Hollywood celebrates its early years, with black-and-white silent film sweeping Academy Awards


LOS ANGELES ― “The Artist,” a black-and-white homage to the early days of Hollywood, was named best picture at the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday. Directed by Michel Hazanavicius, it is the first essentially silent film to win best picture since “Wings” won at the first Oscar ceremony in 1929.

Meryl Streep won the Oscar ― and a standing ovation ― for her uncanny portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for “The Iron Lady.”

Streep has been nominated 17 times, more than any other performer. But she’s won only three Oscars, and the last time was 29 years ago for lead actress in “Sophie’s Choice.” Streep looked shocked when her named was called, especially because Viola Davis was considered the front-runner for “The Help.” Davis hugged Streep before the latter headed up to receive her Oscar.

It was a good night for the French. For the first time in Academy Awards history, a French actor and a French filmmaker took the academy’s top acting and directing awards ― for “The Artist.”

Jean Dujardin won best actor for his role in the black-and-white silent film about Hollywood’s rocky transition to the “talkies,” which left many actors behind. Moments earlier, Michel Hazanavicius won directing honors.

“I love your country!” Dujardin said. In the film, he plays a famous silent film star whose career tanks when talkies take over Hollywood.

Dujardin and Hazanavicius are household names in France but unknown to American audiences until “The Artist” opened in theaters in the United States late last year and began sweeping up during the awards season. On Saturday, both men won the trophies in their respective categories at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.

“The Artist” went into the 84th Academy Awards with 10 nominations. It won five, including costume design and original score. Conventional wisdom had pitted it against “Hugo,” Martin Scorsese’s valentine to cinema. That film scored 11 nominations and also won five Oscars, for technical awards: cinematography, art direction, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects.

Earlier, Angelina Jolie came perilously close to flashing the audience when she strutted onstage in a black gown with a thigh-high slit. As it that wasn’t enough, she leaned back into a pose that exposed that same slender thigh, leaving little for the imagination and drawing a collective gasp from the audience.

She was there to hand out two Oscars. One was for adapted screenplay, to Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash for “The Descendants.” The other went to Woody Allen. It marked his fourth Academy Award, and third for original screenplay, for his romantic comedy “Midnight in Paris.” It was his first Oscar in 25 years, when he won in this category for 1986’s “Hannah and Her Sisters.” Of course, the notoriously awards shy Allen was not present to collect the trophy.

In another win for the history books, Christopher Plummer became the oldest person ever ― at 82 ― to win an acting Oscar. He took the trophy for supporting actor playing a widower who comes out of the closet in “Beginners.”

“You’re only two years older than me, darling, where have you been all my life?” the debonaire Plummer said Sunday night as he held aloft the statuette. He joked that he has spent his life rehearsing his acceptance speech. “I’m so proud to be in your company,” he said to his fellow nominees. Plummer’s win seemed preordained: He has dominated this awards season in the category.

Octavia Spencer won supporting actress ― and a remarkable standing ovation ― for playing a sassy maid who takes delicious revenge in the 1960s-era drama “The Help.”

“Thank you, world!” said Spencer, who was crying and shaking as she accepted the award. The movie based upon the bestselling novel about the lives of black domestics in the pre-Civil Rights-era South has turned Spencer from character actress into a star since she has won the lion’s share of awards this season. She was so overcome she had to be helped onstage by the film’s writer-director, Tate Taylor, to a long and boisterous ovation from the star-studded audience.

The night kicked off with Billy Crystal returning as host for the ninth time after far too long of an absence.

Crystal hasn’t hosted since 2004 ― and he wasn’t even supposed to host this year. It was supposed to be Eddie Murphy. But Murphy quit, following producer-director Brett Ratner out the door. Ratner had been tapped to produce the Oscars along with Don Mischer but Ratner was ousted after he was caught using a gay slur.

The show opener played off this riff, starting with a mock torture scene in which Crystal was forced to take on the role as host. That catapulted him into scenes from some of the top nominated movies of the year ― and a lip lock with George Clooney and a chance meeting with Tom Cruise. That followed with a song-and-dance medley poking gentle fun of all the best picture nominees ― as well as a jab at the show itself: Nothing takes the sting out of these tough economic times like watching a bunch of millionaires giving golden statues to each other, he said.

Only one other person has hosted Hollywood’s biggest night more time than Crystal ― Bob Hope. Hope did it 18 times, so Crystal has a ways to go to break that record.

By Susan King and Rene Lynch

(Los Angeles Times)

(MCT Information Services)