Next Oscar host: Hugh Jackman as show producers decide to bypass stand-up comedians
Hugh Jackman, whose box office disappointment Australia has thus far been all but completely ignored this awards season, will host the Oscar 2009 ceremony on Feb. 22.
As per Brooks Barnes in the New York Times, Oscar telecast producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon “said they hoped to achieve multiple goals with the casting of Mr. Jackman. First, there is a desire to put more movie in the annual movie business extravaganza. Jon Stewart and Ellen DeGeneres, recent hosts, are both primarily known as television stars.”
Mark and Condon also decided to keep their distance from stand-up comedians.
“We are trying to get away from this late-night talk show rut,” Mark told the Times. “It seemed to us that we needed to turn a corner and get somebody who is, imagine that, a movie star.”
Hugh Jackman movies
The New York Times piece adds that Hugh Jackman’s selection “is also an attempt to play to the audience at home, which has been shrinking in recent years. Viewers of the ceremony are overwhelmingly female – the Oscars are known in the advertising world as the Super Bowl for women – and producers clearly expect Mr. Jackman to turn out that demographic in droves.”
Among the Sydney-born actor’s screen credits are The Prestige, The Fountain, Van Helsing, Kate & Leopold, and X-Men and its sequels.
In the U.S., the Oscarcast will be televised by ABC.
Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky. The star of Mike Leigh’s British indie Happy-Go-Lucky, Sally Hawkins has won three more Best Actress awards by way of the Boston Society of Film Critics, the New York Film Critics Online, and the Satellite Awards. The Los Angeles and New York Film Critics’ Best Actress choice as well, Hawkins is all but assured an Academy Award nomination.
Sean Penn & Mickey Rourke Best Actor Tie
In other awards season news, the 2008 Boston Society of Film Critics winners were announced on Dec. 14. Notably, Sean Penn (Milk) and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) were the two Best Actors, while Danny Boyle’s sleeper hit Slumdog Millionaire and Andrew Stanton’s animated blockbuster WALL-E shared the Best Picture award.
The Boston critics’ Best Director, however, was Gus Van Sant for both Milk and Paranoid Park.
Sally Hawkins, for her part, reprised her New York and Los Angeles Best Actress wins.
Hawkins, Penn, and Slumdog Millionaire also topped the New York Film Critics Online awards.
Below are listed the winners of various awards from around the globe:
- Boston Society of Film Critics.
- New York Film Critics Online.
- Havana Film Festival.
- Satellite Awards (partial list of winners & nominees).
- Asian Festival of 1st Films.
Boston Society of Film Critics winners
Best Picture (tie): Slumdog Millionaire & WALL-E.
Best Foreign Language Film: Let the Right One In, dir.: Tomas Alfredson.
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky.
Best Actor (tie): Sean Penn, Milk & Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler.
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight.
Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Best Director: Gus Van Sant for Milk & Paranoid Park.
Best Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk.
Best Ensemble Cast: Tropic Thunder.
Best Animated Film: WALL-E.
Best Documentary: Man on Wire, dir.: James Marsh.
Best Cinematography: Christopher Doyle & Rain Kathy Li, Paranoid Park.
Best Film Editing: Chris Dickens, Slumdog Millionaire.
Best New Filmmaker: Martin McDonagh, In Bruges.
New York Film Critics Online Awards
The 2008 New York Film Critics Online winners were announced on Dec. 14.
Best Film: Slumdog Millionaire.
Top Ten Films (in alphabetical order)
Che.
A Christmas Tale.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
The Dark Knight.
Happy-Go-Lucky.
Milk.
Rachel Getting Married.
Slumdog Millionaire.
WALL-E.
The Wrestler.Best Foreign Language Film: 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days, dir.: Cristian Mungiu.
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky.
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk.
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight.
Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Best Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire, Simon Beaufoy.
Best Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire, Anthony Dod Mantle.
Best Documentary: Man on Wire.
Best Animated Feature: WALL-E.
Best Director: Danny Boyle (with Loveleen Tandan), Slumdog Millionaire.
Best Score: Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman.
Best Ensemble Performance: Milk.
Best Breakout Performance: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky.
