The 2009 Academy Awards

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

The award for Best Supporting Actor follows the pattern established earlier with the Best Supporting Actress award. Alan Arkin stumbles over Philip Seymour Hoffman’s name and the sound is garbled. Joel Grey, Oscar-winning emcee of Cabaret, talks about Josh Brolin’s performance in Milk and underscores the need for a more tolerant world. Cuba Gooding Jr. announces another Jr.’s nomination and calls him out for wearing black face in the film Tropic Thunder. Christopher Walken introduces us to Michael Shannon because frankly who the heck is that guy!? Kevin Kline closes with a compliment to Heath Ledger’s performance.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt

Josh Brolin, Milk

Robert Downey Jr, Tropic Thunder

Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight * WINNER

Heath Ledger wins a posthumous Oscar for his dynamic portrayal of an entirely new Joker in The Dark Knight. His parents and sister accept the award. I thought it would be more tearful, but it was rather dull. Eh. Yeah. That award acceptance really does him no credit at all. They would each fail my theater class. Nice-looking family though.

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9:40pm CST

Bill Maher stepped up to honor the best in Documentaries. Documentary Feature went to Man on Wire. The little group behind that film really made me laugh. Philippe Petit, the subject of the documentary, started performing magic tricks (I mean, illusions) in a very endearing way during his speech. I like those guys. They can hang with me and Tim Gunn.

Documentary Short Subject went to Smile Pinki.

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A video tribute to Year in Action preceded Outstanding Visual Effects. Will Smith rose up from underneath the stage to present the Post Production awards. There are rarely single presenters, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Will Smith. He has presence and charisma and quite a way with words. On great effects teams: “They can take Brad Pitt and turn him into a garden gnome.” Benjamin Button wins Visual Effects.

• Benjamin Button – 3, Slumdog – 2. What a close match this is. Slumdog, underdog? They’re practically the same word and I cheer for both.

Sound Editing goes to The Dark Knight.

Sound Mixing goes to Slumdog Millionaire. Aw the sweet little man who is accepting this award seems so shocked and grateful. You know, there have been a lot of ‘when I was a kid, I never thought this would be possible’ kinds of speeches. It’s a nice change of pace from the Academy’s usual suspects. Humbling. Maybe change really is in the air.

Film Editing goes to Slumdog Millionaire.

• Benjamin Button – 3, Slumdog – 4.

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I’ve begun to lose track of time, not gonna lie, CST

Eddie Murphy – no, he’s not onstage to accept any awards for Meet Dave! – pays tribute to Jerry Lewis, who receives the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his years of dedication and service with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I didn’t know this fact prior to tonight, but Jerry Lewis has supported the MDA, hosting the yearly telethon, since its inception in 1966. I know he’s been working with the organization for a long time – who hasn’t heard of Jerry’s Kids? But I didn’t realize it’s been that long. Wow. How many young celebrities today are so committed to a cause?

Musical interlude. Sweet. Picture-go-fast! Maybe I can catch up a little.

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Two big names in music, albeit from completely different genres, took to the stage. Not to sing, sadly. Besides, Alicia Keys singing with Zac Efron? Puhhleeeze. That little boy could never keep up. Anyway, they’re announcing the music awards. Alicia has a really pretty mapinkta (magenta/pink) dress on. Don’t like the makeup though. Her face is done up like a spooky character from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Original Score goes to A. R. Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire.

• Benjamin Button – 3, Slumdog – 5.

Another musical interlude. Of the three original songs, two are from Slumdog Millionaire. That just seems weird, you don’t get those kinds of odds anywhere! Ooh, John Legend is singing! That man is dreamy. His voice is silky. Do you think he’s the modern Marvin Gaye?

Original Song – you guessed it. “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire. A.R. Rahman doesn’t know what to say. He seems surprised by this second award; he said everything in the first speech.

• Benjamin Button – 3, Slumdog – 6.

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Best Foreign Language Film goes to Japanese film Departures.

Why is Queen Latifah alone onstage? Oh, I see. She’s presenting the 2008 Obituaries. She seems way too happy to be honoring and respecting the dearly departed. But then she breaks into a smooth version of “I’ll Be Seeing You” as clips fill the background. What a lovely song … she wins me over. So many wonderful artists died this year, I’m tearing up.