80th Academy Awards

Infobox Academy Awards
name=80th


date=Sunday, February 24, 2008
site=Kodak Theatre
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
host=Jon Stewart
preshow=Samantha Harris
Regis Philbin [cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2007/07.12.10.html|title=Regis Philbin to Host Oscar's Red Carpet Show ]
Shaun Robinson
producer=Gil Cates
network=ABC
director=Louis J. Horvitz [cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2007/07.12.19.html|title=Louis J. Horvitz to direct 80th Annual Academy Awards]
duration=3 hours, 21 minutes [cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=awardcentral&jump=review&reviewid=VE1117936299|title=The 80th Annual Academy Awards -- From Your Couch | last = Lowry | first=Brian | date=2008-02-24 | publisher = Variety]
ratings=31.76 million
18.66 (Nielsen ratings)
last = 79th|79th
next = 81st|81st

The 80th Academy Awards ceremony, honoring the best in film for 2007, was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 24, 2008 (01:30 February 25 UTC). During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories. Gil Cates was the producer, making it his 14th show, a record. [cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/80academyawards/producer.html|title=80th Annual Academy Awards Show Producer | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ] Jon Stewart hosted the show, his second time. He previously presided over the 78th Academy Awards. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6991802.stm|title=Jon Stewart returns as Oscar host|publisher=BBC|date=2007-09-12|accessdate=2007-09-12] The ceremony was notably received as the lowest rated and least watched telecast to date, despite celebrating 80 years of the Academy. The telecast was nominated for a 2008 Emmy Award in the Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program category.

The nominees were announced on January 22 at 5:38 a.m. PST (13:38 UTC) by Academy president Sid Ganis and actress Kathy Bates, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in the Academy's Beverly Hills headquarters. "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" each received eight nominations.

"No Country for Old Men" dominated by winning four awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Adapted Screenplay (both awards for Joel and Ethan Coen), and Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem). For the first time since the 37th Academy Awards (1964), the Academy presented all four of the acting awards to non-American actors. The latter were: Daniel Day-Lewis (British) for "There Will Be Blood" (Best Actor), Marion Cotillard (French) for "La Vie en Rose" (Best Actress), Javier Bardem (Spanish) for "No Country for Old Men" (Best Supporting Actor), and Tilda Swinton (British) for "Michael Clayton" (Best Supporting Actress). This ceremony also continued trends of recent years, with no film winning more than four awards, the honors for non-documentary features being spread among 13 different films, and major acting honors going to a biographical film.

Winners of major awards

"This is a breakdown of winners of major awards categories only. For a complete list of nominees and winners, see 80th Academy Awards nominees and winners."

Feature films

Writing

fnb|1 In a taped segment, the four nominees for Best Documentary Short Subject were named, and the winner announced, by six U.S. military servicemembers stationed in Baghdad, Iraq. (Four versions of the winning announcement were recorded, with the appropriate version indicated to the program's video engineer at the live event.) After the announcement of the winner, Tom Hanks presented the award to the winner in the theatre. [http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20007870_20164474_20180773_8,00.html Oscars 2008 | Oscars: Your Burning Questions Answered! | Oscars 2008 | Photos | EW.com ] ]

Performers

Bill Conti was the musical arranger and the head orchestral conductor. Other performers included:
*Amy Adams sang "Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted".
*Jamia Simone Nash and the Impact Repertory Theatre, an African-American youth theatre group based in Harlem, sang "Raise It Up" from "August Rush".
*Kristin Chenoweth and Marlon Saunders sang "That's How You Know" also from "Enchanted", with accompanying dance cast.
*Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová performed "Falling Slowly" from "Once".
*Jon McLaughlin performed "So Close", also from "Enchanted", as live cast danced.

Voting trends and summary

For the fourth consecutive year, the field of major nominees did not include a bona fide blockbuster at the U.S. box office, with the nominees for Best Picture performing even more poorly than those of the previous year, although slightly better than in 2005.