Best Debut as Director: Martin McDonagh, In Bruges.
Havana Film Festival Awards
The 2008 Havana Film Festival of New Latin America Cinema was held between Dec. 2–12. Set in Santiago during the repressive 1970s, Pablo Larraín’s Tony Manero follows a man (murderously) obsessed with John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever disco-dancing character.
Feature Films
First place
Tony Manero, Pablo Larraín, Chile.Second place
Linha de Passe, Walter Salles & Daniela Thomas, Brazil.Third place
El Cuerno de la Abundancia, Juan Carlos Tabio, Cuba.Special jury award
Leonera, Pablo Trapero, Argentina.Honorable mention
La Buena Vida, Andrés Wood, Chile.Best director
Albertina Carri, La Rabia, Argentina.Best screenplay
Arturo Arango & Juan Carlos Tabio, El Cuerno de la Abundancia, Cuba.Best actor
Alfredo Castro, Tony Manero, Chile.Best actress
Sandra Corveloni, Linha de Passe, Brazil.Cinematography
Serguei Saldivar, Desierto adentro.Editing
Gustavo Giani, Livia Serpa, Linha de Passe, Brazil.Art direction
Graciela Oderigo, Leonera, Argentina.Original music
Fernando Moura & Marcos Suzano, Mare, Nossa História de Amor, Brazil.Soundtrack
Rufino Basavilbaso & Francisco Adrianzen, Dioses, Peru.Documentaries
First place
Los Herederos, Eugenio Polgovsky, Mexico.Second place
El Diario de Agustin, Ignacio Aguero, Chile.Third place
Stranded: Vengo de un Avión Que Cayó en las Montañas, Gonzalo Arijon, Uruguay.Special jury prize
Intimidades de Shakespeare y Victor Hugo, Yulene Olaizola, Mexico.Honorable mention
The Illusion, Susana Barriga, Cuba.Short Fiction
First place
Tierra y Pan, Carlos Armella, Mexico.Honorable mention
Hoy No Estoy, Gustavo Taretto, Argentina.Musicals
First place
Parque via, Enrique Rivero, Mexico.Second place
Mutum, Sandra Kogut, Brazil.Third place
Acne, Federico Veiroj, Uruguay.Special prize for artistic contribution
Perro Come Perro, Carlos Moreno, Colombia.Honorable mention
Filmefobia, Kiko Goifman, Brazil.Animation
First place
El Empleo, Santiago Bou Grasso, Argentina.Second place
Val Paraiso, Pablo Alibaud Hortal, Chile.Third place
Dossie Re Bordosa, Cesar Cabral, Brazil.Honorable mention
Titiri-we, el Canto de la Noche, Viveca Baiz, Venezuela.Satellite Award winners
The 2008 International Press Academy’s Satellite Award winners were announced on Dec. 14.
Motion Picture, Drama
The Reader.
* Slumdog Millionaire.
Revolutionary Road.
Frost/Nixon.
Milk.
Frozen River.Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
* Happy-Go-Lucky.
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Tropic Thunder.
In Bruges.
Choke.Motion Picture, Foreign Language Film
Let the Right One In, Sweden.
The Class, France.
Sangre de mi Sangre, Argentina.
Reprise, Norway.
* Gomorrah, Italy.
Caramel, Lebanon / France.Motion Picture, Animated Or Mixed Media
The Tale of Despereaux.
Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!.
* WALL-E.
Bolt.
Waltz with Bashir.
The Sky Crawlers.Motion Picture, Documentary (tie)
* Man on Wire.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell.
Encounters at the End of the World.
Religulous.
* Anita O’Day The Life of a Jazz Singer.
Waltz with Bashir.Director
Thomas McCarthy, The Visitor.
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon.
Gus Van Sant, Milk.
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight.
* Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire.
Stephen Daldry, The Reader.Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Melissa Leo, Frozen River.
* Angelina Jolie, Changeling.
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married.
Kristin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved You So Long.
Meryl Streep, Doubt.
Kate Winslet, The Reader.Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler.
Mark Ruffalo, What Doesn’t Kill You.
* Richard Jenkins, The Visitor.
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road.
