Well, that wasn’t exactly the most riveting Oscars hosting job by Billy Crystal, right? During most of the event, Kaiser, CB, and myself were talking about how boring Crystal was as a host. Although he tried in vain, he never seemed to gain any traction or momentum, which might be because this was his ninth time hosting the show. Let’s just blame this (like many other things) on James Franco, for I really felt that hiring Billy Crystal as host was the Academy’s knee-jerk reaction to the mess that was Franco and Anne Hathaway hosting last year’s event.
Anyway, The Artist rode all the way to the top last night with five Oscar wins. In the few days prior, The Artist cleaned up at the Cesars and the Independent Spirit Awards, and tonight’s additions take the final tally of awards for this movie past the eighty mark. As of tonight’s ceremony, The Artist also surpassed the Oscar record of 2007’s La Vie En Rose (the Edith Piaf biopic), which was the first French movie to win more than one Academy Award in a single Year. But that’s enough background for such a late hour.
The award for Best Picture was presented by Tom Cruise, who probably felt quite superior (in his sexy lifts) to be taller than someone — in this case, Uggie the dog — that was part of the group accepting the award. Here’s part of director Michel Hazanavicius’ acceptance speech:
“I want to say hi to my kids, and it’s six in the morning in Paris so you should go to bed in six seconds. I want to say to my wife, Berenice Bejo, that I love you. You inspired the movie, and you are the soul in the movie and the positive feeling in the movie. And I want to thank Billy Wilder. And I want to thank Billy Wilder. And I want to thank Billy Wilder.”
A bit earlier in the show, Best Director also went to Hazanavicius for The Artist as well. Here’s his first speech, which gave good shoutout to a certain canine:
“Thank you very much. I forgot my speech. I am the happiest director in the world right now. Thank you the academy. I’d like to thank the Weinstein Company, the cast … I want to thank all the crew. I want to thank UGGIE, the dog. I’m not sure he understands what I say, he’s not THAT good, but thank you. I want to thank the financier, the crazy person who paid for the movie …. life is full of grace, and grace is joy and happiness, and sometimes life is wonderful, and today is one of those days. Thank you for giving this to me. Thank you.”
Finally, here’s some Uggie the Dog pr0n. After tonight, Uggie is now retired from film due to a “mysterious shaking illness“! Poor Uggie. I hope he enjoys a long and relaxing retirement. Cute little bugger.
Photos courtesy of AllMoviePhoto and WENN
Well done, Harvey! Well done.
I don’t think The Artist should have swept all the categories like that. Director, Picture, Actor… Too much praise for a GOOD movie, but not an instant Classic.
Its definitely an indication of the power of Harvey Weinstein. Apparently, he wields a lot of power with the Academy’s old, white, rich, male voters. I wonder why…? Couldn’t have anything to do with the casting couches he controls, could it?
Is the Illuminati real?
what.
“The award for Best Picture was presented by Tom Cruise, who probably felt quite superior (in his sexy lifts) to be taller than someone — in this case, Uggie the dog — that was part of the group accepting the award”! You guys are too funny, exactly the reason why I read your blog on a daily basis. Funny and intelligent! Keep posting your hillarious comments!
Wow, so he was actually taller than the dog?
Ugh, French people.
the academy loves the french. i can’t recall any other foreigners ever getting as much love from them.
Canadians..
@rosalee the only people who like the french are french canadians and the only people who like the english are english canadians, to my observation 😛
Ugh, People Who Reduce An Oscar Winning Movie/Cast To A Snide Comment.
Wha? Why?
And your problem with french people is…. ? Not asking because I’m french but because I’m curious.
It isn’t really a french movie.
It was done in America with an american crew about America. Just the main actors and the director were really french.
It is more like a coproduction.
btw it seems billy crystal did too many racist jokes, i missed the beginning of the ceremony. i was never excited about him coming back and actually would have liked eddie murphy better. idk why everyone was so excited about having crystal back. even steve martin is a lot better
Agreed. When he made the joke about there being no black people in Beverly Hills, my jaw dropped. It wasn’t even funny; it was purely gratuitous. That was the only racist joke I noticed, though – what else did he say?
And btw, I really liked Steve Martin as host. *blushes*
he also made blackface at the beginning of the show or so i heard. and he made another black joke. it was simply disgusting. and steve martin is the man! classic comedian and writer whom nobody can hate!
Are we glossing over the nod to Polanski?…
The Artist…smh no one has ever in the history of film making never did a silent movie before *rolls eyes*
That header picture really makes him look like The Situation.
As long as The Help didn’t win, I’m fine. A movie that revolves around a poop-filled pie is best forgotten.
Hallelujah!
LOL! Second that. WTH with that?
The hosting fiasco reminds me Stephen Colbert decimating George W. and being replaced with Rich Little.
Or the years following Nipplegate.
Well, I realized two days ago that I’ve seen absolutely zero of the films this year, so I didn’t bother to watch, but am I to assume that Crystal parodied the Best Picture nominees by re-shooting key scenes, filling the lead roles and placing other actors in to they can get all jocular with the mugging and the winking to the camera? Fresh.