None of the five Best Picture nominees was among the year's top 30 releases in box office at the time of the nominations; at the time of the announcement on January 22, "Juno" was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $87.1 million in domestic box office receipts (the film was the only Best Picture nominee of the five to earn more than $100 million before the ceremony date). The film was followed by "No Country for Old Men" which earned $48.9 million, "Michael Clayton" with $39.4 million, and "Atonement" with $32.7 million. "There Will Be Blood" rounded out the Best Picture nominees with $8.7 million. Out of the top 50 grossing movies of the year (prior to announcement), 30 nominations went to 11 films on the list. Only "Ratatouille" (11th), "American Gangster" (19th) , "Juno" (32nd), and "Charlie Wilson's War" (40th) received nominations for best picture, directing, acting, or screenwriting. The other top-50 box office hits that earned nominations were "Transformers" (3rd), ' (4th), "The Bourne Ultimatum" (7th), "Norbit" (30th), "The Golden Compass" (38th), "Surf's Up" (42nd), and ' (45th).

For the third consecutive year, a majority of the Best Picture nominees were rated R (under 17 requires accompanying adult). Of the 88 nominations awarded to non-documentary feature films (apart from the Foreign Film category), a slight majority of 50 went to R-rated films, 29 to films rated PG-13, 4 to PG-rated films and 5 to a G-rated film. There was a remarkable rating-related division among the nominations: R-rated films captured 24 of the 40 nominations for Best Picture, directing, screenwriting and acting; while non-R-rated films received 26 of the 45 nominations in the remaining categories, primarily those in "below the line" areas.

"Dark" Oscars?

Many news organizations have pointed out that numerous films nominated focused primarily on deeply grisly subjects such as greed, corruption, and violence. Films that prominently featured dark subjects included "No Country for Old Men", "There Will Be Blood", "Sweeney Todd", and "Michael Clayton."

According an article printed in the "Los Angeles Times", writer Patrick Goldstein notes

align|right|–Patrick Goldstein.cite news
url = http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/env-violence25feb25,1,7035680.story
title = The Oscars: A dark view on dark times
publisher = Los Angeles Times
date = 2008-01-25
accessdate = 2008-02-27]

Another article, written by "Press Democrat" writer Rachel Abramowitz recapped the five Best Picture nominees:

align|right|–Rachel Abramowitz.cite news
url = http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080125/LIFESTYLE/801250314/-1/SPECIAL&THEMES=ENTERTAINMENT
title = Oscars take dark tone
publisher = The Press Democrat
date = 2008-01-25
accessdate = 2008-02-29]

Host Jon Stewart observed this trend in his opening monologue when he asked "Does this town need a hug?" [ [http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/movies/story.html?id=332258 'Does this town need a hug?' ] ] In another reference to the four darker, dramatic films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, he commented "Thank God for teen pregnancy," a reference to the comparatively lighter theme of "Juno". [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/movies/awardsseason/25osca.html?ref=todayspaper Oscars - Academy Awards ceremony - Movies - New York Times ] ]

Winners

For the fourth year in a row, no film received more than four awards. The honors for achievements in non-documentary features were spread among 13 different films. All the acting awards were presented to performers who were born outside of the United States. The last time this happened was in 1964. Daniel Day-Lewis is a British and Irish citizen, Tilda Swinton is from the UK, Marion Cotillard is from France, and Javier Bardem is from Spain. [Associated Press, [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,332389,00.html "80th Oscars a Dud, Preliminary Ratings Show 14 Percent Lower Than Least-Watched Ceremony"] , Feb. 25, 2008.]

Marion Cotillard's win for her portrayal of Édith Piaf marked the third year in a row, and the seventh time in nine years, that the Best Actress award went to a performance in a biographical film, though the win by Day-Lewis was the first Best Actor nod in four years for playing a fictional character. Also, Cotillard became the second actress since Sophia Loren in 1961 to receive an Oscar for a non-English speaking role. [cite news | title='No Country for Old Men' takes Oscar for best picture | date=2008-02-25 | url=http://news.theage.com.au/no-country-for-old-men-takes-oscar-for-best-picture/20080225-1uji.html] Overall Cotillard is the fifth performer to win for a non-English speaking role after Loren, Robert De Niro in 1974 (for supporting), Roberto Benigni in 1998, and Benicio Del Toro in 2000 (for supporting). [cite news | last=Phillips | first=Michael | date=2008-02-25 | title = Oscar winners: The Coen brothers take 4 statues | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0225-oscar-winners,1,532635.story.] Cotillard became the fourth French-born actress after Claudette Colbert in 1934, Simone Signoret in 1959, and Juliette Binoche in 1996 (for supporting) to win an Oscar. She became the first to win for a French-language performance. All of the previous foreign-language winners won for Italian-speaking roles.

