Slumdog Millionaire ran home with 8 Academy Awards last night, winning the most coveted awards of Best Picture and Best Director. Danny Boyle, who looked beyond thrilled at winning, accepted his award on behalf of, um, Tigger: *jumps up and down in a crazed fashion* "My kids are too old to remember but when they were very young I promised that if this magic moment ever came, I would receive it in the spirit of Tigger. So that's what that was."
Kate Winslet also predictably won Best Actress for The Reader, and thankfully managed a charming acceptance speech: "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't made up some version of this speech. I was eight years old and I'd have been standing in front of the bathroom mirror, and this would have been a shampoo bottle. It's not a shampoo bottle now!"
Mickey Rourke lost out to Sean Penn for the Best Actor gong (Penn was magnificent in Milk so we're well happy about that - he also opened his very rousing speech with "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns". Class ), while the sublime Penelope Cruz quite rightly won Best Supporting Actress. HeathLedger's Best Supporting Actor Award was collected by his parents and sister. As for presenter of the night - well, that has to go to Ben Stiller who came dressed as Joaquin Phoenix. He then proceeded to turn his back on co-presenter, Natalie Portman, to enjoy a moment of mumbling. Be sure to tune in to RTE2 tonight from 9pm to see all the coverage.
The Irish didn't fair too well, what with Martin McDonagh'sIn Bruges losing out on the Best Original Screenplay gong, and the short film based on RoddyDoyle's short story, New Boy, also came home with nothing. But sure not to worry - look at all the pretty people!
The full list of main winners can be seen here.