Sean Penn, Milk.Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
* Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky.
Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!.
Lisa Kudrow, Kabluey.
Kat Dennings, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
Catherine Deneuve, A Christmas Tale.
Debra Messing, Nothing Like the Holidays.Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
* Ricky Gervais, Ghost Town.
Sam Rockwell, Choke.
Josh Brolin, W.
Michael Cera, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges.
Mark Ruffalo, The Brothers Bloom.Actress in a Supporting Role
* Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married.
Penélope Cruz, Elegy.
Anjelica Huston, Choke.
Sophie Okonedo, The Secret Life of Bees.
Emma Thompson, Brideshead Revisited.
Beyoncé Knowles, Cadillac Records.Actor in a Supporting Role
* Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road.
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder.
Rade Sherbedgia, Fugitive Pieces.
James Franco, Milk.
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt.Screenplay, Original
Philip Roth, Elegy [actually Nicholas Meyer; Roth wrote the novel The Dying Animal, from which the “original screenplay” was adapted].
* Thomas McCarthy, The Visitor.
Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River.
Baz Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan, Australia.
Dustin Lance Black, Milk.Screenplay, Adapted
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt.
* Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon.
David Hare, The Reader.
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire.
Justin Haythe, Revolutionary Road.Cinematography
Jess Hall, Brideshead Revisited.
Gyula Pados, The Duchess.
* Mandy Walker, Australia.
Tim Orr, Snow Angels.
Tom Stern, Changeling.
Claudio Miranda, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.Film Editing
* Matt Chessé, Richard Pearson, Quantum of Solace.
Dan Lebental, Iron Man.
Lee Smith, The Dark Knight.
Dody Dorn, Michael McCusker, Australia.
Chris Dickens, Slumdog Millionaire.
Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill, Frost/Nixon.Original Score
David Arnold, Quantum of Solace.
Thomas Newman, WALL-E.
John Powell, Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who!.
* A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire.
David Hirschfelder, Australia.
Danny Elfman, Milk.Original Song
* “Another Way to Die” Jack White, Quantum of Solace.
“If the World” Guns N Roses, Body of Lies.
“Down to Earth” Peter Gabriel, WALL-E.
“By the Boab Tree” Angela Little, Felix Meagher, Baz Luhrmann, Anton Monsted, and Schuyler Weiss, Australia.
“Jai Ho” A.R. Rahman and Gulzar, Slumdog Millionaire.
“The Wrestler” Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler.Television
Miniseries
John Adams.
* Cranford.
The Last Enemy.Motion Picture Made for Television
The Memory Keepers Daughter.
Bernard and Doris.
God on Trial.
Recount.
* Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story.
“24” Redemption.Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
* Judi Dench, Cranford.
Laura Linney, John Adams.
Susan Sarandon, Bernard and Doris.
Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun.
Julie Walters, Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story.
Jacqueline Bisset, An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving.Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
* Paul Giamatti, John Adams.
Kevin Spacey, Recount.
Tom Wilkinson, Recount.
Ralph Fiennes, Bernard and Doris.
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Last Enemy.
Stellan Skarsgard, God on Trial.Actress in a supporting role in a series, miniseries or motion picture made for television
Laura Dern, Recount.
Sarah Polley, John Adams.
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies.
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment.
Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy.
* Fionnula Flanagan, Brotherhood.Actor in a supporting role in a series, miniseries or motion picture made for television
Jimmy Smits, Dexter.
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages.
John Slattery, Mad Men.
John Noble, Fringe.
* Nelsan Ellis, True Blood.
Harvey Keitel, Life on Mars.Television Series, Drama
Brotherhood.
In Treatment.
Mad Men.
Primeval.
Life on Mars.
* Dexter.Actress in a Series, Drama
* Anna Paquin, True Blood.
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace.
Glenn Close, Damages.
Kathryn Erbe, Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters.
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer.Actor in a Series, Drama
* Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad.
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment.
Michael C. Hall, Dexter.
Jon Hamm, Mad Men.
David Tennant, Doctor Who.
Jason Isaacs, Brotherhood.Television Series, Comedy or Musical
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
30 Rock.
Pushing Daisies.
