Live Blog: 2009 Oscar Winners and Commentary
What's happening as it happens...
Here we are… the big night… the night I have been flapping my gums about since September 2008 when I launched The Contenders. You have either followed me along the way adding your thoughts and ideas to the prediction process or are brand new. Either way, welcome to a night of live blogging and instant winner announcements.
If you haven't checked the results from our Oscar prediction polls you are going to want to click here for the results as Slumdog Millionaire has been predicted by RopeofSilicon users to take home seven of its nine Oscar nominated categories.
As you can obviously see, in the right hand column I will have the winners listed as they are announced and I will also be
4:16:55 PM: It feels so wrong to be paying attention to this show this early, but I am prepped and ready to go and don't have any other prep work to do. So now I sit watching Ryan Seacrest interview Robert Pattinson… What fun!
4:18:13 PM: Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are giving Ryan the chat about… Broderick looks like he would rather die than be here as Parker gives the spiel on how she knows nothing about Sex and the City 2.
4:19:24 PM: Seth Rogen at the Oscars… he definitely deserves to be there more than Pattinson.
4:20:02 PM: Word is they are letting a few stars in through the backdoor so as to not spoil the surprise. Will the mysterious atmosphere around the presenters pay off?
4:21:35 PM: I should warn you now, I will be keeping tabs on the Wake Forest vs. Duke game that starts at 4:30. So be on the look out for periodic score updates throughout this live blog.
4:26:43 PM: Marisa Tomei is 45 and could pass for 25, what a gorgeous woman. By the way, Natalie Portman was shown and my goodness is that woman a bombshell.
4:28:07 PM: Wait, Mickey Rourke just said he has never been to the Oscars. Isn't that amazing?
4:31:31 PM: Queen Latifah is singing a song tonight during the In Memoriam moment. That'll be interesting, I don't think they have ever had singing over it.
4:32:58 PM: Already have some comments from Russia, Dominican Republic and DC… Love it… As for crashing the server… keep those fingers crossed I hope I took care of that this time around. Nice to see everyone back!
4:35:59 PM: Ron Howard just said the Arrested Development movie is "looking good".
4:36:54 PM: Evan Rachel Wood looks like someone that should have been acting in the '30s… she's really got that old school Hollywood look going.
4:38:25 PM: Angelina and Brad Pitt just showed up and E! is excited because they say they have the "first shot" of their arrival. Uh, does that matter?
4:43:32 PM: Kate Winslet is here and looking damn spiffy…
4:47:48 PM: Duke vs. Wake Forest is underway with Wake out with an early 2-0 lead.
4:53:43 PM: E! still employing Ben Lyons… How is that possible?
4:55:03 PM: Abandoning the E! coverage for a quick check on the Duke/Wake game then on over to the 30 minute build-up on ABC… It's almost time folks.
4:56:19 PM: Wake is up 13-11 on Duke… I still think Duke is going to take this one… Really wish the ACC and the Academy would have worked together on the timing of these two events.
5:00:18 PM: ABC coverage is underway, once the red carpet garbage is over I will toss in a page break and we can act like it never happened.
5:03:50 PM: ABC is just wishing everyone luck, not a lot of conversation going on here.
5:05:37 PM: Duke takes the lead 22-15… Can't believe I am watching Frank Langella talk about nothing instead of this game… that's dedication folks. Oh, and for Connor… die hard Heel fan right here too!
5:09:43 PM: Now ABC is chatting with Valentino… designer of the stars. Not that interesting.
5:10:56 PM: TONS of people from the Slumdog Millionaire cast are here. They have a massive podium holding them all.
5:13:23 PM: We all want Ledger to win, but just imagine if Downey won and came out in blackface to accept his Oscar. Just brainstorming here…
5:15:07 PM: Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgeons are here and it just doesn't feel like the Oscars. Miley just said Angelina Jolie is one of her "favorite people in all history". Huh?
5:17:56 PM: Duke is up 31-19 on Wake now. Maybe it won't matter I missed that game.
5:28:01 PM: Okay, here we go… commercial break and the show is coming back. Let's do a page break and forget the red carpet ever happened.
