‘The Artist’ nabs five total wins, including in three high-profile categories — Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. By MTV News Staff Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo in “The Artist” Photo: Weinstein Company The 2012 Oscars brought awards season to a close in predictable fashion on Sunday night, as “The Artist” nabbed five total wins, including in three high-profile categories — Best Picture, Best Direction for Michel Hazanavicius, and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin. “Hugo,” though, pulled off some surprising wins and ended up taking home five statuettes as well. Martin Scorsese’s 3-D ode to the origins of Hollywood cinema triumphed in categories like Best Visual Effects and Best Editing. The biggest upset of the night arrived in the form of Meryl Streep’s Best Actress win for “The Iron Lady,” a surprising triumph over “The Help” star Viola Davis. Tate Taylor’s segregation-era drama walked away with just one win — Octavia Davis for Best Supporting Actress wins. Here is the full list of the nominees: Best Picture WINNER: “The Artist” ♦ “The Descendants” ♦ “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” ♦ “The Help” ♦ “Hugo” ♦ “Midnight in Paris” ♦ “Moneyball” ♦ “The Tree of Life” ♦ “War Horse” Best Director WINNER: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist” ♦ Alexander Payne, “The Descendants” ♦ Martin Scorsese, “Hugo” ♦ Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris” ♦ Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life” Best Actor WINNER: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist” ♦ Demian Bichir, “A Better Life” ♦ George Clooney, “The Descendants” ♦ Gary Oldman, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” ♦ Brad Pitt, “Moneyball” Best Actress WINNER: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady” ♦ Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs” ♦ Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” ♦ Viola Davis, “The Help” ♦ Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn” Best Supporting Actor WINNER: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners” ♦ Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn” ♦ Jonah Hill, “Moneyball” ♦ Nick Nolte, “Warrior” ♦ Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” Best Supporting Actress WINNER: Octavia Spencer, “The Help” ♦ B
“Nothing will come from this if you win!” joked Seth Rogen as he opened his hosting gig at the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards . “Absolutely nothing. This won’t help you get paid anymore — if anything, it proves you’ll work for nothing.” That may be painfully true for many of the indie film nominees honored today at the annual Spirit Awards, held in a tent on the beach in balmy Santa Monica. But what does it mean that the night’s big winner was the Harvey Weinstein-backed awards season juggernaut The Artist ? The Oscar frontrunner swept the Spirit Awards Saturday in a precursor to what most pundits expect will transpire Sunday night at the Academy Awards ; the black and white silent film took home four awards, including Best Feature, Best Director ( Michel Hazanavicius ), Best Actor ( Jean Dujardin ), and Best Cinematography, further sealing its grip on the 2012 awards race. Along the road to Spirit Awards victory, the $15 million The Artist went up against the likes of more conventional indies. (Rules of eligibility includes films made for no more than $20 million.) In the Best Cinematography category, the Weinstein-backed favorite competed against, for example, Evan Glodell’s Bellflower , a film shot on a production budget of $17,000; for Best Feature it vied with 50/50 , Beginners , Drive , Take Shelter , and The Descendants . Additional winners on the night included Dee Rees’ Pariah , Alexander Payne’s The Descendants (which won Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Shailene Woodley), Asgar Farhadi’s A Separation , Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn , and Christopher Plummer for Beginners . (Full winners list here .) In other words – on the whole, not quite so different from the field competing tomorrow at the mainstream Oscars. Maybe that’s why, after Rogen’s fantastic Hollywood-skewering opening monologue, the Spirit Awards started to flag a bit in, well, spirit. By the time the absent Jean Dujardin won Best Actor about halfway through (co-star Penelope Ann Miller, the film’s mascot for the night, accepted on his behalf) the certainty of Artist domination seemed to loom in the air. Once Michel Hazanavicius arrived, fresh from the LAX runway with a police escort minutes before his name was called as Best Director, the sweep was sealed. Would any non-Oscar frontrunning independent filmmaker honorees have gotten the VIP treatment all the way down the 10? Were these the Oscar rehearsals, or the preeminent celebration of American independent film? Well, at least the show had its moments. Highlights included Rogen’s monologue; John Waters acting as MC for the night; Michelle Williams accepting her trophy with a nod to the very