Slumdog Millionaire sweeps the board with eight Oscars
As expected, British film Slumdog Millionaire triumphed at the Oscars this morning winning eight Academy Awards. The rags-to-riches tale set in Mumbai about an orphan who goes on to win the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director for Danny Boyle, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, Best Score and Best Song.
Director Danny Boyle jumped up and down in delight when he collected his award. He explained that he’d made a pledge to his children that, should he win an Oscar he would “receive it in the spirit of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh”.
Crowded onto the stage alongside Boyle were Dev Patel and Freida Pinto who played the film’s young lovers Jamal and Latika. With them were the characters’ younger versions, including Rubiana Ali as the youngest Latika and Ayush Mahesh Khedekar as the youngest Jamal.
The Oscar win marks 52-year-old Danny Boyle’s directoral transition from low-budget British films to movies of international acclaim. His previous films span a range of genres and include Trainspotting and 28 Days Later.
It was also a big night for Kate Winslett, who won the Oscar for Best Actress in after five unsuccessful Academy Award nominations. For once Winslett, 33, managed to keep her composure - just - as she accepted her award from a group of past winners including Nicole Kidman, and Sophia Loren.
Winslet, who won the award for her role as Hanna Schmitz in The Reader, said she had first practised her speech in the mirror aged eight.
“I’d be lying if I haven’t made a version of this speech before,” she said.
“I think I was probably 8 years old and staring into the bathroom mirror and this (Oscar) would be a shampoo bottle. But it’s not a shampoo bottle now… I feel like an unlikely hero - I was not the privileged kid things like this could happen to.”
Winslett was first nominated in 1996 as Best Supporting Actress for her role as the fiery Marianne in Sense and Sensibility. Two years later she received a nomination for her leading role in Titanic, and in 2002 for a supporting role in Iris. Best actress nods followed again in 2005 for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Little Children in 2007.
Other British wins on the night included The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley, which won an Oscar for Best Costume Design. Prime Minister Gordon Brown hailed it a “great night” for Britain in Hollywood.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, collected two Oscars for Best Make Up and Art Direction.
Sean Penn was the surprise winner of the Best Actor Award for his leading role in Milk. Heath Ledger received a posthumous award for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. The gong, for Best Supporting Actor, was accepted by his parents and sister.
