2012 Academy Awards: Winners, Highlights And The Host


The 84th annual Academy Awards began on the red carpet and, once inside, swiftly shifted gears into the Billy Crystal show. And you’ve got to hand it to the nine-time host, despite his formulaic approach to the emceeing duties it’s a formula that has a certain familiar charm to it. The evening kicked off with Crystal’s traditional ‘The Year In Film’ bit, featuring cameo spots by Justin Bieber, George Clooney, Octavia Spencer and Tom Cruise.

As per his usual hosting routine, Crystal then launched into his monologue which was full of cringey old person jokes (most of which were at his own expense i.e. “just call me War Horse”), and the singing dancing component in which he introduced all the Best Picture nominees.

AUSTRALIAN/NEW ZEALAND OSCAR WINS To his obvious shock and delight, Australian Kirk Baxter won his second consecutive Academy award in the category of Best Editing for his work on David Fincher’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. He and editing partner Angus Wall won last year for another David Fincher film, The Social Network. Baxter told the press room: “We weren’t expecting this at all. This is a very absurd place to be standing.”

Congratulations also to Flight Of The ConchordsBret McKenzie who won in Best Original Song for “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets. When accepting the award, adorable Bret said: “Wow, thank you Academy. I grew up in New Zealand watching The Muppets on TV. I never thought I’d get to work with them. I was genuinely starstruck when I got to meet Kermit the Frog, but once you get to know him, he’s just a normal frog, and like many of the stars here, he’s a lot shorter in real life.”

Listen to the winning song, which is simultaneously moving and hilarious.

ANGELINA JOLIE’S LEG Angelina wore a leg-exposing Atelier Versace dress that inspired this leg-emphasising pose:
Having gained much attention, Angelina’s leg subsequently started a twitter account:

SACHA BARON COHEN VS RYAN SEACREST Enjoy watching Ryan Seacrest experience a professional wig out while attempting to interview a completely fictional person.

GEORGE CLOONEY FOR PREZ? Every time George Clooney speaks on camera it feels like he’s attempting a stealth entry into politics. He would make the most handsome US President since Tom Selleck played Dwight Eisenhower in the telemovie Ike: Countdown to D-Day

ALL THE WINNERS While there were no surprises in the major categories the winners were a deserving lot. Here’s the full list…

Best Picture
War Horse
The Artist *WINNER
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Aggie the dog from The Artist ZOMG:

Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady *WINNER
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Actor
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist *WINNER
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Director
Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist *WINNER
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore *WINNER
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Documentary Short Subject
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face *WINNER
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore *WINNER
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Best Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, Bridesmaids
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris *WINNER
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants *WINNER
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Beau Willimon and Grant Heslov, The Ides of March
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Music (Original Song)
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie *WINNER
“Real in Rio” from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett

Music (Original Score)
John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin
Ludovic Bource, The Artist *WINNER
Howard Shore, Hugo
Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
John Williams, War Horse

Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners *WINNER
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo *WINNER
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon

Best Animated Feature
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango *WINNER

Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated *WINNER

Sound Mixing
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo *WINNER
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon
War Horse

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo *WINNER
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon
War Horse

Film Editing
Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Kevin Tent, The Descendants
Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo *WINNER
Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo
Christopher Tellefsen, Moneyball

Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help *WINNER

Best Foreign Feature
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation *WINNER

Makeup
Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle, Albert Nobbs
Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, The Iron Lady *WINNER

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist *WINNER
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo *WINNER
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo *WINNER
The Tree of Life
War Horse

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