first Spirit Awards she ever attended, back when she wore her own clothes and cut her own hair and felt at home in the “room full of misfits, outcast, loners, dreamers, mumblers, delinquents, dropouts – just like me.” Backstage, winners trickled in throughout the night, sharing their own perspectives on craft and the awards show mania. Christopher Plummer , Best Supporting Actor: The jovial Plummer kicked off the winners’ room. “[Michael’s father, his character] was a true character and was written with such affection, such a lack of self-pity. It was fun to do, it made me so relaxed. His marvelous humor against all odds [is] a marvelous lesson to everyone who goes through cancer and dying. He treated it with a sort of carefree sense of humor, no self-pity at all.” Hinting at his next gig on an HBO project, Plummer addressed his continuing career at age 82. “I have to [keep acting] because I may croak at any moment – I have to keep going!” How did he keep from being upstaged by Cosmo the dog on the set of Beginners ? “We had a little private talk, and now that you mention it Cosmo and Uggie , I think our Cosmo was much more human than Uggie . Uggie was just a trickster – our dog had soul .” Shailene Woodley , Best Supporting Actress: “I’m so grateful,” Woodley began. “I don’t know if ‘surprised’ is the right word. I think gratitude kind of fills it all. It’s been such a beautiful experience for me in my life and totally transformed me as a human being, so I’m grateful to have been a part of the film and to have learned so many valuable amazing lessons.” “Every single person involved in the film was incredibly positive and had such gentle, kind, graceful souls. Being on the film as an 18-year-old and experiencing that right as I was about to start my life on my own, it was kind of the catalyst for me coming into my own. I don’t think there are words for me to express my gratitude for that.” As for the Oscars, Woodley has love for the Help star she went up against during the Golden Globes. “I am so stoked for Octavia [Spencer] – she is so awesome! She’s such a nice human being. [Pause] This is crazy. I was not expecting it and I got up there and said um a lot, I’m sure I’m going to be mortified when I watch it.” The Artist crew, Best Feature/Best Actor/Best Cinematography/Best Director: What did producer Harvey Weinstein bring to the film? “His weight,” joked producer Thomas Langmann, who credited Weinstein with taking a chance on The Artist when most backers balked. “We kept going to try to finance this meeting and we had very short meetings… nobody wanted to hear about this one. People told me this is against conventional wisdom. We managed to find the money and wanted to shoot here in Hollywood…” “This movie was made to be a tribute to Hollywood and cinema and especially American cinema. So to come back… and be rewarded by the Hollywood community, is a dream come true.” How’s life treating director Hazanavicius, who’s been on a nonstop tour through the home stretch of his award tour? “It’s not the worst job you can find,” he answered. “You come, you receive awards, everyone is smiling at you and is nice and they tell you you’re talented and have a very funny, charming French accent. [The police escort from LAX] was great. That was the best part.” “It’s physically tiring but the energy is so good that you don’t really feel it,” he said. “We’re really excited and are enjoying every moment we can enjoy.” Looking back to the beginning of their journey, did Weinstein promise the Artist crew he could get them to the Oscars? “Harvey knows how to promise things like that, yes. Sometimes he’s right.” Michelle Williams, Best Actress: “My friend was joking that until now I have been the Susan Lucci of the Indie Spirit Awards!” Williams said, beaming. “I have been luckier and luckier to be working with better and better people.” On how she found her way into Marilyn Monroe: “In a way you had to remove the fact that she was an icon, because that was too daunting… and think of her as an ordinary girl. There wasn’t a direct path in to her, I found. The only way in was time, so much time, and in a way letting her dictate, letting her take shape — letting all this information take shape instead of me trying to control it.” “I just do some work. I just sort of keep my head down, which is a very sort of Montana attitude. There’s this Amish thing, this Quaker thing I like – ‘Eyes to the ground and heart to the skies.’ I just keep focused.” Steve James, dir. The Interrupters , Best Documentary: “It means a lot for a film like this because this is a film about urban violence in Chicago, and when we were making it we never would have anticipated the reaction the film has gotten in the past year. It means a lot for what the film’s about and for us as independent filmmakers – I’ve been doing this now for 27 years, so it means a lot.” Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