Robert F. Boyle, at age 98, became the oldest recipient of the Honorary Academy Award.

The Coen brothers' win for Best Director marks the second time the award was shared between two individuals for a single film. The first time was in 1961, when Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise earned Oscars for co-directing "West Side Story". [Associated Press, [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23329024/ "Coen brothers make Oscar history"] , Feb. 25, 2008.]

Notable events

*When Markéta Irglová was presented the Award for Best Original Song with Glen Hansard for "Falling Slowly," her acceptance speech after Hansard's seemingly was preempted by the orchestra's music cue to leave the stage. In an unprecedented move, [ [http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20007870_20164474_20180773_7,00.html Oscars 2008, Jon Stewart, ... | Oscars: Your Burning Questions Answered! | Oscars 2008 | Photos | EW.com ] ] "Burning Questions," "Entertainment Weekly", March 7, 2008] host Jon Stewart invited Irglová back on stage to deliver her acceptance speech following the commercial break. Director Gil Cates said the early cue was accidental. [ [http://oscars.movies.yahoo.com/news/reuters/20080224/1714.html Best Song Co-Winner Gets Second Chance] ] The pair said afterward that they had never intended to have Irglová speak. ["Into the Night," "Entertainment Weekly", March 7, 2008]
*In his acceptance speech, Javier Bardem honored his mother, who attended the ceremony with him, with a tribute in Spanish that brought her to tears. He said: "Mom, this is for you, this is for your grandparents, for your parents and the Matilde family, this is for the comedians of Spain, who have, like you, brought dignity and pride to our profession. This is for Spain, and this is for all of us."
*After Tom Hanks introduced them, six US military personnel stationed in Iraq announced (in a taped segment) the four nominees and the winner for Best Documentary Short Subject. Army Specialist Alexandria Corneiro had filmed four different announcements, naming each nominee as the winner. After the nominees' names were read, a representative from PricewaterhouseCoopers told the video engineer which footage to roll.
*Stewart joked about the endless amount of montages (see "special segments") and took an additional jab at the "Plan B" ceremony proposed in the event that the writers' strike continued. Stewart presented a humorous selection of clips, one consisting of film clips "saluting binoculars and telescopes" and another of "saluting characters awakening from bad dreams." [ [http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/karen_heller/20080225_Class_and_taste_in_ample_supply__for_most_part.html "Class and taste in ample supply, for most part" from the "Philadelphia Inquirer"] ]
*Prior to the presentation of the Best Animated Short Film, Barry Bee Benson (voiced by Jerry Seinfeld) touted his "minor" roles in other films such as "Election", "Rushmore", "A Room with a View" and "The Swarm", all of which included scenes prominently featuring bees. [ [http://gothamist.com/2008/02/24/oscar_night_200.php Gothamist: Oscar Night 2008: Liveblogging the Academy Awards ] ]