* State of the Union.
The Colbert Report.
Skins.Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical
* Tracey Ullman, State of the Union.
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty.
Tina Fey, 30 Rock.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine.
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?.
Mary Louise Parker, Weeds.Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies.
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock.
David Duchovny, Californication.
Danny Devito, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
* Justin Kirk, Weeds.
Jonny Lee Miller, Eli Stone.Mary Pickford Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to the Entertainment Industry
Louis Gossett Jr.Tesla Award in Recognition Of Visionary Achievement in Filmmaking Technology
Rick Baker.Auteur Award
Baz Luhrmann.Best Ensemble, Motion Picture
Before The Devil Knows Youre Dead.Best Ensemble, Television
Brotherhood.Outstanding New Talent
Brandon Walters.Asian Festival of 1st Films Awards
The 2008 Asian Festival of 1st Films was held fromDec. 4–10 in Singapore. Actress-turned-director Nandita Das’ Firaaq mixes political, religious, and personal conflicts following the 2002 Hindu-Muslim clashes in Gujarat.
Best Film.
* Firaaq.Best Producer (tie).
* A Decade of Love, Tam, Ho Hon William and Angel Hon, Hong Kong.
Khastegi (Sex My Life), Bahman Motamedian, Iran.
* Little Zizou, Dinaz Stafford, Sooni Taraporevala, Vandana Malik, India.
Pisay, Auraeus Solito, The Philippines.
The Mountain & the Song, Liu Dingyi and Luo Mansi, China.Best Documentary.
* Attitude, Blackie Chen, Taiwan.
Black Mountain, Amin Salim Hajee, India.
Wade in the Water, Linette Etheredge, Australia.
You Wanted to Make a Film, Gali Weintraub, Israel.Best Director
Firaaq, Nandita Das, India.
Ganglamedo, Dai Wei, China.
Little Zizou, Sooni Taraporewala, India.
* Ploning, Dante Nico Garcia, The Philippines.Best Documentary Director
Agrahara a Lament, Maharaja Sivnandan, India.
Bullets and Butterflies, Sushmit Ghosh, India.
* Peeking Through Chungking Mansions, Bill Yip, Hong Kong.
Married to a Palestinian, Michael Kovensky, Israel.
Svetlana About Svetlana, Lana Parshina, U.S.Best Actor
Khastegi (Sex My Life), Bahare Ghavibal, Iran.
Khuda Ke Liye, Fawad Afzal Khan, Pakstan.
Little Zizou, Jahan Bativala, India.
* My Magic, Bosco Francis, Singapore.
Rock On, Farhan Akhtar, India.
The Mountain the Song, Hao Lihong, China.Best Actress
Khuda Ke Liye, Imnan Ali, Pakistan.
Khastegi (Sex My Life), Abozar Asgharnejad, Iran.
Little Zizou, Iyanah Bativala, India.
Miss Gold Digger, Han Ye Seul, Korea.
* The Mountain the Song, Jia Xuhua, China.Best Screenplay
Khuda Ke Liye, Shoaib Mansoor, Pakistan.
Ploning, Dane Nico Garcia, Benjamin Lingan, The Phillipines.
Summer 2007, Bijesh Jayarajan, India.
* Firaaq, Nandita Das, India.Best Cinematographer or Editor
The Emperor, Adrian Lai (Cinematographer), Malaysia.
* Khuda Ke Liye, David Le May, Ken Seng (Cinematographer), Pakistan.
Black Mountain, Amin Salim Hajee (Cinematographer), India.
Give Me Strength (Vallamai Thaaraayo), Vijay Venkataramanan (Editor), India.Best Short Film
My Keys, Ting Szu Kiong, Singapore.
* The Great Identity Swindle, Nikesh Shukla, U.K.
505, Juhi Jaferii, Komail Naqvi, Taimoor Tariq, U.K.
A Sting (Dansh), Ajay Rohilla, India.
notes/references
Sally Hawkins Happy-Go-Lucky image: Thin Man Films.
“Hugh Jackman Oscar Host + Surprising Best Actor & Best Picture Ties + Sally Hawkins Academy Award Fave?” last updated in August 2018.