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Hi Brad
Let me be the first to join you and say how much I am looking forward to your blog and commentary. It should be a fun evening with maybe a couple of surprises
Good luck
Helen (DC)
Russia online and following!
What do you think, how soon till we all crush the server as on…. what was that? SAGs?
Hi Brad!
Live from Dominican Republic following all night long!
Here from Nova Scotia up in Canada, plan to follow you all night.
And as a die hard Tar Heels fan, I am obligated to say go Wake Forest!
Who is Pattinson?
Sitting here in Florida and watching tons of Oscar stuff from E! and TV Guide.
Finally now the show is starting and I must say the fashion stuff is really killing me.
I am enjoying, but lets get to the movies already. Don't care about Valentino!
Watching in Ireland here. In Bruges will win the original screenplay oscar, mark my words! Very underrated movie.
Logging in from India – Bangalore.. Meghana here. Was with you during the Golden Globes as well, completely enjoyed your updates…
Fingers crossed for Ledger and Slumdog Millionaire!
Undecided on Hathaway myself, her features are too big or something(mouth, eyes etc.), can't really put my finger on it.
Here from New York. Writing a research paper. You're a life saver! Love your commentary.
i like the way they're announcing the winners. it's nice for the performances to be discussed a bit. nice change i think.
indonesia's here, reading you too brad!
This announcing the noms thing is extremely annoying. And Hathaway is gorgeous.
What the eff is taking so long?
but it's a shame that this way they had to cut music performances down to a medley. that's lame.
I hope only the top categories are this long. The technical awards will probably be shorter.
And did someone just shout something during Cruz's speech? No hablo espanol.
watching from France…
Indian in UK and watching …
loving the new format… tina fey and steve martin for next years hosts…
i had adams for supporting… got wall-e for this one animated movie… no rocket science there…
well can t watch it so reading you
whats next?
Firstly..kisses you! Secondly..no that was everything ;)
Seriously..thanks for this..I feel at almost 28 I should be over the freaking out when I somehow can't see the big daddy award show but I'm thinking learn to live with it.
Slumdog kids killed me on the RC…Mickey made me cackle as usual and Kate..well I think I'm still dead. Mad as a hatter that I'm missing the show but this is sure the next best thing.
Hi Brad, so far I've guessed only the Supporting Actress Oscar wrong. Greetings from Manchester, England by the way.
Brad, you are good man. Real good.
These are not guesses, these are not predictions, these are foresights!
@Risa:
Oh Risa…he meant Robert Pattinson, the male heartthrob who plays "Edward Cullen" in the Twilight movie, of course!
Who else thinks the show this year is kinda dumb? I mean, most of the award shows are kinda dumb normally, but I find myself laughing AT this show, not with it, if you know what I mean.
@jacynth:
Jacynth – you can check out a running order for the awards at:
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Oscar-Presentation-Order-Revealed-12100.html
Brads actually predictions correct: 7-9 also just saw an interesting spot for The Soloist definitely will be nominated next year its got oscar bait written all over it.
@Vince
I've just checked him out on IMDb and I remain underwhelmed. Thanks for the info though, mate.
Brad, please tell me you thought Rebecca Hall was snubbed!
sorry but the last win went to slumdog… for which category?
OK never mind, the Apatow bit was friggin hilarious- I was dying when they started laughing at "The Reader".
Still though, show is a bit underwhelming IMO.
ahhhhhhh the hours score playin on the documentary montage. definintely one of the best scores of the century.
getting all moist eyed…. Heath Ledger truly deserved this honor
YeY for heath ledger… he deserved it and all this talk of if he were alive would he win it… i couldnt care less.. if he were alive we would have another fantastic return of the joker… it is a loss and oscar cannot begin to fill the gap left by tat talented actor… lovely speach too… RIP ledger
they used TheDarkKnight soundtrack to bring up will smith… and he is takinga shot at the oscars for snubbing the dark knight.
its a shame that hans zimmer is not nominated
When they showed the action montage, they used the main theme from "Cloverfield", I noticed. I still think that that movie had Special Effects that rival anything that was nominated this year, and it cost about $30 million or so to make. Just my two cents.