Ratings

The American telecast drew in an average of 31.76 million viewers over its length, which was down 20 percent from the previous year, and a household rating of 18.66%. Although an average of 32.61 million people watched during the first half-hour of the show,cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=63999149-9c68-40dd-9867-b8dfdc0d5d01|title=Lowest Rated Oscars. Ever.|author=Joal Ryan|publisher=E! Entertainment Television|date=2008-02-25] the audience diminished to an average of 25.17 million by its last half-hour. The ceremony also drew a record low 10.68 rating in the 18-49 target demographics [cite web | title = Oscar Ratings: Not Good - From Inside the Box | publisher = Zap2It.com | date = 2005-02-25 | url = http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2008/02/oscar-ratings-n.html?in_zipcode=37235&in_radius=5] . It surpassed the ceremony of five years earlier as the lowest rated and least watched show since Nielsen ratings were recorded for the telecast in 1967 and audience size was monitored beginning in 1974. [cite web|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hABHGioN-HruqoKNU7iiB7spStpwD8V1FVK00|title=Oscars Are a TV Ratings Dud |publisher = Associated Press ] [cite web | title = Oscar Ratings Lay a Golden Egg; But Why? | publisher = TV Guide | date = 2005-02-25 | url = http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TV-Show-Blog/Oscars-Live-Recap/Ratings-Oscars-Lay/800034156] Ratings for this ceremony were 14% lower than the previous record holder. Many were also quick to point out a big contrast between the ratings for the show and Super Bowl XLII, which attracted a record 97.5 million (three times as much as the ceremony) with 43.3% of households. According to the "Chicago Tribune" the Super Bowl and the Oscars (which since 2004, have usually occurred in the same month) have been usually the two big events that traditionally attract a large number of television viewers. [Scott Collins [http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-tue_oscar_0226.1feb26,1,3577076.story "Oscar nominees may have turned off viewers"] , "Chicago Tribune", Feb. 26, 2008.]

Many insiders and critics blame the extremely low ratings and shrunken audience size to the fact that, like the awards telecast of two-years earlier, no box office hits were nominated. Many believe that the ratings for the awards heavily depend on what films receive the nominations. During the 70th Academy Awards, an audience of 57.25 million tuned into the ceremony in which the global blockbuster "Titanic" won a record-tying 11 awards from its 14 nominations. [cite web | title = And the Oscar goest to...fewer TV ratings | publisher = The Wall Street Journal | date = 2005-02-25 | url = http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/and-the-oscar-goes-to-fewer-tv-viewers-283/?mod=googlenews_wsj] [Lisa De Moraes, [http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080227/LIFE/802270307 "Oscar ratings worst ever"] , "The Washington Post" ("Cape Cod Times"), Feb. 27, 2008.]

Others blamed the preceding writers' strike for the low ratings because it allotted for less time for the writers to prepare adequate material and more deeply thought humor (see below). It also may have hindered ABC (the broadcaster of the ceremony in the United States) in promoting the event for a longer time period due to doubts of the outcome of the strike. [Brian Lowry, [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117936299.html?categoryid=32&cs=1 The 80th Annual Academy Awards -- From Your Couch] , "Variety", Feb. 24, 2008.]

Despite poor American ratings, the show was by far the top rated show in Canada for the 2007-08 Canadian television season. [cite news|url=http://www.bbm.ca/en/nat02182008.pdf|title=BBM Canada TV ratings (week of February 18-24)]

Advertisements

Advertisers released new, specific commercials for the 80th Academy Awards as they did for the Super Bowl XLII. The primary American broadcaster, ABC reportedly earned $1.8 million per 30-second advertising spot. [Milena Merrill, [http://blog.nola.com/business_of_film/2008/02/2008_oscars_fizzled_sizzle.html "2008 Oscars = fizzled sizzle"] , "The Business of Film", NOLA.com, Feb. 26, 2008.] Among the many advertisements that premiered were:

*Following up on its 79th Academy Awards ad, Dove allowed the public to submit ads promoting their Oil Cream Body Wash. During the telecast, thousands voted online via Oscar.com or Dovecreamoil.com to chose their favorite ad. Célèste Wouden won the contest with her ad [http://dovecreamoil.msn.com/Gallery.aspx?souce=dovehp_feb Speedy Spa] .

*JCPenney launched several commercials promoting its new American Living clothing. Two advertisements featured the song "Killing the Blues" by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfY6P1mYh3A YouTube - J.C. Penney American Living ] ] [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyVvEPvk_TA&feature=related YouTube - J.C. Penney - American Living ] ] Another [http://youtube.com/watch?v=qcGIKquG6Mk one] featured the song "Let's Dance" by Chris Montez.

*MasterCard released a new adverstiement called [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxn64U9SoOU "Studious Pupil"] about a young man's eye that abnormally enlarges and shrinks. The commercial ends with the slogan "Are you searching for the priceless things in life?".

