Feb. 24 marked the 85th Academy Awards, when the best and the brightest in Hollywood gathered to celebrate the best and the brightest filmmaking of the year.
Leo with 'Manong Oscar' |
Sunday was Hollywood’s biggest spectacle final stretch. Mega-rich industry attendees descended from their hillside mega-mansions to sit inside the Dolby Theater in one-of-a-kind gowns and Prada tuxedos. It was true, the glare from their diamonds could blind you.
We’re hearing more and more about what kind of show to expect while covering the Oscar Week. Observers had been predicting who would bring home the Oscars even accredited media men from all over the world, your columnist included (US-based Boholano socialite Mikey Gatal who accompanied me spotted rising Thai actor Chaiyapol Julian Pupart who is Mario Maurer's co-star in movie Jan Dara and Spanish actress Sonia Monroy) had placed their own markers.
Everybody got a little piece of something. Argo, Les Miserables, Zero Dark Thirty and Lincoln were all touted as front-runners at one point or another.
Former Miss USA 2007 and Miss Universe 2007 4th runner-up and E! reporter Rachel Smith who's covering the Oscars for four years said that it was fantastic.
When she learned we're from Philippines, Rachel was all smiling. "I would love to visit the Philippines soon. I heard wonderful things about it. I met the kindness people from there and a little r and r. "
Mikey Gatal with Spanish diva Sonia Monroy |
ABC7's George Pennacchio told us earlier that the 85th Oscars was different from the past.
"It's gonna be surprises. I think it's a good show. I think America and the whole world would fall in love. it's the most prestigious red carpet of the year."
The Oscars have historically been the place to find the biggest dresses and even bigger fashion statements. We would ask, “who are you wearing?"
A number of designers and stylists offered their predictions for what we might see. On the red carpet was Filipino designer Alexis Monsanto who was KTLA Morning News' in-house Oscar fashion critic. He said that "every year is fantastic." Monsanto said his father came from Batuan, Bohol.
"They are classic timeless designs. Beautiful colors of turquoise of blue, I expect to see that," said Monsanto, who made the gown for Hollywood actress Kimberly Roberts.
Rachel Smith |
Another Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino dressed up actress Gloria Reuben for this year's Oscars.
Also reporting on the red carpet were Fil-Ams Yong Chavez of ABS-CBN North Bureau, film expert David Magdael and Inquirer's Ruben Nepales.
Oscars host Seth MacFarlane mocked Hollywood and embraced it. MacFarlane has the musician's edge too. He could do singing and dancing that the producers didn't have to force him to do. He delivered the kind of opening that gets a host invited back.
Sunday was the biggest night of Anne Hathaway' life. The actress made sure everyone knew of her enthusiasm for Les Mis , and she didn't let us forget it.
“It came true!” was Anne Hathaway’s opening speech.
We agreed Hathaway totally deserved that award. Even watching that tiny little clip of her Les Miserables song made us teary-eyed. Isn't it?
Alexis Monsanto |
But there's a woman who earned a place in our hearts forever. The talented and accident-prone Silver Linings Playbook actress Jennifer Lawrence who fell flat on her face.
Dressed in an off-white strapless Dior Haute Couture gown, a stunned Lawrence tripped over all that fabric. Thankfully, Lawrence recovered quickly, and managed to turn her awkward moment into a totally adorable one. "You guys are only standing up because you feel bad that I fell, and that's really embarrassing, but thank you," she told the audience as they gave her a standing ovation. It was pretty much perfect.
It was Lawrence's second major wardrobe malfunction. She accidentally hike up her blue Dior gown, revealing a sheer panel over her legs and making it look like her dress had ripped in half while climbing the stairs to accept her Golden Globe.
Jennifer Lawrence Courtesy: AMPAS |
Ang Lee, a humble and beloved figure in Hollywood, emphasized that the achievement of his film was not just about effects.
“I hope this award season thing help people recognize that it’s not just technology’s triumph, it served the purpose of our artistic expression,” he told reporters on the red carpet. “It’s actually the artistic approach that I think make it believable and amazing. It’s not just technology itself, it’s the handcrafts, it’s the heart of doing it.”
The Oscars were all about music this year. It featured Jennifer Hudson belting And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, Anne Hathaway singing One Day More passionately, and Catherine Zeta-Jones performing All That Jazz" bringing Chicago back to life. Some raised questions as to whether Zeta-Jones was lip-syncing.
Hudson inspired the entire Dolby Theater to deliver a standing ovation. Then the cast of Les Mis including Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, and Eddie Redmayne, took the stage with a medley that they wisely opened with the only original song from the score, Suddenly. Of course, they also decided to let Russell Crowe sing with them too.
Barbra Streisand sang The Way We Were as this year’s In Memoriam segment paying tribute to performers and artists like Ernest Borgnine, Nora Ephron, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jack Klugman, Tony Scott, Frank Pierson, Marvin Hamlisch, Hal David, the critic Andrew Sarris and Adam Yauch.
Lawrence and Hathaway Courtesy: AMPAS |
Film critics said that the win by Argo demonstrates the difference — when it comes to predicting Oscar winners — between earning critical acclaim and earning an Academy Award. Zero Dark Thirty may have won more plaudits from critics, but critics didn’t vote in the Oscar balloting.
In the Academy Awards, as in political elections, who votes, matters.
We can fall on every stage and still be graceful. Maybe we can take lessons from Jennifer Lawrence.
The Winners of Oscars 2013:
Picture-Argo
Actor in a Leading Role-Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Actress in a Leading Role-Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Director-Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Original Screenplay- Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino
Adapted Screenplay-Argo, Chris Terrio
Original Song- Skyfall, Skyfall
Original Score- Life of Pi, Mychael Danna
Production Design- Lincoln, Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson
Film Editing- Argo, William Goldenberg
Actress in a Supporting Role- Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Sound Editing- Zero Dark Thirty, Paul N.J. Ottosson
Sound Mixing- Les Misérables, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
Foreign Language Film- Amour, Austria
Documentary Feature- Searching for Sugar Man, Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn
Documentary Short Subject- Inocente, Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
Short Film, Live Action- Curfew, Shawn Christensen
Makeup- Les Misérables, Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell
Costume Design- Anna Karenina, Jacqueline Durran
Visual Effects- Life of Pi, Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
Cinematography- Life of Pi, Claudio Miranda
Animated Feature- Brave, Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
Short Film, Animated- Paperman, John Kahrs
Actor in a Supporting Role-Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Picture-Argo
Actor in a Leading Role-Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Actress in a Leading Role-Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Director-Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Original Screenplay- Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino
Adapted Screenplay-Argo, Chris Terrio
Original Song- Skyfall, Skyfall
Original Score- Life of Pi, Mychael Danna
Production Design- Lincoln, Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson
Film Editing- Argo, William Goldenberg
Actress in a Supporting Role- Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Sound Editing- Zero Dark Thirty, Paul N.J. Ottosson
Sound Mixing- Les Misérables, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
Foreign Language Film- Amour, Austria
Documentary Feature- Searching for Sugar Man, Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn
Documentary Short Subject- Inocente, Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
Short Film, Live Action- Curfew, Shawn Christensen
Makeup- Les Misérables, Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell
Costume Design- Anna Karenina, Jacqueline Durran
Visual Effects- Life of Pi, Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
Cinematography- Life of Pi, Claudio Miranda
Animated Feature- Brave, Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
Short Film, Animated- Paperman, John Kahrs
Actor in a Supporting Role-Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
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