Oh, and I'm totally screwed for my Oscar pool/contests this year- "Slumdog" taking best Sound Mixing over "TDK", really??
"Departures" taking Best Foreign Language Film- certainly a (welcome) surprise there.
Oh, and Freida Pinto is gorgeous isn't she? I'm in love, and I hear she's single…sorry, that was in incredibly poor taste.
I need to go to the store, but I can't leave now! I'll miss the juicy stuff. Here's hoping for a rambling speech from Mr. Mickey Rourke!
Hey Brad, do you know any update on who's going to direct BEAT THE REAPER? I was thinking of either Danny Boyle or Fincher does it but only he(Fincher) makes sure that Brad Pitt won't get involved.
Umm…Shirley Maclaine is not going to be in Nine either.
Brad was probably thinking of Judi Dench.
Hmmm, I guess Daniel Day-Lewis wasn't interested in presenting?? All the others have had the 2008 winners amongst the 5…
First big disappointment of the evening – should have been Mickey
I'm glad I guessed right for the Best Actor!!!! Well deserved second Oscar for Sean Penn. My prediction for Best Picture was MILK but I won't have any objection if any of the other nominees win, well, maybe apart from The Curious Blah Blah.
Hey Brad – thanks for all the hard work, much appreciated – I liked the format with past winners presenting too
I guess now we start all over again….
I really don't think Slumdog Millionaire should have been as recognized as much as it was at all. Golden Globes, yes, because it's a Bollywood movie, but I really wasn't touched by the cliche movie as much as I was by Changeling or MILK.
It was a super bland show
Enjoyed the commentary tonight. And, yes, I enjoyed the show and the new format. Thanks very much for the good work !!!
Rgds, Kevin. Toronto, ON Canada
Headlines read -
Slumdog Poops all over the 81st Academy Awards
If I go by Brad's logic (in that the Short Film awards "don't count"), I'm 20 for 21!!! That's why I'm a bit disappointed overall though- it was fairly predictable, except for the Best Actor/Actress categories (and In all honesty, I just wanted to see Kate and Sean give awesome speeches- although Rourke would've been welcome as well).
So not all is lost for me! Good night everybody, catch ya'll on the flip side.
P.S. Robert Pattinson lurking behind Mickey had to be one of the highlights of the night for me easily- looked like he was about to bite a fool.
HEATH WON!!! HOORAY!!! he made history! :D
I'm sick of even hearing the words "Slumdog" or "Millionaire". I'm pissed that Eastwood didn't get nominated for director, Gran Torino and Changeling were in my top 5 favorite movies this year.
@Kent:
I totally agree, Kent. Completely disappointing. And I think Clint should have also been nominated for Best Original Score for Changeling. I can still hear the tune in my head. In the beginning, it sounded so hopeful and sweet, but at the end, it just sounded so sad and when a tune can take on both persona's, it really is "music" to me
@Vince: Very nice Vince! That's some quality prognosticating.
I was happy for everyone tonight who won, especially Justin Lance Black he seemed very passionate. I feel bad for Mickey but am completely content with sean penn because he was equally fantastic.
I loved Slumdog millionaire, however, 10years from now when I look back at 2008, the only movies that I will recollect with pure unadulterated joy will be Wall-E , and maybe TDK, The Class, and Let the Right One In.
Whoa, this had its tiny glitches here and there but overall it was a pretty great show(well, much better than what I expected-the five former winners coming out to honor the acting nominees is a great idea..for a new idea!)
I know some people are upset with the Slumdog and Milk wins but I'm not. Just watching the happiness and excitement of the Slumdog cast/crew and Dustin Lance Black as well as Penn's great opening for his speech made all those wins worth happening.
Hugh Jackman was a competent host, even if not on the same level as Billy Crystal-awesomeness.
I only wish Hellboy had won make-up over Button not only because HB deserved it but also because that would not have Button coming in sole second but tied with TDK and Milk. But that is a minor complaint. All in all, pretty satisfying for me.