*Diet Coke featured its [http://youtube.com/watch?v=cU8urkYk9po spot] which launched a contest that included a grand prize of auctioning off the red dress worn by Heidi Klum at the Oscars with proceeds going in support of Women's Heart health.

*Target Corporation aired an [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkluxHN7RJ0&eurl=http://splendad.com/ads/show/1950-Target-We-Belong-In-This-World-Together ad] which depicted people interacting in surrealistic situation usually incorporated with the company's signature bullseye logo. The song played in the commercial is Stereo MC's "We Belong in This World Together".

Aside from the commercials themselves, a number of product placements were also evident during the show itself. Among them Jon Stewart wielding an iPhone and making a gag about its widescreen capabilities while watching "Lawrence of Arabia". After a commercial break, Stewart and "August Rush" star Jamia Simone Nash could be seen playing a "Wii Sports" tennis match against a giant screen. [Cite web| url = http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/25/wii-tennis-makes-surprise-appearance-at-the-oscars/|title=Wii Tennis makes surprise appearance at the Oscars|publisher=Joystiq|first=Scott Jon|last=Siegel|date=2008-02-25|accessdate=2008-02-25]

pecial segments

Throughout the ceremony, there were various tributes to the 80th Anniversary of the Academy Awards ceremony. One segment recapping the previous winners of the Best Picture award. Another montage highlighted the history of the ceremony. Preceding each acting award and the best director award presentation, a montage saluting previous winners of each award was shown. Several pre-recorded segments featured past winners discussing their feelings on winning, including Barbra Streisand, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sidney Poitier, Steven Spielberg, and Elton John.

In Memoriam

The annual "In Memoriam" tribute was presented by Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank. The memorial list included those who died between February 1, 2007, and January 31, 2008.

The tribute included Roscoe Lee Brown, Barry Nelson, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Betty Hutton, Calvin Lockhart, Jane Wyman, screenwriter Melville Shavelson, director Curtis Harrington, Jack Valenti, choreographer Michael Kidd, director Michelangelo Antonioni, director Delbert Mann, make-up artist Monty Westmore, soundman Peter T. Hanford, stuntman Bud Ekins, screenwriter Bernard Gordon, Dabbs Greer, Jean-Claude Brialy, art director Harold Michelson, Laraine Day, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Lois Maxwell, cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs, director Robert Clark , art director George Jenkins, Johnny Grant, studio executive Frank E. Rosenfelt, producer Martin Manulis, costume designer Donfeld, director Sembene Ousmane, agent Freddy Fields, agent Robert Lantz, executive Ray Kurtzman, Miyoshi Umeki, Suzanne Pleshette, Deborah Kerr, visual effects artist Peter Ellenshaw, film editor Peter Zinner, cinematographer Freddie Francis, director Ingmar Bergman, composer and songwriter Ray Evans, make-up artist William Tuttle, and actor Heath Ledger.

Controversies

Like many entertainment award telecasts, the Academy Awards ceremony has suffered controversies throughout its history. However the broadcast had never before faced turmoil to the point of endangerment, as threatened by the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike.

Writers strike effects

The strike created uncertainty regarding the 2008 Awards. Although the strike was lifted before the date of the Awards, this occurred less than two weeks before and therefore long-term planning was difficult.

On December 18, 2007, the striking Writers Guild of America denied a waiver requested by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in connection with film clips and excerpts from previous award ceremonies to be shown at the 2008 awards. The material could have still been used though, as the denial only affected the conditions under which the clips are shown. [ [http://www.oscars.org/80academyawards/wga_announcement.html WGA announcement] Retrieved on December 29, 2007.] This was not the first time the ceremony took place during a labor dispute. The 60th Academy Awards occurred 37 days after that years' writers strike began. At the time material was already completed in anticipation for the strike, and actors were in full attendance of the ceremony. [ [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ic57162ccf8c18bbfafe8430eb69eecbf Academy hopes Oscars' red carpet not shredded ] ]