MTV News looks back on the most moving speeches and those that left us cringing. By John Mitchell Jennifer Hudson at the 2007 Oscars Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images Delivering a good Oscar acceptance speech is not easy. If you over prepare, you seem arrogant, like you knew you were going to win all along, and if you aren’t ready for your name to be called, you’re almost certain to forget to thank your significant other or your film’s director. Some Oscar winners suffer from a serious case of the sniffles and leave audiences unsure what they even said, while others go off on tangents that have nothing to do with movies at all. In the end, though, it mostly just comes down to having that special something, that je ne sais quoi . And let’s face it, you’ve either got it or you don’t. Below are five stars we think nailed it when they were called onstage and five who, well, didn’t exactly charm viewers’ pants off on movies’ biggest night. Best Cuba Gooding Jr., Best Supporting Actor, “Jerry Maguire” (1998) Gooding’s acceptance speech is basically an exercise in pure joy. The actor leapt to the stage and earnestly thanked just about everyone he’s ever met, starting with his mother and God, and issued “I love you’s” to “Maguire” co-star Tom Cruise, director Cameron Crowe and pretty much everyone else who worked on the film. His genuine enthusiasm captured the crowd and earned him a standing ovation. Halle Berry, Best Actress, “Monsters Ball” (2002) History was made when Berry won the Best Actress statue — she was the first African American woman to claim the lead actress prize — and she honored the moment with an emotional speech that she dedicated to “every nameless, faceless woman of color who now has a chance after tonight because this door has been opened.” She thanked the actors and actresses of color who came before her and declared the moment “so much bigger” than herself. Her speech was an exercise in humility and surprise — two things most Oscar acceptance speeches could benefit from. Jennifer Hudson, Best Supporting Actress, “Dreamgirls” (2007) Hudson’s took home the Oscar for her very first film performance and delivered a simple acceptance speech that was probably most notable for how humble and truly surprised she seemed to hear her name called. Though she’d been a favorite throughout awards season that year, she seemed shocked when George Clooney announced that she’d won and stuttered and stumbled her way through her speech, but was sure to thank all those she needed to, from “Dreamgirls” director Bill Condon and her co-stars to her family, friends and Jennifer Holliday, who originated the role of Effie White on Broadway. Tom Hanks, Best Actor, “Philadelphia” (1994) Hank’s Oscar acceptance speech may well be the only one to have inspired a movie itself. His lengthy speech was marked by some traits we don’t always love — it certainly felt rehearsed — but the actor’s gratitude seemed genuine when he thanked his high school drama teacher, Rawley Farnsworth, as well as a former classmate, who he called “two of the finest gay Americans, two wonderful men.” There was only one problem: Farnsworth was still in the closet about his sexuality. The slip of the lip inspired the 1997 film “In & Out,” in which Kevin Kline plays a high school drama teacher outed when his former student (played by Matt Dillon) wins an Oscar. In a nice turn of events, the always lovely Joan Cusack earned an Oscar nomination herself playing Kline’s jilted fianc
Meet Otis the Oscar Cat, Movieline’s resident feline awards prognosticator. Like the majority of Academy members , he’s white, male, and owns a black tie; his tastes tend toward the traditional, although he’ll bite at the occasional tasty treat. To get an inside line on Sunday’s Best Picture winner, we consulted Otis for his Oscar picks — will the Academy Award go to The Artist , starring that rascally pup Uggie ? Or perhaps War Horse , by a nose? Presented with all nine Best Picture nominees — The Artist , The Descendants , Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close , The Help , Hugo , Midnight in Paris , Moneyball , Tree of Life , and War Horse — Otis weighed each film’s merits. Treats were involved, but don’t we all get a bit peckish when sorting out life’s big questions? As he considered the nominees with care and deliberation, Otis went back and forth between his favorites before landing firmly, and with no outside influence, on his ultimate selection. Otis is sure that his peers in the Academy went through a similar process with their vote. Otis the Oscar Cat considers the field of nominees. He’s drawn to War Horse , but… ” The Descendants , man. I do so adore Alexander Payne.” ” All the other cats loved The Help ; it ruined chocolate pie for me forever.” ” Hugo took me back to the whimsy of my youth, although those 3-D glasses are so very cumbersome.” “This is hard, isn’t it, shadow?” “Ooooh, Brad Pitt!” In the end, there is no contest. Otis picks The Artist with two paws up! “Berenice, mon amour!” Bonus pick: A Cat in Paris for Best Animated Feature! And with a beatific stare into the distance and a lock on this year’s kitty Oscar pool, Otis the Oscar Cat bids adieu until next year.
