by Athena Voulgaropoulos

The 81st Academy Awards came and went. The big winner, as predicted, was Slumdog Millionaire. Slumdog took home eight awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Kate Winslet won the Oscar for Best Actress. Penelope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress. Heath Ledger’s family accepted his posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The only real surprise of the night came during the award for Best Actor, which went to Sean Penn. Even Penn himself seemed surprised that Mickey Rourke’s name wasn’t called.

There seemed to be a lot more heart during these Oscars than in previous years. There were many first-time winners and a diverse group of winners altogether. Best Supporting Actress winner Penelope Cruz set the tone with a heartfelt story of growing up with nothing, never believing something like an Oscar would be possible. When winners paid tribute to their fellow nominees, it never felt like lip service. Even the presentations for the acting categories focused on praise and inspiration, not competition. What a bunch of hippies!

That said, save the singing and dancing for the Tony Awards. Hugh Jackman, I want Jon Stewart back. For a full accounting of Oscar night, read on.

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Categories: Awards Shows by Athena
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Tags: Academy Awards, Anne Hathaway, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Brad Piit, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Danny Boyle, Doubt, Frost/Nixon, Hasidic Meth Lab, Heath Ledger, Hugh Jackman, Jack Black, Kate Winslet, Kunio Kato, Live Blog, Mickey Rourke, Milk, Oscars, Penelope Cruz, Pineapple Express, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Seacrest, Sean Penn, Slumdog Millionaire, The Dark Knight, The Musical is Back, The Reader, The Wrestler, Tim Gunn, Tina Fey, Tropic Thunder, Vicky Cristina Barcelona