In anticipation that the strike would continue through Oscar Night, the Academy developed a Plan B show that would not have included actors accepting their awards. It would have included the musical numbers, but would have relied heavily on historic film clips, emphasizing the 80th anniversary of the awards. [cite news | last = Cidoni | first = Michael | coauthors = | title = Oscar broadcast to air tonight at 5 p.m. | work = Sound Life| publisher = Associated Press | date = 2008-02-24 | url = http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/291539.html | accessdate = 2008-02-24] Nevertheless, the strike was lifted on February 12, as a result of a deal reached by the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers introduced three days earlier. Therefore, the fear of picketing writers and boycotting actors (as a result of solidarity by the Screen Actors Guild) was eliminated, and the ceremony proceeded as normal. [cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=4277987|title=Writers Vote to End 3-Month Walkout | last=Elber | first=Lynn | date=2008-02-13]

Many analysts still suspect that the strike affected the amount of time for writing preparation and promotion for the ceremony itself.

One Oscar-related casualty from the strike aside from the ceremony were the cancellation of several entertainment parties in support of the strike including one held by "Vanity Fair" and another by "Entertainment Weekly". [cite news|last = Judge|first = Ben|title = A to Z of the Oscars|work = Scotland On Sunday|publisher=Scotsman|date = 2008-02-24|url = http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/A-to-Z-of-the.3809974.jp|accessdate = 2008-02-24]

Other controversies

Brad Renfro was not among those mourned in the "In Memoriam" tribute, although he had died in January 2008. Academy spokesperson Leslie Unger responded to criticism by stating, "Unfortunately we cannot include everyone. Our goal is to honor individuals who worked in the many professions and trades of the motion picture industry, not just actors." [cite web|url=http://oscars.movies.yahoo.com/news/associatedpress/20080225/1723.html|title=Brad Renfro Excluded From Oscar Tribute | date=2008-02-24] Also among those omitted was costume designer Marit Allen, who was among the year's nominees for her work on "La Vie en Rose". Ulrich Mühe, the star of the German film "The Lives of Others" (which won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2006) was not mentioned, and also excluded were the French mime artist Marcel Marceau and Edward Yang, the Cannes-fêted Taiwanese director acclaimed for humane films including "Yi Yi" and "A Brighter Summer Day". [cite web|url=http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/yang.html|title=Edward Yang | date=2008-02-29] Also left out was Maila Nurmi (aka "Vampira"), who starred in such films as "The Beat Generation", "I Woke Up Early The Day I Died" and the infamous cult classic "Plan 9 from Outer Space".

Also, many TV viewers observed that during the montages honoring the 80-year history of the awards, highlights from four-time host Whoopi Goldberg and two-time host Steve Martin were notably absent from the montage (though Goldberg was acknowledged in another segment recognizing previous Best Supporting Actress winners). [ [http://www.eonline.com/redcarpet/detail/index.jsp?uuid=66fb5d42-92bc-4bf8-8d0e-7aa8a16af180 Whoopi: Oscar Diss "Hurts"] , Feb. 25, 2008.] On the talk show "The View" the following morning, Goldberg's co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck pointed out the omission, to which Goldberg responded, "Undoubtedly, I pissed somebody off once again. You know what, I don't--I don't know". [ [http://www.eonline.com/news/article/?uuid=57103404-e940-4279-b2ac-48d4a2a659ba E! News - Whoopi Wonders Where She Was on Oscar Night - Whoopi Goldberg | Barbara Walters ] ] Co-hosts Hasselbeck, Sherri Shepherd, Joy Behar and Barbara Walters then embraced Goldberg and praised her for her accomplishments. Producer Gil Cates issued an apology to Goldberg three days after the ceremony. [Gina Serpe, [http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=e376f137-4055-4783-8541-f8b3952db709 "Whoopi Makes Peace with Oscar Oops"] , E! News, Feb. 27, 2008.]