When the Academy announced its nominations last month for Best Animated Feature, two waves of surprise washed over Oscar watchers: Not only was Pixar left out in the cold for the first time in its history, but also two lesser-known films from abroad made the cut in the category: the noir-y French entry A Cat in Paris and the Spanish-language jazz-romance Chico and Rita . The directors of those films, along with Kung Fu Panda 2 helmer Jennifer Yuh Nelson, one of few female directors nominated this year, spoke with Movieline about the recognition from the Academy, technologies such as 3-D and motion capture, and their Oscar night excitement. So get to know three of the filmmakers from the animation community who could go home with a trophy on Sunday: For A Cat in Paris we have Alain Gagnol, who co-directed with Jean-Loup Felicioli, and for Chico and Rita we have Fernando Trueba, who directed along with Tono Errando and Javier Mariscal. (Fellow nominees Chris Miller [ Puss in Boots ] and Gore Verbinski [ Rango ] were not available to participate.) Animation nominees seem to have the most fun at the Academy Awards. What are you looking forward to most on Oscar Sunday? GAGNOL: Actually, Hollywood is the opposite of my world, so everything is amazing, incredible, and funny. But the most impressive part is to see, at the reach of my hand, some of my favorite directors. Scorsese and Spielberg gave me the desire to make movies. They gave me the strength to make my dreams come true. NELSON: I’m looking forward to a whole lot of people-watching. And going on a seriously cool date with the husband. TRUEBA: Well, being nominated is already a big prize for us. I didn’t know the animation nominees were supposed to have the most fun? How do you feel about the Best Picture category being expanded to nine films but having animation shut out? GAGNOL: For too many people, animated films are not genuine cinema. But I don’t think that is the problem here. I have to admit that without young children, most adults are not going to watch animated movies. They are concerned these films won’t have anything for them, and they will be bored. I also think that because there’s no such thing as a human face in animated cinema, seeing the actors and actresses in live-action films are very fascinating for the audience, and they may not think they have those celebrity images to relate to. NELSON: I think that the movies nominated are very deserving, and that the number spices it up. I would love to see animated films widen from a realm reserved for family entertainment and become just a technique used in all ranges of cinema. Once that happens, I think it will show up regularly in all categories. TRUEBA: I didn’t like it. To me [more nominations] is a wrong decision, and I don’t know anyone who prefers it this way. I think the most important prize has lost a lot of his charm. It’s almost impossible to know all of them. Too, too many. It’s much better [with] five. Do you see the Academy’s recent rule about motion-capture films as an attempt to emphasize traditional hand-drawn animation? GAGNOL: Computers are so useful that they tend to be everywhere. But they are perfect, and the limits of life are not an issue for them. Therefore, sometimes human beings seem to have been forgotten in the process. Hand-drawn animation is far from perfect but we can feel the sensitivity of the animator. But I don’t think that one kind of animation is better than the other one. After all, the most important thing is the story we want to tell. Computers are still not able to write stories. NELSON: The films chosen show a wide range of techniques, not just hand-drawn. Three of them are CG, so it’s nice to see that such different films were recognized. But computer or not, these films were created frame-by-frame by animators. Some mo-cap is so heavily worked by animators that it may as well be full animation. Whereas others are very automated. The question then becomes one of artistry. TRUEBA: Maybe, animation has today many different techniques and approaches. And it is not easy to dictate the rules now to such a complex field. But maybe something should be done. Several live-action and animated films nominated this year, including top nominee Hugo , were released in 3-D. In your view, does 3-D help or hurt a film’s chances of taking home an Oscar? GAGNOL: I’m not a great fan of 3-D movies. In my opinion, it doesn’t bring anything really interesting to cinema. A well-composed picture can give