It’s all been downhill since Jodie Dallas.
I thought of them the whole night ( I’m french) and I was so happy he won ! Felicitations Jean !
“The Artist” winning seemed like a bit of an anti-climax, don’t you think? Nobody in the audience seemed too thrilled that it won, there was no great applause.
Same thing goes for Dujardin winning Best Actor. Seemed to me like nobody was cheering too hard. All the other three winning actors got standing ovations, whereas he just received polite claps. Did anybody see it that way too or am I just reading too much into it? o_0
I guess you are right. That’s the way it is when someone with real talent defeats all those cheesy Hollweirds a** licking arses.
They were all pissed because he is a foreign actor and a real one.
The movie is French and won 5 prizes so I guess that was too much foreign winners for the Oscar audience to handle. LOL.
I’m not French, but I’m not American either, or British for that matter. But as an European who’s generally exposed to European cinema and who doesn’t view foreign films as something alien (seeing as 99% of the movies I’ve seen are ‘foreign’ to me), I also felt that The Artist’s, and especially Dujardin’s win were sort of.. anti-climatic. I liked The Artist, but it didn’t thrill me and cute dogs don’t pull my heart strings either. I can live with The Artist’s Oscar, still. What I can’t live with is Dujardin’s Oscar. There were far more deserving nominees in the lineup.
So I hardly think this has to do with the fact that it’s a ‘foreign’ film.
Danziger: totally agree with everything you wrote.
@Danzinger: I totally and absolutely agree with you!
It is a pleasant movie but not tremendous as was Jean Dujardin’s acting in it.
I feel like Gary Oldman (who was the most desserving one in this category to me) was robbed.
Oh and I am French 😉
I haven’t seen the ceremony, but it could be because it was a French (non-American) movie and actor? Both of them being expected? Maybe the audience was not surprised, didn’t was particulary thrilled because they don’t know the winners much.
I still remember when Roberto Benigni won 3 awards (Best Actor, Best Foreign Picture, Best Soundtrack for Piovani) for La vita è bella, he made such a good show – thanks also to Sophia Loren – and everybody was cheering…
I’ll take a stab: 1) Hollywood is a community. They don’t share a history with outsiders they’ve never heard of. This is the reason Octavia Spencer got big cheers, cos she’s one of them and has been for a long time. Johnny Come Latelys (or Jean-…) are like the foreign student who sweeps in and scoops up coveted awards, before they’ve been in the exchange program long enough to make meaningful friendship with everyone. 2) It’s anti-climactic and foregone conclusion, when the movie and Dujardin picked up truckloads of awards all the way up to the Oscars. No matter how much we want Oldman/Fassbender/ Shannon et al to win some deserved gongs, all the major awards from BAFTA to SAG to GG tipped hats to Dujardin. Did Harvey W. really have all their whores on speed-dial and forgot to pull this feat for Collin Firth last year, or are awards voters just anti-intellectual and simply fall for what tickles their fancy?
I’m glad that Uggie won
Team Uggie all the way
Yes! Oui! Woof!
Uggie is like “Whatever bitches, I’m hotter than all of you”
Lol!
he is -_-
CONGRATS JEAN !!
You were the best by far and even if France your own country didn’t acknowleged your talent, you won the oscar you deserved ! France cesars can be ashamed of themselves !
A fantactic victory for an amazing actor !
Billy Crystal sucked…I read somewhere that Jim Carrey wanted to host but the Oscar people didn’t want him…Personally, I think Jim would have been a much funnier host…and I am done with the Oscars…these idiots act like they all invented the cure for cancer…they only one I loved was Chris Rock. He said he shows up, says his line and gets paid a million bucks…Plus, I am sick of these boring movies winning…last years the Kings Speech, and now the Artist…fuggedaboutit!!!!
That’s a different dog in the last picture?
lol, my thought exactly!
I should’ve refreshed this page in the last hour, before I made a comment XD
I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but it’s really a different dog isn’t it?
Does anybody know the woman in the fourth picture holding Uggie (who’s licking Jean’s face?)
Missi Pyle?
Thank you!
There are different doggies in the pictures.
Does Uggie have a stand-in?
Billy was Ok but he’s done this same schtick over and over (movie montage, then sing and dance). Not his fault though, he’s a pro. The writers should have come up with better script/spiels. Chris Rock wrote his own jokes that’s why he hit the spot. So many jokes from the other presenters were predictable.
I haven’t seen Hugo, Iron Lady and Descendants. My choice for best film would go to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
bien joué, bien fait, dujardin.
mais, oui!
The woman in the picture with Uggie is Missi Pyle who plays Constance in The Artist. The last picture is from the premiere in Berlin and the dog is not Uggie but rather Archie. Uggie has a brother Dash who looks a lot like him but doesn’t have the brown mark on the top of his head. Dash will supposedly be taking over some of Uggie’s acting duties in the future. Go Uggie!