Memorable quotes

*"Oscar is 80 this year, which automatically makes him the frontrunner for the Republican nomination." - Jon Stewart, in a reference to John McCain's age (then 71).cite news
url = http://real-us.news.yahoo.com/s/nm/oscars_show_dc
title = Jon Stewart opens Oscars with post-strike humor
publisher = "Reuters" via Yahoo News
date = 2008-02-25
accessdate = 2008-03-07]

*"Hi everyone. I just want to thank you so much. This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling, and this, the fact that we’re standing here tonight, the fact that we’re able to hold this, it’s just to prove no matter how far out your dreams are, it’s possible. And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don’t give up. And this song was written from a perspective of hope, and hope at the end of the day connects us all, no matter how different we are. And so thank you so much, who helped us along way. Thank you." - Marketa Irglova, giving her highlight acceptance speech for Best Original Song after being cut off by the orchestra before the commercials. [ [http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/25/marketa-irglovas-oscar-speech/ Marketa Irglova’s Oscar Speech] ]

*"Mama, this is for you. This is for your grandparents and your parents, Rafael and Matilde. This is for the comedians of Spain who, like you, have brought dignity and pride to our profession. This is for Spain and this is for all of you." - Javier Bardem, speaking in Spanish, in a moving and emotional acceptance speech that brought his mother to tears [ [http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20007870_20164474_20180773_1,00.html Javier Bardem, Oscars 2008 | Oscars: Your Burning Questions Answered! | Oscars 2008 | Photos | EW.com ] ]

*"I have an American agent who is the spitting image of this [statuette] . Really, truly, the same shape head and, it has to be said, the buttocks." - Tilda Swinton on accepting the award for Best Supporting Actress [cite news
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7261803.stm
title = Coens' No Country sweeps Oscars
publisher = BBC News
date = 2008-02-25
accessdate = 2008-06-11]

*"Well...uh...thank you very much." - Ethan Coen on accepting the award for Best Adapted Screenplaycite news
url = http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/OSCARS/508085101
title = Coens take the Oscar prize for words and picture
publisher = Roger Ebert website
date = 2008-02-25
accessdate = 2008-03-07]

*"The baby goes to...I'm just stunned. It goes to...ANGELINA JOLIE!. That's terrific! Obviously Angelina Jolie couldn't be here — it's hard to find 17 babysitters on Oscar night! I accept this baby on her behalf." - Jon Stewart on rumors of Jolie's pregnancy which were denied after an attendance at the Independent Spirit Awardscite news
url = http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272619060.shtml
title = Angelina Jolie Butt of Oscars Joke: What About Jennifer Aniston?
publisher = "National Ledger"
date = 2008-02-25
accessdate = 2008-02-27]

*"Well, I'm speechless now. I -- I -- well, I -- thank you life, thank you love, and it is true, there is some angels in this city! Thank you so, so much!" - Marion Cotillard on accepting the award for Best Actresscite news
url = http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/oscars/env-bestworstoscar08-pg,0,2666655.photogallery?index=20
title = The best and worst of the Oscars '08: Most endearingly speechless speaker
publisher = The Envelope from the "Los Angeles Times"
date = 2008-02-24
accessdate = 2008-02-27]

*"What is happening? This is for the writers, and I want to thank all the writers. I especially want to thank my fellow nominees because I worship you guys and I'm learning from you every day, so thank you very much. ... I want to thank Mason Novick who knew I could do this before I did. And most of all, I want to thank my family for loving me exactly the way I am." - Diablo Cody on accepting the award for Original Screenplaycite news
url = http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/25/Movies/Big_winners_from_Osca.shtml
title = Big winners from Oscar night
publisher = St. Petersburg Times
date = 2008-02-24
accessdate = 2008-02-27]

*"That's the closest I'll ever come to getting a knighthood." - Daniel Day-Lewis on accepting the award for Best Actor from Helen Mirren (who won last year for playing Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen")cite news
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7262136.stm
title = In quotes: Oscars 2008
publisher = BBC News
date = 2008-02-25
accessdate = 2008-06-11]

*"I don't have a lot to add to what I said earlier. Thank you." - Ethan Coen on accepting the award for Best Directorcite news
url = http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/25/oscars/
title = 'Old Men,' Europeans seize Oscars
publisher = CNN
date = 2008-02-25
accessdate = 2008-03-07]