all the feelings needed by a story. When a movie is good, you already have the feeling of being a part of it. NELSON: 3-D is a cinematic tool that can be used or abused. Used well, it is a true enhancement of the film. I enjoy seeing the boundaries being pushed on how we can simulate an immersive experience. Like surround sound, immersive picture can really make you feel the film all the more. But it has to be done well. TRUEBA: I really hate 3-D. This stuff is invented every decade and after a while, people get bored of it. For me 3-D makes movies lose their nature. It’s just for children and people who go occasionally to movies. Real moviegoers don’t need 3-D. And personally I can’t see 3-D. I’m strabic !!! Maybe you can assist some moviegoers in filling out their ballots: Who will win for Best Animated Short film? GAGNOL: I’m sorry I can’t answer that question because I haven’t yet had the opportunity to watch these films. NELSON: Oh please, I may be working for some of these people someday. I don’t want any of them mad at me. TRUEBA: La Luna. Who is accompanying you to the ceremony? GAGNOL: As I am coming from France, I think my jet lag will be with me all along. NELSON: My sweet husband will be with me, making sure I don’t trip in my heels. Also, since DWA has two films nominated, there will be a posse of great people including Melissa Cobb the producer of KFP2 , and Raymond Zibach, the very talented production designer. TRUEBA: My friend and co-director of Chico and Rita , Javier Mariscal, and my wife and producer, Cristina. How are you following this film? What projects are in the works? GAGNOL: I am working on a new feature film. It’s also a thriller for children but with an additional fantasy aspect. I have already worked on the script for more than two years, and Jean-Loup has drawn the first pictures. The action takes place in New York. One of the great advantages of making animated movies, as directors, is that we can go everywhere from our drawing table. NELSON: I’m developing something, but it’s a secret at the moment. TRUEBA: I just finished a new movie, The Artist and the Model, my first movie in French, featuring Jean Rochefort, Aida Folch and Claudia Cardinale. MORE 2012 OSCAR ROUNDTABLES AND CHATS Best Cinematography Best Costume Design Best Documentary Feature Best Foreign-Language Feature
As the big night fast approaches, it’s time for another of Movieline’s virtual awards roundtables. Our Oscar nominees this time are up for Best Costume Design. They are (in alphabetical order):
Happy Oscar week! Time for another one of Movieline’s virtual awards roundtables , this time featuring nominated filmmakers behind this year’s contenders for Best Foreign-Language Feature. Meet our distinguished panel:
Happy Oscar week! Time for another one of Movieline’s virtual awards roundtables , this time featuring nominated filmmakers behind this year’s contenders for Best Foreign-Language Feature. Meet our distinguished panel:
Demi Lovato is now a role model and very proud of it. But it wasn’t always this way for the singer. In a trailer for Stay Strong – the MTV special airing on March 6 that will take viewers behind the scenes of Demi’s recent struggles and triumphs – the artist admits she had difficulty accepting her status as a celebrity at first. But her view has changed. “I have daily challenges, but so do many kids who are struggling to feel comfortable in their own skin,” she says. “If opening up and sharing my story inspires even one person to stay strong or to get the help they need, I’ve succeeded.” Watch the preview now and prepare to get to know Lovato like never before during this documentary. Stay Strong with Demi Lovato: MTV Special Preview
Demi Lovato is now a role model and very proud of it. But it wasn’t always this way for the singer. In a trailer for Stay Strong – the MTV special airing on March 6 that will take viewers behind the scenes of Demi’s recent struggles and triumphs – the artist admits she had difficulty accepting her status as a celebrity at first. But her view has changed. “I have daily challenges, but so do many kids who are struggling to feel comfortable in their own skin,” she says. “If opening up and sharing my story inspires even one person to stay strong or to get the help they need, I’ve succeeded.” Watch the preview now and prepare to get to know Lovato like never before during this documentary. Stay Strong with Demi Lovato: MTV Special Preview
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