‘Slumdog Millionaire’ wins eight Academy Awards

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ won an incredible eight Academy Awards.
The film scooped the coveted Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay
prizes, while Danny Boyle was named Best Director at the ceremony, held at
Los Angeles’ Kodak Theatre.
Danny was thrilled to win the accolade and gave an enthusiastic acceptance
speech where he thanked cast, crew, his family and the people of Mumbai,
where the film is set.
He was also full of praise for the organisers, saying: “I don't know what it
looks like on television, but in the room, it's b****y wonderful.”
Kate Winslet – who has previously been nominated for an Oscar five times –
was awarded the Best Actress prize for her role in ‘The Reader’.
Accepting her accolade, she joked she wrote her first Oscar acceptance
speech when she was eight while looking into the bathroom mirror.
Catching her breath, she said: “This would have been the shampoo bottle.
Well, it's not a shampoo bottle now! I feel fortunate to have made it from
there to here!”
Earlier in the evening, Kate – who was criticised for her gushing speech
after she won two prizes at this year’s Golden Globe Awards – revealed she
had asked her eight-year-old daughter Mia for help writing a speech.
She explained: “I said to my daughter, 'If I did win the big prize, what do
you think I should say?' And she said, 'I just think you should be really
crazy and emotional'. I thought, 'You're no good.' "
Sean Penn was named Best Actor for his portrayal of gay politician Harvey
Milk in biopic ‘Milk’, and joked the Academy was a group of “commie, homo
loving sons of guns!”
Heath Ledger – who died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in
January last year – won the Best Supporting Actor accolade for his role as
The Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’, with his family taking to the stage to
accept it.
Penelope Cruz picked up the best Supporting Actress prize for ‘Vicky
Cristina Barcelona’, and took the opportunity to heap praise on the film’s
director Woody Allen.
She said: “I'm going to go call Woody right now. I call Woody sometimes to
just say hello and I adore him. I think he's so funny and charming and so
peculiar and unique. And of course, today I have to talk to Woody to thank
him."
Attendees included Freida Pinto and her ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Dev Patel,
Sharon Stone, Beyonce Knowles, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Academy Awards 2009 main winners:

Best Picture: ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
Best Actor: Sean Penn, ‘Milk’
Best Actress: Kate Winslet, ‘The Reader’
Best Director: Danny Boyle, ‘Sumdog Millionaire’
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, ‘The Dark Knight’
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’
Best Original Screenplay: ‘Milk’
Best Adapted Screenplay: ‘Slumdog Millionaire’