International broadcasters

Some of the broadcasters outside the United States (telecasted on ABC) showing the event live: [cite web | title = 80th Annual Academy Awards - Intl. Broadcasters | publisher = Oscar.com | url = http://oscar.com/oscarnight/?pn=internationalbroadcasters]
*Australia - Nine Network (with a 12 hour delay)^{1 2}
*Austria - ORF1
*Argentina - TNT
*Belgium - Prime
*Belize - Tropical Vision Limited (Channel 7)
*Brazil - Rede Globo and TNT
*Canada - CTV
*Chile - Red Televisión
*China - CCTV-6
*Colombia - RCN TV & TNT
*Costa Rica - Teletica Canal 7
*Croatia - HRT1
*Czech Republic - HBO
*Denmark - TV 2 Film
*Dominican Republic - Teleantillas
*Finland - Nelonen
*France - Canal+
*Germany - Pro 7
*Greece - Filmnet
*Hong Kong - TVB Pearl
*Hungary - RTL Klub
*India - STAR Movies
*Ireland - RTE
*Italy - Sky Italia
*Japan - WOWOW
*Macedonia - Kanal 5
*Malaysia - ntv7, Star Movies
*Middle East - Dubai One
*Mexico - Channel 7 TV Azteca & TNT
*Montenegro - TV IN
*The Netherlands - Film 1
*New Zealand - SKY Movies & SKY Movies 2
*Panama - RPC Channel 4
*Peru - Frecuencia Latina
*Philippines - Velvet (SkyCable Channel 53) ³
*Poland - Canal+
*Portugal - TVI
*Puerto Rico - WAPA Channel 4
*Russia - Channel One
*Serbia - RTS 1
*Singapore - MediaCorp TV Channel 5
*Slovenia - Kanal A
*South Africa - Dstv
*South Korea - OCN
*Spain - Canal+
*Sweden - Kanal 9
*Taiwan - STAR Movies
*Thailand - STAR Movies
*Trinidad and Tobago - CCN TV6
*Turkey - NTV
*United Kingdom - Sky Movies
*Uruguay - Canal 4 Montecarlo Televisión
*Venezuela - Venevisión
*Vietnam - VTC1

1. Due to the restrictions of a three hour timeslot, some of the awards were cut out of the broadcast in Australia, including Best Foreign Language Film, and the Sci-tech awards"

2. Due to restrictions the Australian broadcast was shown in standard definition only

3. Slightly delayed telecast over ABS-CBN. Rebroadcast for primetime on Studio 23 and Velvet.

ee also

*80th Academy Awards nominees and winners
*65th Golden Globe Awards
*14th Screen Actors Guild Awards
*28th Golden Raspberry Awards
*2007 in film

References

External links

Official websites

* [http://www.oscar.com/ Academy Awards official website]
* [http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2008/ Academy 2008 press releases (includes all official presenter & performer announcements)]
* [http://www.oscars.org/80academyawards/reminder/reminder_titles.html List of eligible films]
* [http://www.youtube.com/oscars The Oscars] at YouTube (run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

News resources

* [http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Oscars2008/ ABC News - 80th Academy Awards coverage]
* [http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/academy.awards/index.html CNN Awards Spotlight: Academy Awards]
* [http://movies.yahoo.com/oscars/ Yahoo! Movies - 80th Academy Awards]
* [http://theenvelope.latimes.com/ The Envelope.com] with contributions by Paul Sheehan

Analysis

* [http://www.filmsite.org/aa07.html Tim Dirks Filmsite.org Analysis]
* [http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Academy_Awards_USA/2008 IMDb - 80th Academy Awards winners and nominees]

Photos

* [http://www.vialuxe.com/oscar/ de GRISOGONO goes to the Oscars] (Oscar Pre-Party) Feb 2008
* [http://www.people.com/people/package/redcarpet/0,,20168763,00.html Photos and news of the 2008 Oscar Winners at People.com]

Other resources

* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=321358995 MySpace's Countdown to the Academy Awards]
* [http://inogolo.com/guides/80th_academy_awards Pronunciation Guide to the 80th Academy Award Nominees]
* [http://www.radiolinkshollywood.com/detail_show.asp?ID=276 Listen and download the "behind-the-scenes" audio feature preview]