a million things she imagined to be wrong. Feeling insecure, Houston scrubbed her camera-ready makeup job in favor of the thick layer of cover-up she used on the road. The patina of cosmetic paint was perhaps an apt metaphor for how the megastar masked her insecurities. Of course, four minutes in, Houston’s makeup job was streaking; the singer was devastated. “I just wanted to look my best,” she told Costner. “Call it doubt, call it fear, I’ve had mine,” Costner said of the internal struggles that come with fame. “The Whitney I knew, despite her success and worldwide fame, still wondered, ‘Am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me?’ It was the burden that made her great and the part that caused her to stumble in the end.” Houston famously battled substance abuse issues, in particular during her tumultuous 14-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown. She was found dead a week ago in a Beverly Hills hotel; the official cause of her death is still being investigated . But Costner insisted her personal turmoil should not muddy her legacy. “As the debate heats up … about the greatest singer of the last century, as the lists are drawn, it will have little meaning to me if her name is not on it,” Costner proclaimed to applause. “Off you go, Whitney, off you go,” Costner continued tears, “Escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly father. And when you sing before him, don’t you worry — you’ll be good enough.” Stay with MTVNews.com all day Saturday for continuing coverage of Whitney Houston’s funeral services. Related Videos Whitney Houston: In Her Own Words Related Photos Friends, Family And Fans Show Love At Whitney Houston’s Funeral Related Artists Whitney Houston
‘The Bodyguard’ actor relives pop diva’s first screen test in a poignant eulogy on Saturday at New Hope Baptist Church. By Rebecca Thomas Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner in “The Bodyguard” Photo: Warner Bros. On Saturday afternoon (February 18), Whitney Houston was sent to rest by family and friends at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, during a stirring funeral dubbed her Home-Going. While the pop diva’s onetime leading man Bobby Brown reportedly left moments before the noon ceremony began, the pop diva’s onscreen leading man Kevin Costner delivered a poignant eulogy in her honor. In 1992, Houston made her film debut in “The Bodyguard,” a star turn that paired her in the lead with Costner in the title role. Written by Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Mick Jackson, the romantic drama followed Frank Farmer, a Secret Service agent-turned-bodyguard tasked with protecting pop star Rachel Marron from a stalker. The film would go on to gross more than $400 million at the worldwide box office, and the diamond-selling soundtrack spawned Houston’s game-changing rendition of “I Will Always Love You” , the best-selling single of all time. But according to Costner, Warner Bros., the studio behind “The Bodyguard,” not only had to be convinced that the film’s signature song should be a cover of Dolly Parton’s country tune — but also that the part should go to Houston. “At the height of her fame as a singer, I asked her to be my co-star,” Costner recalled on Saturday. Filmmakers were concerned, however, suggesting they should “think about another singer … maybe somebody white.” Though Costner conceded “nobody ever said it out loud,” he agreed that the implications were fair considering how much was at stake. The only problem was, as Costner put it, “I thought she was perfect for what we were trying to do.” Costner remained steadfast about his casting choice, even delaying production by a year so that Whitney could complete a tour. And though the actor knew he’d already all but given her the part, he submitted her to a screen test because he wanted to be “fair.” Houston, possibly the biggest pop star at the time, was frightened. Costner went to her trailer the day of the test and to reassure her, holding her hand and telling her that she looked beautiful. Still, the singer zeroed in on a million things she imagined to be wrong. Feeling insecure, Houston scrubbed her camera-ready makeup job in favor of the thick layer of cover-up she used on the road. The patina of cosmetic paint was perhaps an apt metaphor for how the megastar masked her insecurities. Of course, four minutes in, Houston’s makeup job was streaking; the singer was devastated. “I just wanted to look my best,” she told Costner. “Call it doubt, call it fear, I’ve had mine,” Costner said of the internal struggles that come with fame. “The Whitney I knew, despite her success and worldwide fame, still wondered, ‘Am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me?’ It was the burden that made her great and the part that caused her to stumble in the end.” Houston famously battled substance abuse issues, in particular during her tumultuous 14-year marriage to singer Bobby Brown. She was found dead a week ago in a Beverly Hills hotel; the official cause of her death is still being investigated . But Costner insisted her personal turmoil should not muddy her legacy. “As the debate heats up … about the greatest singer of the last century, as the lists are drawn, it will have little meaning to me if her name is not on it,” Costner proclaimed to applause. “Off you go, Whitney, off you go,” Costner continued tears, “Escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly father. And when you sing before him, don’t you worry — you’ll be good enough.” Stay with MTVNews.com all day Saturday for continuing coverage of Whitney Houston’s funeral services. Related Videos Whitney Houston: In Her Own Words Related Photos Friends, Family And Fans Show Love At Whitney Houston’s Funeral Related Artists Whitney Houston
