It's difficult to argue that Cruz does not deserve the award for her lifetime of work, if not for VCB in particular.

what is VCB about, anyway? i know it's a woody allen film (i think?) but that's about it ... is it worth seeing/renting?

It's a Woody Allen movie, yes.
It's about two women, Vicky and Christina, and their trials of love in the city of Barcelona. It's a topic Woody Allen really understands, as anyone who's seen any of his good movies can tell you.

I love you Ben Stiller. Marry me?

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I actually like that lesser-known films get recognition, as they are often much higher quality than many box office hits. At least I respect the Oscars more than I do the Grammys, where creativity and quality seem to take a back seat to record sales in so many categories.

If anyone's curious about Vicky Cristina Barcelona, I didn't love the movie, but I thought Cruz stole every scene she was in. I immediately turned to my seatmate and said I knew she would be nominated. She doesn't often reach her full potential in American films, but when you watch some of her work from Spain, she really shines. Happy for her.

I think every Australian watching Heath's mum and dad and sister stand up there on that huge stage with all of those huge stars, looking completely small and overwhelmed and humble would have to have been moved to tears. Yes we all knew he was going to win, but it was pretty damn powerful.

Nothing's going to top Allen's run of great films in the 1970's, but VCB was pretty damn good and Penelope's role was a shot of energy from the moment she turned up.

Please tell me someone out there hated Benjamin Button as much as I did...

@ jurj -- funny you should ask that ... http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20090108142308AATTqL2

Can you really blame Kate for being surprised? The Academy has snubbed her five previous times why would she have been expecting it?

I just got off another blog stating the exact same thing about Mickey Rourke.

Re: Kate Winslet, though. People have won for worse. Good Lord, Forest Whitaker played Idi Amin!

Oh Mickey. Nothing against Penn, who was fine in Milk, but Rourke was such a powerful, brutal and sensitive force in The Wrestler.

Ah, I hadn't seen or heard that comment about the character she played. I'm not a Kate-stan; indeed, I would have loved an upset. But her winning didn't send me in convulsions like Sean Penn's or Penelope Cruz's win.

I really thought Anne Hathaway gave a nuanced performance in a superior film, but I also knew that she didn't have a real shot at winning. I don't know why Penelope Cruz won - there were better choices out there, for certain.

What I will say, and stand behind, is that Benjamin Button is a WTF? choice all the way. The short story was superior in all ways to the film.

I don't understand where the Kate hate comes from. Yeah, some of her speeches bordered on the annoying, but that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to win. The Academy has never recognized her for the amazing acting that she does on a consistent basis. She's always a classy and very nice person. I think she deserves this.
Also, I'm in love with Robert Downey Jr.

not sure if anyone else remember this small fact but ONLy members of the academy of arts and sciences vote and select the nominations for the films. so really it has absolutely nothing to do with box office sells or exposure. i am just saying this cause it's not a public voting thing, which is why it's such an honor that you get selected from your peers.

personally i felt that benjamin button got robbed regardless if you liked the film it was an excellently made film. but really more than anything Frost/Nixon got robbed. I guess it goes to show though that the members of the academy obviously liked slumdog.

Would have loved it if Penn & Rourke had TIED. They were both superb.

Penelope Cruz was brilliant in Volver and equally brilliant in VCB. If you watch either, you will understand that she was as good as Viola Davis or Rosemarie DeWitt (not nominated, from Rachel Getting...). These three were the best supporting actresses of the year, IMO.

Huh. Mickey Rourke is from my parents' home town.

That being said, I was pretty happy for the kid who wrote "Milk" when both he and Sean won. He looked lit up like a Christmas tree.

I don't think I ever watched more of an Oscars broadcast than I did this one, and I have not seen a single one of the films (not because they're obscure, but because my schedule is so ridiculous I haven't had the chance to see any films at all) I had no idea Hugh Jackman could sing and dance!

I loved the kind of 'process through film-making' order of presentation, and the almost roast/toast-like way of presenting the major awards, which gave each person or film that had made it to being nominated a chance to shine and be acknowledged, rather than just acknowledging the winner and leaving the rest in the dark. I loved the montages, especially the action montage.

All that said, I have no idea wtf Ben Stiller thought he was doing but I wanted to punch him in the face for doing it. It seemed like a cheap 'look at me!' gag. And I haven't seen Kate Winslet in anything since "Shakespeare in Love" bear no ill-will towards her at all, and thought her speech was too long, mainly because she seemed to be left alone to flounder around for words instead of being offered a graceful exit. But the whistle with her Dad was adorable.

I guess I want to say that the academy is a limited group. As far as the actor/actress awards, I think they think of the actor's personality, and then the charactor's personality and who had to reach the furthest to accomplish the 'switch'. Kate to a Nazi Gaurd, Sean to a gay congressman? Also, I think Mickey may still have some bridges to build.. since he burnt them. But what do I know...I'm not in the industry.

Mickey Rourke got jobbed. One of the best acting performances of this decade. Sean Penn has now won two Oscars over more deserving nominees (Bill Murray shoud have won in 2003). The Wrestler was the best movie of 2008.

"I had no idea Hugh Jackman could sing and dance!"

What, you mean you didn't watch "Viva Laughlin"? :P

As for only Academy members voting in the Oscars...that's true, but they get to vote whether they saw the movie or not. So the system isn't without its faults.

I'm not gonna knock Kate Winslet for her speech. Lots of people give the "wow I didn't expect to win" speech, and they rarely come across well. I'm just glad she finally won an Oscar.

'And I haven't seen Kate Winslet in anything since "Shakespeare in Love"'

You really haven't seen her for a while as she wasn't even in that film!
I do think a lot of the Oscar wins are about 'turns'. Martin Scorcese won for one of his weaker films, Heath should have got the Oscar for Brokeback Mountain and while Pe was good in VCB it certainly wasn't her best performance.

Did anyone else think that Alica Keys wig looked horrendous??

What, you mean you didn't watch "Viva Laughlin"? :P

Did anyone?

I feel like I am the only person who was rooting for Frost/Nixon...

The format of having former award winners coming out and fawning over the nominees was ridiculous. Especially uncomfortable was Ben Kingsley telling Mickey Rourke that it was good to have him back. I bet Ben really thought...'Why am I lauding this jerk who screwed up his career only to be lucky some director took pity on him?"